The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1902-11-03

Royal Welcome by the People of
Citrus county's Coming
Seaport
Sparkman's day at Crystal River
was a great success, and while the
uncertain clouds of Friday night and
Saturday morning excited grave ap-
prehcnsions in regard to the state of
the weather, foreboding rain, the sun
finally came out and the day proved
an ideal one for the picnic. The
crowd present was estimated at from
400 to 500 persons, who had gathered
from all parts of Citrus county to
hear their distinguished congress-
man, for whom the people of that
section have a very high regard, and
love to meet and talk to him.
At the appointed hour, IL o'clock
Mr.. Clifford E. Herrick, the able
manager of the Dixon Cedar Mill Co.,
called the meeting to order, and
served most acceptably as master of
ceremonies, in a beautiful grove on
the banks of the sparkling waters of
Crystal River. 1t was a lovely spot,
on which comfortable seats had been
arranged, while the platform for the
speaker was located under the shade
of huge liveoak. The decorations
were patriotic, streamers and flags
lending an additional charm to the
sylvan background.
Rev. L. L. Houghwort, the Pres
byterian preacher Of the town, made
the opening address, which was in
the form of ardent words of welcome
to the orator Of the day, the repre-
sentatives of the press, the invited
guests and the visitors in general.
He spoke pleasantly of the bar that
existed at the mouth of the river,
which Congressman Sparkman would
remove, but said there was none to
the cordiality of feeling that babe all
welcome. He said they had antici-
pated the day with pleasure when
Col. Sparkman would tell them of the
things of government which they de-
sired to know.
Senator Kirk of Brooksville, who
the counties of Pasco,
fernando and Citrus, followed, re-
ferring in eulogistic words of the hos
pitality of his first visit to Crystal
River in 1884, when he was a candi-
date for the legislature and to which
he was elected.
The editor of the Star was then
called on and spoke for the diffusion
of education and it's power in the
world.
Col. Lloyd, of Inverness, the astute
and successful disciple of Blackstone,
followed on the duty of citizens to
vote, whether the candidate had or
had no opponent, and made an ap-
peal ian earnest and eloquent az
peaD to their manhood and sover-
eighty to come out Tuesday and vote.
Then came the orator of the day,
Col. S. M. Sparkman, of Tampa, dem
ocratic candidate for Congress, who
spoke of the friendly feeling that had
always existed between him and the
early settlers of the town, and how
it always gave him pleasure to come
and renew these pleasant relations.
He then detailed his efforts in Sc
curing a $4,000 appropriation to
open the bar to the mouth of the riv-
Ell, which would be available next
year, but which took him eight years
to secure, and facetiously remarked
that if the people of Crystal River
only kept him in Congress long
enough he believed he would get for
them twenty feet of water, but if they
didn't he would have to paraphrase
Bob Davis (Our Bob reply to his
Ocala constituents when they COM
planned he had not kept his promise
TO secure for them the four light
houses, one for each corner of the
square" Of their town, because the
members of the legislature had taken
Ocala out of his district, but if Ma
rion county had been kept in his dis
trict and they had kept him in Con-
gress long enough, he certainly would
have secured for them the unique
distinction he promised.
Col. Sparkman then gave his rea-
sons for believing that entire sue
cess would perch on the democratic
standards Tuesday and went into the
subject of high tariff legislation and
false monetary acts of the republi-
can party.
He made a very fine address and
commanded thp closest attention Of