The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-10-02
MARION HeRDXeRE COMPANY
New 0cala lnstitution-Personne
Of Firms Members.

october 1St.
1t promises TO become to the inte-
| riOr Of Florida what the ;. B. Hub
bard Hardware Company is to Jack
sOnville and the Baird Hardware Com.
pany is To Gainesville.
As ii is destined to grow into one
Of OCr largest business institutions
We have thought that the personnel
OF the individuals constituting the
firm may interest our readers.
First on the list appears the name
Of Richard >. Hall, whose business
career reads almost like romance.
Mr.. Hall is native of North Caro-
lima, that old state so famous for its
long line of conservative, rugged and
magnificent men-the noble bull
warhs of state.
: He has not only inherited but lived
! there long enough to thoroughly inn
bibe the splendid characteristics Of
its citizenship.
He moved from North Carolina TO
Georgia and came to Florida ABOUT
fourteen years ago bringing with him
a. his stock III trade iudOmitable en-
| ergy, good character and "a substan-
tial, well earned business reputation
! but almost without "a dollar.
By intuition he instantly saw the
! great possibilities that the naval
stores business presented and acteJ
upon his judgment accordingly.
Measured in the coin Of the realm as
the result of his sagacity and keen
business acumen il is conservative
estimate to place his ACCOMMODATIONS
at two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars.
Mr.. Hall is a member of the Marion
Hardware Company because he thinks
the enterprise will develop into a
prosperous one and in addition will
help along the growth Of the town
along which line none of our citizens
are more active.
Maj. T. G. Halls name next APP
pears among those comprising the
firm.
Like his brother, Major Hall is also
a native of the old North State and
the career of each has been along
similar lines and fortune has smiled
but little more benignantly upon
the one than upon the other.
Major Hall has acquired a magnifi-
| cent business reputation and will ex.
| ercise general supervision over the
| new firms business.
Mr.. I. K. Bridges, partner number
| three in the business, is from the
| staid old hills of Georgia but has spent
the most Of his life in the salubrIous
climate Of Florida.
For fourteen years Mr.. Bridges has
been what is known as recruiting
officer" for the state cOnvicts and has
an extensive acquaintance through
out the state and especially among
the turpentine and phosphate opera.
tors and this acquaintance will in
ure to the benefit Of the new firm.
L. w. Smiths name appears next.
Everybody in Marion county knows
Tom Smith," For sixteen years he
has been head salesman for the A. +.
Delouest Hardware Company and
thoroughly understands the business
and is familiar with the trade. Every
lDl0S uS6u III tue hardware business
is atlhis fingers end and he is affable
and popular.
DIR. :. H. Blitch's name is a house
hold word in Marion county and in
the Blitchton neighbOrhOOd, where
his life work has been done, be is as
popular as Henry Clay was in Ken
lucky and Andrew Jackson in Ten
nessee.
In DR.. Bitch everybody has the
most implicit confidence and his
name will give great strength to the
new enterprise.
Not less conspicuous than the others
is the name of 5. 4. Rawls. He is
keen of intellect and quick of judg-
ment aad as man of affairs has few
superiors in mastering business prop