The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-11
written Specially for ooala Banner.)

Afetr many years of sojOurning in
different states and distant cities.
longing came over me last year when
the first frosts of winter began 10
wrap old Mother Earth in their icy
winding sheets, TO visit once again the
Land of Flowers" 1 wanted To make
another search for the Spania-d's
Fountain OF Youth and drink once
again the sparkling waters of beau
t.ful Lake Weir. So ! purchased a
self a stranger in strange city The
quiet little town / had left had bios
sOmed into a hustling. bustlinE city.
and the streets of heavy sand had de-
velrped into hard city Yavements.
alive with the noisy automobile and
the cries Of the many hackmen: Car
fiage. sir? cslrriage, slrP" Very few
faces were familiar and the most of
the friends l hal known in former
years had passed away" or forgotten
me. and came down here and took up
a quiet residence on the shores of
AAAio DNduNtAui l<dk-C NciI
i had been in poor health for some
time, and knowing this delightful
place with ats health giving climate
md baimy atmosphere. laden with the
ozone from its fragrant pines. / ex-
pected TO find a speedy restoration. So
FOR the past few months / have been
living life Of Incidence spending the
fair days in the most part on the lake
with reel and rod, sometimes landing
N enormous bass, but more often
resting on my oars, dreaming day
dreams and revehns lr the beauties
4 the blue sky overhead, the ever
Green shores and the crystal waters
beneath me.
A few days since | threw out my
me. after hating the book with d
perch as large as my hand, and, al
owing he the boat to drift with the
breeze, ! placed my rod across he
bow, set the alarm on my reel. and ly-
ing back in the stern almost forgot
the rod. as memory carried me back
- the days when the shores of Lake
Weir and the islands that stud It's bo-
son were covered with the dark green
foliage OF the orange and lemon: when
IS surface floated a number of trad
,lg vessels as Well as pleasure craft:
when the little station of Lake Weir re-
quired the services of two operators TO
take care of the business done there:
when the White Wings" was riding
. ra
On her decks. and the chautauqua was
attracting talent and fashion each sea-
sOn. Thinking Of all these things and
1ondering if the old days would ever
come again. ! was suddenly aroused
~. the blinking Of my reel and ii took
Sad hooked a big one Hastily ars-
ing and grabbing my rod l tried To
reel him in. but soon found he was al
most too strong for me. and not until
the expiration Of nearly two hours of
The most exciting sport IF my life
did / succeed in landing him. He
vas the largest black bass | ever
Jaw. but / noticed peculiar forma-
ton in his stomach. hard and almost
square. When | took him home and
placed him on the scales | found that
lie weighed fifteen pounds. and his
mouth was large enough 10 put my
lead i'm. My curiosity being aroused
ny the appearance of his stomach. |
dressed him myself. and YOU may
Judge my establishment when | took
from his interior metal box that had
been heavily nickeled. four inches deep
and six inches long by four inches
vide. Its cover fitted So exactly that
i. was perfectly water tight and
'trange To say. parts Of it's plating
Ttill shone bright az il hay i'm its
queer resting place. Trembling with
excitement, expecting 10 find lost
fVeasure. and almost building cas-
~es in the air" l nervously tore open
the box. and. 10. in this strange rest
tng place | found this extraordinary
and romantic story. which now send
ypu verbatim. trusting some of your
numerous readers may he able To
throw some light on the matter. or
roduce the sequel
Here t. the story
March "a 1888
Il am far from the land where l
first saw the tight. that much | know.
Tomorrow the caledar. tells me il will
30 the 25th IT March in the wear 1855.
and somehow I know that ! viii be
tventy-siX years old. but how know
his ! canoi say. for DO not even re-
member my name, nor anything of my
81 prior Q" this day one year ago
hen | awoke in the Ocala House. II
was seven O'clock and the sun VAS
ming in at my window. remember
f'e hour Tor / counted the strokes of
chck with "a cathedral chime in an
Joining r'"m IL seemed To me II
as morning and the warmth to me Of
IL sun al that hour was very strange
, gazed around the room in silent Won