The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-04-03
OCALA OPULENT
AND OPTIMIST &c
Prosperous Back ounyDiVersiy of Agricultural Pursuits
and Mining Industries Contribute to Its Well Be-
ing-Two Prominent Characters in News
paper Lfe-Habiat OF the Nest Egg

Banr>- IS on t! zig. .oad to pros
perity.
When Editor Harris resigns his
honorary position as the Next-egg, his
place will be filled by Editor Bittin-
ger, of the Ocala Star. The Star is
the afternoon paper of the town, and
Bittinger has been there nearly thirty
years-so he is not far in the rear of
his well-known contemporary in point
of service. Working in the heat and
haste necessitated by the publication
of an afternoon paper, Bittinger's life
is less peaceful and ideal than that of
his fraternal friend of the Banner. In
editor Of the Star is a busy man, and
| to push his business to keep the bust
ness from pushing him. He is secre-
! tary of the Ocala Board Of Trade
which has done more than the aver
/ age Board Of Trade for the business
community OF its being. He is also
| secretary of the Florida Press Asso-
! citation. Associated with Editor Bit
! finger as city editor and business
! manager OF the Star is Mr.. r. r. Car
roll, VINO mas been on the job twenty
! years, and naturally a large portion
! Of the success of making the paper
| IS due to him.
| Both OF the Ocala papers are ON a
/ good business basis and no better in
/ diCator OF the general prosperity Of
| Oca'a and the surrounding country
/ could be found than this-that a town
Of i've thousand people supports two
! daily papers of such creditable char
acter as the Banner and the Star.
This in itself is OF significance suf-
/ Gcient to show that Ocala has a well
! knitted system Of commercial sinews.
! It IS so strong that there is no chance
of rerOgressiOn. 1t is going forward
in quick time with the guide right.
This is due to a variety of causes.
! Foremost, perhaps, is phosphate. The
! country would be rich, with no other
product than its phosphate, but it
would also be rich if there was no
| phosphate. The farm products OF Ma
/ riOn county alone are worth to it one
million and a half a year, and the
! list of salable products comprises If
! ty or more fruits of farm and gar
den and orchard that the markets are
always glad TO get and pay we'll for
The naval stores output reaches near
! ly the mark of one hundred thousand
! barrels, at crude approximate of
| about two millions. Marion is the fore
| most stock and cattle raising county
! in the state, with several large stock
| farms and dairies, stocked with the
best breeds of beef and mich COWS.
| There are vast beds of lime, and a
company for the mining of crude oil
has been formed, and investigations
that have been carefully pursued for
several years by experts show con-
clusively that the oil is of good quail
ity and exists in great quantities, so
that the near future will bring forth
a new industry; one which has made
milliOnaires of many in Texas and
other states, Texas particularly, for
it is thought that the Florida oil comes
from q continuation of The Beaumont
strata. There seems to be nothing
that Marion county soil will not pro-
duce, practically little that it has not
produced which is known to be pro
ducible in this section.
There is no county in Florida
which has all the people it needs. The
population could be increased a hun
dred times and there would be room
left
Thousands and thousands of acres
Of such good hammock land as may
now be had in Marion county are ~
ing fallow awaiting the inspiring
touch of industry. There is but one
future for the county. Let no trump
ish pessimist tell you that the country
is going to destruction. Nobody be-
Heves this, and very few will assert
that this condition cOnfronts us; but
their mewlings and mouthings give the
same effect that a heart represent
gives the healthy body.
Marion stands sixth on the list of
counties in the state as to area, so
there is land to spare, and the price
is not great. 1t is lower Of value now
than it will ever be again, so this is
the opportune time for the hOmeseek-
er and the investor.
Marion has the best roads in the
state. It's good roads have made 1t
: famous, and individuals and compan'
, les have travelled miles to inspect