The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-06-25
MAJ. IzLAR WRITES INTEREST
INcLY
Good Crops in Acknowledgement.
Behind oeala A Word About Tn.
Soldier Bows


To the Sditor ocala Banner:
Partly in fulhllmen: of a prou,sa
made you on the eve of my depar.
ture from ocala, and partly Just De-
cause ! feel like talking to NV friends
In the Brick City, | am writing this
for the Banner. In doing so I think
will begin at the beginning, and lhen
it is more than likely / will end with
the ending, though that is by no
means certain. so just here let us take
ND the itinerary:
Mrs. lzlar and I boarded the chair
car on the A. c. l.. on last Friday at
Ices p. m, with our hearts filled with
conflicting emOtions-dread snl
pleasure. Dreading the long. hot
Journey, and full Of anticipated pleas
ure In once more meeting our old
friends at this end of the line.
on the road between Ocala and tic
University City nothing of special IL
terest not already known to your
readers. attracted our attention.
Gainesville has the university, and
rs looking forward TO some kind 3E
paper factory. and some other enter
prises already at work. II is qui.e
a pretty little city. but our god
friends there will have to do quit a
good deal yet before that city Will
catch up with Ocala. There did MT
appear 10 be near so much busine IS
activity there as we see every dav on
our streets. II may be that the dry.
ness Of the city and the weather, or
both these little items coupled up to-
Eether had something to do with the
sleepy hollow" look the city had
when We passed through last Friday.
But. then. on second thought, l -
not know so much about the dryneSs
of the city. as / heard when that sub
ject was mentioned. that the ''v'ne-
gar trade Of some OF the grocery a.
Establishments had very greatly increas-
ed. verbum sap,
Well after a short stop, we hauled
out of the University City, and &uer
"a short run we came TO a station call
"a Paradise. II the last one nc lie
Euphrates bore the most distan, re
semblance to the one i'm Alachua, tnen
cant say I blame old Adam and
Eve 80 very much for eating thar APP
pie and getting themselves expelled
from the township. and think the
placing OF the angels with the flaming
swords 10 keep them from re-entcring
was a useless expenditure of time and
good material
But this Paradise soon became Par
adise Lost TO us. and then things 10
gan 90 grow more interesting. In
fact from a short distance beyohl
Paradise all the way on to beyond
lake Rutler and Raiford. on each side
of the railroad. the eye was delighted
and the heart made glad at the out
look Acres aud acres. hundreds OF
acres of as fine corn and cotton as
one cares 90 look al. all green, grow
inc and well cultivated. The country
looked prosperous. I'm addition to the
corn. there were potatoes. cane and
esther fcIl crops. as well as V"geta-
blss
Ius, here. Mr. Editor. I will disress
.rwci.rtlv to say that the farmers
of old Marion might learn a uselul
and rr- ftable lesson from these farm
.-s of alachua Our lands are just as
roos a. not better. and equally as
well adauted 20 these staple products
and should De- much more eNtenslNel!
cultivated I believe in diversity oil
rrops and while the truck should by
a., means be- neglected or abandoned
there ought to be 50 acres OF corn
and cotton planted to where there Is
one now. | am thoroughly convinced
that such a course would grea'l!
ali nm the prosperity of our county
and tha welfare Of our farmers II
ALL also increase the value OF our
lands and induce good agricultural
settlers. let our papers and people
urre a. and keep il to the front.
Well lets get back to the journey:
IN due time we reached the city o.
jacksonville and registered al Ih'
New DuvaI. and were assigned 10
pleasant room. and after a refreshing
hath. We enjoyed a good. wholesome
supper won't say anything aoou'
jacksonville. as the great. untameaOi'
TIL. keeps that hnstling city wei
before the public. | will add no"
ever that jacksonville Is becomlhs
wonderfully well known now On AZ
count Of the many large irrisatlns
companies of which she can OoAs'
After supper We sat out on the Neran
A. ,,,..r1ool.iny Main street. where