The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-12-12

The Star had a pleasant call Satur-
day evening from it's old friend, PharOs
Bell, the noted blackboard man, who is
just in from Chicago. where he spent
the summer in painting the black
boards Of the building of the college
Of physicians and surgeons of the
University Of Illinois. consisting Of 116
rooms and attended by 1000 pupils. He
reports q busy but a pleasant summer.
but like the migrating birds. he knows
where there is q pleasanter atmosphere
and q more delightful winter, for he
has experienced 1t in the years past.
and that Is Florida. He is here in the
state to spend the winter and, Incl
dsntally, to renew the blackboards of
such schools as may need his effective
service. Mr.. Bell for years was a res
ident Of Sumter county, owned what is
gushes forth the famous Warm
Springs, near Coleman and had made
that section famous because Of it's
adaptability for the grown of cabbage,
tomatoes and beets Here Mr.. Bell had
. beautiful orange grove. that was the
pride Of his life and which he had
hoped would be the sOlace and comfort
Of his old age, but like thousands Of
other orange growers, lost it all in a
night by the whitening freeze Of 1894.
Mr. Pharos Bell is an old soldier. was
q member Of the famous Michigan Sth
cavalry. Company c, in which he rose
to the rank Of captain and served
valiantly through the war and was a
participant in the famous siege of
Knoxville, Tenn, in which Gen. Long
street Of the Confederate forces, for a
season bottled up Gen. Burnside of the
Union forces and experienced with his
compatriots all the distressing features
Of , prolonged siege, with cold and
hunger and famine staring them in the
face. which was finally relieved by the
arrival OF the Goth army corps. Mr..
Bell said the scarcity of provisions re-
minded him Of his boyhood experience
In making head cheese. so he gathered
the heads Of animals at the slaughter
house and materially increased the
provender in his larder by connecting a
large array Of dishes with this tooth
some article and surprised Gen. Burn
side one day by presenting him a good
ly supply, that made the general re-
mark he never ate anything he relish
cd as he did Mr.. Bells preparation.
With the spirit of the true soldier,
Captain Bell while in Florida some
fishing a soldiers home in Florida and
with that object in view got in cor
respondence with Congressman r. w.
Davis and interested him to the extent
that he introduced a bill in the House
for that purpose, but up to the present
time. no definite action has been taken
on this important measure for. as Cap
tain Bell we'll said. there is no country
or climate in the world that would be
OF more comfort and bodily cheer to
the old veteran than that of this COM
monwealth. Captain Bell. although he
has reached the Biblical limit of three
score and ten. is in splendid physical
condition and bears with him the cheer
and spirits Of young man and fol-
lows his profession of making black
boards for school rooms and repairing
same with as much zeal and energy as
though he were a man of middle age.
Captain Bell is known as the Black
board Man." because this has been his
calling for years. and there is not a
state in the Union he has not visited
and left specimens of his excellent
work and where he has been he has
made friends who are always glad to
see this genial. whole-souled gentle
man.