The Ocala evening star., 1910-04-18

ed, W0Tke0 q transformation IN tne
place. We had not seeen the place in
nearly two years. Then the mill was
only a contemplation. The railroad
track that reached the little lake,
which was to be the dumping ground
for the pine logs. SO that they could
be easily drawn to the skidder, was
being built, houses for the colored
help were going up. machinery for the
big mill was arriving and the work
of building the mill was going for
ward
Now we see the mill in operation.
1t employs several hundred hands and
turns out daily from $4,000 to 100000
feet OF lumber and ships daily from a
dozen to "a cars Of the product of the
mill. This means the employment of
much labor, labor demands a home and
something to live On. To supply these
homes some forty houses have been
built and nearly twenty for white
help and they are very desirable,
roomy and comfortable buildings The
Rentz Lumber Co. supplies these
homes free Of rent to the help. good
workman appreciates these favors and
the result is that the Rentz employees
are stayers, many of them having been
with the company for a decade or
more while one old darkey has been
with the mill in its various locations
since a boy and is a pensioner
and comes and goes at his pleasure,
Is marked present whether he does
stroke of work or not. He is so years
old and is a character and all respect
the old man for the faithful service
he has rendered.
This labor demands the necessities
OF life and has created not less than
four stores for Fort Mccoy. The larg-
est of these is the Rentz commissary,
with well assorted stock that is do
ing a business at the rate of $4,000 a
year Mr.. Hill was the former man
ager, but confinement impaired his
health and SO he has relinquished the
store work and is now in the mill with
gratifying results. Mr. Cook is Mr..
Hills successor and is assisted by an
other gentleman whose name we have
forgotten.
popular member Of the county board
Of public instruction, is not only the
postmaster of the new town, but runs
a we'll equipped mercantile establish
ment and is prospering.
MeSsrs. Swain & Moore are proprie-
tors Of the only drugstore in town
and combine with it soft drinks and
delicious ice cream. They are young
men from Anthony, affable, obliging
and doing nicely
L. McQuaig is the fourth merchant
and is a success. In fact Mr.. McQuaig
is the pioneer merchant of the new
town, but had the misfortune to lose
his home and stock of goods last win
ter. but has since built home and
store house and stocked it with goods.
fr
Just to the east Of the McQuaig
store is the A. o. Harper hotel, quite
a pretentious building for that neck
OF the woods and which is doing a
splendid business under the manage
ment of Mr.. and Mrs. Harper. The de-
mand for accommodations is so great
that Mr.. Harper is thinking seriously
OF adding a roOmy addition to the
main building this summer. The build
ing is being painted, which adds very
much to it's appearance.
To the west OF the McQuaig store
is the residence of Mr. Moore, the
builder, a roomy structure, where the
belated and homeless can find shelter.
Mr.. Moore is the builder for the RentZ
Company and not only supplied the
homes put up by Mr.. Rentz at the Sill
yer Springs mill. but has supplied all
that have been erected at Fort Mccoy.
Mr.. Moore has been so busy that he
has not yet found time to put the out
ward finishing touches on his own
home, as there is constant demand for
more houses from outsiders who have
been attracted to Fort Mccoy as a
place of business.
MIR. Howard, a sawyer, is about
completing quite a pretentious home
a a har
houses are in course of construction.
This gives the reader an idea of the
wonderful growth of Fort Mccoy
within the past two years and all be-
cause of the industry inaugurated by
Mr.. Rentz. The farmers because of
the demand for their produce. are
supplying the people with all kinds
of vegetables cabbage as fine as ever
grew, while the strawberry grower Of
that section is c. C. Higgin botham.
who is supplying Mr.. McQuaig's store
with>very fine fruit and soon Irish po-
tatoes will be on the market.
We learned the turpentine retort
factory was to be converted into a
paper mill, to utilize the waste ma
terial Of the big sawmiN and the
parties at interest would go to work
at once to make the change.
One thing is certain there will be
no scarcity of lots to build on at Fort
Mccoy, as We We're informed that
5000 OF them had been plated.
The New South Farm and Home Co
of Burbank will not permit their en-
ergies to be pent up for they possess
an immense tract near to and east of
the mill site at Fort Mccoy that is
being laid out into town lots and
small farms. Many lots have been
throw on the market when the so, 900
in the tract is laid out by the sur
veyor.
Burbank since we saw it several
months ago has been greatly improv-
ed by many new buildings scattered
all around and the breaking up and
clearing Of much land, which Is being
put in order for winter planting. On
our way out we fell in with Mr. NJ.
pebursky. who is a comparative late
arrival from the great state of Ore
gon- When asked why he was induc-
ed to make SO large a jump across the
continent for a new home he said that
printers ink did it; he was one of the
millions a drop of ink made think. He
was doing well in Oregon but he
couldn't stand the climate. He SAID
would dry up and great assures would
appear in it. He originally lived in
Minnesota, then went to Nebraska and
from there went out to Oregon, where
he owned 140 acres of land, much of