The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-10-31

on bonding. Just south OF Floral city
We saw the handsomest patch Of sweet
potato vines we have most ever seen.
1t looked so pleasing to the eye, the
green richness of the vines denoted
sweet potatoes in plenty in the ground.
The man who grew them is MIR. Van
Ness. son Of the Hon. NJ. V. B. Van
Ness. who is somewhat of a success
full tiller of the soil himself and whose
advice to his sons has always been
stick to mother earth, court her low
ingly and she will smile bounteously
upon you, and in this case it is SO.
We struck the Crystal River road a
few miles this side of Inverness. The
distance is some IS miles This road
was built of clay. by contract and cost
$1,000 a mile: a good road as clay
roads go, but there are taxpayers in
Citrus county who say the builder fall
ed to make the road according to spe-
cifcations. Since the road was con-
structed some five years ago it doesn't
look as If lick of work has been put
on it since. and for it's use and neglect
it is not a bad road today if young
black jacks are lining it's sides.
We reached Crystal River about sun
set and found there Congressman S.
NJ Sparkman. his son. Curtis, Captain
Spalding. Of the L. S. engineer corps.
and the town committee. consisting OF
Messrs. Herrick, Barco and Hyde. They
quartered us at the Crystal River Inn.
conducted by Messrs. Willis Il Fox,
both gentlemen we'll known in Ocala
where they formerly resided, but who
last spring bought the property OF Dr.
Bennett who built it some years ago
| The house is spacious, comfortable,
! foh 10 RI
tempt an epicure. When supper was
| served all the guests said the edibles
were great and touched a spot in the
anatomy that made good.
| The evening was spent on the wide
| veranda smoking and chatting and
listening to interesting experiences of
Capt Knight, an Alabama veteran OF
standing and who went through the
reconstruction period with record.
They read like romance, but war
was in it's breath.
| 1t was arranged by the committee
that Captain Spalding and Congress-
man Sparkman had to see the mouth
Of the river and the need OF more
dredging in the channel and an early
start was fixed. so we could all return
to attend the good roads meeting and
participate in it. The glorious sunset
/ of the night before only returned foI
a few minutes in the morning and
then clouds gathered in the west and
it began to rain.
The trip down the river, eight miles
and four miles to the bar, was made
in Mr.. c. F.. Herrick's magnificent
steam launch Eleanor w. and its
beauty and finish and comfortable lux
ury can best be described when we say
! If iS a
water Capt. A. L. Lind commanding
J and Engineer W. W. Crib, manipulat
ing the engines. The crew to operate
the boat cost $500 a month. The che
!, is an artist and the meals he spread
for the guests were equal to Martain:
, or Sherry's.
The weather did not permit us Z
take in the beautiful and attractive
scenery along the romantic rive
banks. but it is there in ever extending
I sections. Among it some coy home
and lovely orange groves. notably tina
of Mr.. Strathner. said to grow frui
the equal of which in thin skin. del
icate flavor and genuine orange bou
quet does not exist in the state. TIL
sand bars and rock formation noted o.
r the map and interesting information
given Capt. Spaldng by Mr.. Fred Val
Z
revealed the fact that the output o
that company represented car load o
crate material for every working da
in the wear most of which could b
!. shipped by water if only the channe
were deeper. at a reduction of freigh
rates Of 100 per cent. Col. Mic BARGE
who was along, said If water trans
portation could be had. wood by tn
thousands OF cords would find an out
let by water to Tampa.
On our return the rain continuing
a the fish fry and barbecue was Gale
y off until Saturday. Mr. Hyde kept tn
= phones busy and told the country pee
pie to come next day.
The rain ceased and We inspected III
new mill being built by the Dixo
iCrucible Co. of New Jersey. to replac
the once consumed by fire last Decen
Der. It will be better. larger and NOR
iup-to-date III every particular. 1t
being erected under the eye of Genera
Manager c. E. Herrick and his assis,
ant. Mr. Hyde. and when complete
will be the most substantial structur
of its kind in the state.
When put into operation it will en-
ploy double the help. While $4,000
!. worth of cedar timber went up
smoke. the company has cedar enous
in sight for 20 years and by that tin
a new crop Will be ready in the
cedar hammocks of which they hay
many acres.
We inspected the crate factor
where 100 persons are employed ar
next year they will double their fore
= as they have just secured through &C
4 Mic Barco of Mr.. r. ]. knight 1905
acres of excellent pine land east of Il
b town.