The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-06-21
SUMTER'S COUR1HOSE SCRAP
. Rrfef History of the Dispute That
Is Enliyening the Existence or the
Citizens of Our Sister County
Tampa Tribune.)

Sumterville June 1s-The court
house question" has been revived in
county in still a different way;
today the sheriff is serving upon the
Board Of County Commissioners an .
alternative writ of mandamus 10 com .
pei the election of court house at
Sumterville.
The writ IS made returnable to Tues /.
day, June 2s. BY that time the board !
must either take steps TO erect a
building or appear before the judge Of
the Circuit Court at Ocala 10 show
cause why they do not do SO.
The history of the court house ques-
ton in Sumter county is Interesting
and varied About twenty-five years
ago after much litigation and special
legislation Sumterville was uectai Gu
the county site OF sumter coul'S'
About that time the railroads being
built TO South Florida passed by SUM
teryille, leaving ii without railroad.
Tba F r. and y. now the SeaboardD
came within three miles of sumter
willie An effort was made TO get the
right Of way through Sumtervllle, but
some of the then citizens of Sumter
willie did not approve of railroads and
objected TO such molestation to their
railroad was diverted from the natural
and most practical route and L an
enormous expense crossed the head of
Lake Panas offkee, making a trestle
some Two miles long across saw grass
and mud bottom. Afterward a more
liberal minded people settled in sum
terville and about the town and spur
was built by the people to PanaSofkee,
and decided to the railroad company
upon the condition that ii should be
operated by the road affording to the
town the same service as on the main
| line For a short time the railroad
| company complied with their part of
| the agreement, but ii was not for long.
as it was plainly apparent that the
| business could be handled from Pana-
! soffkee we'll by running in TO
| SumterVille, so the passenger service
| was discontinued and only freight
| trains have run into Sumterville for
| many years.
When the passenger service was
discontinued other towns, seeing. or
| imagining, an opportunity to secure
the court house. began to agitate the
question of removal. and 50 for many
| Years the question has been more or
less agitated. However. the county
was provided with neat little frame
building to use as a court house. and
the people We're opposed to further
taxation, until the building in use
| should need TO be replaced. Their
came the big freeze" and no one
would hear to anything which made
more expense to the county. so the
question again settled itself for a time
| on January 80. 1909, the court house
was entirely destroyed by fire and a
once the court house question was
revived. y grand mass meeting was
held at Sumterville to consider the
question of removal In fact, two
meetings were held, and a once i
became apparent that every town il
the county was in favor of removal
provided it was removed to that town
After breaking up the big convention
in some disorder it was again convened
before the delegates had left town anC
it was a length agreed to have TIVE
primary elections to select some plac'
to run against Sumterville. In tn,
first primary any place in the count!
should be permitted to run. and tn
two places receiving the highest mum
Der Of votes to run in the second pri
mary. the winner in that race to be tn
nominee. candidate. in the real elec
ton. In the first primary the towns o
Webster and Bushnell, both in tn
south end of the county. received tn
highest number of votes, and in tn
second Webster received the highes
number. Then a petition was present
ed to the county commissioners order
ing an election.
An election was ordered TO be hel
last July. and Webster formally an
nounced her candidacy. OF cOurs
| Sumterville was still a candidate. TIL
law requires majority of all tn
votes cast at the election TO determin
| the matter. as to removal OF cOurS
if no place received a majority tn
court house would remain att the pres
ent location. Much local difference
and dissatisfaction appeared and Cole
man announced her candidacy in tn
| general election. 1t was cOntende
| by many that Coleman was. in enter
ing the race. an "lndependent. tina
she having entered the primary rae
| was by party law debarred from run
ming in the general election. The cor
tention. however. did not prevent Cole
man receiving two more votes tina
Webster, the nominee. Each place re
ceived more votes than Sumtervill
but no place received a majority Tt
returns being in and canvasSed n
election was declared.
BY this time much i'll feeling ha
been engendered and many people ha
become tired of the court house que:
ton" The county commissioners d.
termined that the question had bee
sufficiently agitated and announce
their intention to erect a new buildin
at Sumterville. Bids for plans ar
specifications We're advertised for ar
several architects met the board ar
submitted plans. y plan was selecte
and it looked as though the matte
would be finally determined. Abol
| this time. however, another petite
was presented TO the board praying f
! another election. The board refused
| grant it. and citizens Of Bushnell al
h piled for and obtained a writ Of maj
Ia porODaI calling -