The Ocala evening star., 1911-01-10
MEETING OF sAwMILL MEN

ASSOCIATION, Wnlcn convened IN the
Elks hall yesterday afternoon finished
Its labors and at o'clock the mem
bers sat down in the Ocala House din
ing room to splendid banquet pre-
pared by the proprietors OF the cafe.
The meeting was called to order on
time by Mr.. George Rentz. president of
the Central Florida Sawmill Associa-
tion and who is interested and man
ages the big f. p. Rentz saw mill at
Fort Mccoy, who also acted as toast
master, which office he filled with
great credit.
The first toast was in honor of the
esteemed president of the association,
Capt. III. III. Tiff, the founder of the
now fiourishing little wire grass city
of Tifton, Ga and one of the largest
and most successful sawmill men in
the country. He has held the position
for IS years, ever since the organiza-
tion of the association. The modest
and unassuming gentleman blushed
becoming1y and the toast was drunk
with hip hurrah.
At this juncture Mr. Upchurch of
Jacksonville, a leader in the lumber
business, started the singing of some
Of the catchy songs, ably assisted by
Mr.. Louis Phillips of Thomasville, Ga,
Mr.. f. c. Harrell, secretary of the as
sociation, Tifton, Ga, Mr.. Harry Ora
ham OF Georgia, Mr.. OHara, one Of the
best known naval stores men in the
country and a typical son of Erin, his
face fairly beaming with good humor
and running over wit hinsinuating
smiles, and Mr.. Melton of Micanopy,
making a vocal band that was hard to
beat and by their quaint ditties and old
time religious tunes, kept the attend
ants on a running grip and explosive
laughter.
The next toast was, the necessary
evils of the business, "The Lumber
Brokers'" to which Mr. Louis Phillips
made a suitable response, by telling
quaint story
Mr.. w. Mosjerome of Jacksonville,
humorously told Of how Pottsville, Pa,
where coal was first mined in this
country, got it's name. "Old Time Re-
ligion" then had an inning by the vo-
calists and 1t was so effective that Mr..
Louis Phillips was promptly named as
musical director of the evening, which
again brought forth hilarious laughter.
c. L. Bittinger was then called on to
respond to the toast, the local press,
and to welcome the association in it's
behalf, which he did in a few words.
saying Ocala felt honored at the dis
tinction conferred on the only interior
here.
Then followed the humorous song,
I'VE are Here Because We are Here"
Col w. S. West, a veteran sawmil1
man of Valdosta, Ga, and identified
with the lumber industry in this state
at Inverness, made a beautiful little
speech about the Empire State of the
South, lone of whom he was which,"
and the Land Of Flowers, the health
seekers retreat and the tourists de-
light He brought down the house
figuratively and oratically speaking
and the chaplet of bay was placed on
his brow the speaker of the even
ing
Mr.. W. 3. Gill, of Baltimore, followed
in telling a pungent story of patient
who asked the doctor to give him
something to take it out of his head.
A funny song followed, How Can We
Meet Him." followed by another. How
Dry AM" which made every one sit
up and look for the water wagon. The
applause was so great that Have You
Seen Kelly" was given as an encore.
Mr.. Gill then called on the toastmas-
ter to peremptorily call on every
man, from the head of the table to the
foot, to tell a story, which impelled
Mr.. O'Hara to remark that such an
crossing the ocean, where a banquet
was held, to tell story, sing song
or dance Jig. An Irishman was at the
festive board and when his time came
said he could do neither, but was
ready at the drop of the hat to take a
fistic bout with any man at the feast
Stories followed by Phillips, Gerow and
Calhoun, the latter representing the
extensive lumber firm of George F.
Craig & Co., of Jacksonville and Fer
nandina. He said among other things,
that when the name of Ocala was sug-
gested at a meeting in Jacksonville for
the holding of this gathering, some
kicked, but he said yes.
Mr.. NJ. ]. Roess, president of the
Ocala Lumber & Supply Co, was called
on and made neat speech which was
warmly applauded.
Mr.. Conrad, the big lumber man of
DeLand, was called on and paid Ocala
and her lumbermen a neat compliment.
He told the meeting when Ocala was
named, Ii was a good town and the
Hoo Hoo boys knew how to put up
things and the best evidence was the
splendid spread partaken of and re-
turned hearty thanks for splendid
manner they had treated them.
Mr.. Stilwell of Savannah. was next
called and soon demonstrated he,
too. knew how to pay a neat compli.
ment and .Ocala was his subject. This
was his first visit to the Brick City,
and his only regret was that he didn't
come quicker.
Mr. O'Hara couldn't let the oppor-
tunity pass to pay Ocala a warm COM
pliment. He said he told the boys
they didn't know Ocala as he did, or
they would not oppose meeting here
He had been coming to this town for
eight or ten years. Had learned to
know its people-was proud of them
and the city-all to the good.
Mr.. Upchurch said the sawmill men
of Ocala and nearby were no kid glove
fellows. They are workers and know
how to do things.
Col West then arose and said Capt.
Tiff had been overlooked and they all
wanted to hear from him. He arose
reluctantly, for he said it hard
work for him to make a speech, but
was loud in his praise of the members
of the Central Florida Sawmill Mems
Association, and it is going some. He
said they came up to Jacksonville and
by their energy and enthusiasm and
gray matter just took charge of the
whole shooting match and unloaded
the toughest proposition on the asso-
citation ever presented. But they will