The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-07-05
ORANGE SPRINGS OPENED
TO RAILWAY TRAFFIC BY THE
OCALA NORTHERN on THE
FOURTH OF JULY

4 Fertile and Once Famous Section IL
In Fair Way to Again Become
One Of the Garden Spots Of the
State.
The first passenger train reached the
station at Orange Springs July 4. at
1890 a. m.
At O'Clock Tuesday morning a long
and heavily loaded train pulled out of
Ocala on the new railroad, the Ocala
Northern. bound for Orange Springs
and the points between. There were
sixty-six passengers for Orange
Springs and a large number for Sill
yer Springs.
The country beyond Silver Springs
is a new one, from a railroad stand
point, for most Ocala people, and it
was scanned with interest by the pas
sengers. 1t Is a very good country.
and the day isn't far distant when it
will be covered with truck farms.
This brand-new village was, of
course, the cynosure OF all eyes. Bur-
bank looks good. All the houses are
new and neat and several others are
going up. The Methodist church, in
course of erection, is going to be a
handsome and spacious edifice. The
neat little depot will soon be complet-
ed. There is an air of alert newness
about the town that speaks well for
its future. A good-sized delegation
Joined the excursion at Burbank
Fort Mccoy
Going on northward to Fort Mccoy,
the country improves, looks higher and
better with every mile Fort Mccoy,
for many years a pretty village, Is now
a busy town. The first thing seen of
it the cemetery. and one can't help
wishing that every cemetery in the
country was as well kept. Then comes
the hive of industry, the Rentz saw
mill, one of the biggest in the state.
The town itself is as bright as new
pin. Ocala people looked with inter-
est at the lake. where one man from
this city crippled himself for life, and
another for months, while in swim
ming. It evidently wasn't the fault
Of the lake, as pretty a sheet of water
as ever dimpled to the smile of a Flo
rida morning.
A large number Of well-dressed and
pleasant-looking people joined the ex-
cursion at Fort Mccoy. and the
heavily loaded train pulled out for
Orange Springs
Bay Lake
farming country, and a perfect gem of
a lake, to the west OF the road, gives
it's name to the place.
Orange Springs
At 1890 the train reached Orange
Springs, and while there were no noisy
demonstrations it was most evidently
a very interesting and gratifyin g
event to some 800 people of that sec
ton, who were gathered there to greet
their visitors and help them celebrate
the day-a great day for the nation in
general and Orange Springs In partic-
ular.
Orange Springs before the war was
an important place to this part Of Flo
rida. 1t had three hotels-one of them
bigger than any now in Oca1a excep,
| the Oeala House-a bank, a factory
several stores and number of old
fashioned Southern homes. Immense
crops were raised on the wide and fer
tile fields. and people came from all
over Marion, Alachua and Putnam, and
| even Orange counties, to rest and re-
gain health at the spring.
| 1t was an important place durine g
the war-the spurs of Southern cav
| alters often clanked on the floors OF
the hotels and in the halls OF 1t.
homes, while the swords and carbines
and gray Jackets of Confederate troop
ers swung on the boughs of the live
oaks, as the bearers and wearers rest
ed in the shade-the same live oaks
beneath which people from all over 6
lreunited nation met Tuesday to gree
leach other in fraternity on it's birth.
day.
| Orange Springs is now rathel
sleepy but quite pretty village-it!
| fields have lost none of their fertilit,
and its spring none of it's virtue. ant
if we mistake not, it is going to b,
greater than ever. for Rentz has pu
it back on the worlds highway
The Celebration
| The reporter doesn't remember eve
attending more all-around. satsfac
tory celebration. 1t seemed like tn,
air and Florida sunshine pervaded ev
Ieryone's nature and made everybod,
pleased and anxious to be pleasing
The exercises were mostly held in
grove Of live oaks on the hill abov,
the spring. 1t was an excellent plac
clean, open and we'll shaded TIL
tmost prominent feature was band
Istand and dancing pavilion. The latte
had no roof, but the shade of tn
Itrees, which certainly couldn't b
tequalled on a summer day.
The Ocala band. which Mr.. Rent
tengaged for the occasion. was soon a
Iwork. or rather at play, and while tn
lboys hadn't brought their uniforms
their music never sounded better thar
in this sylvan spot. The people eouldn'
Iresist its charm, and in few second
la number of couples were whifling o.
the floor of the pavilion.
| The dancing didn't last long, how
lever, for a number of athletic contest
lhad heen arranged, and all Went t
the field alongside the grove, wher
1.-The games took place.
| There were a number of races and