The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-01
THE LAND OF THE SKY
the Editor ocala Banner:

| SOultAJ IL Ids DScu frequently III NY
mind, with your consent, to infiict
myself upon your readers in the way
of some desultory dots and deduc-
tions incident to this Mecca of the
Lowlanders."
To begin with, it is a very exag-
geraten landscape, and since, came
lion like, the populace takes complex
ion from environment, there is no
great surprise at the exaggerated
specimens of the genus homo, nor
that exageration, becoming a habit
of thought, gives itself voice in all
manner of speech.
The writer has said beautiful,
grand" sublime awful" so much
and so often till just now he was led
to refer to a garrulous parrot across
the way as a sublime bird
Still after making all allowance
for linguistic elasticity. very many
pretty and nice and otherwise things
may be said of the Sapphire Sec
ton"
To begin with, it is exceedingly
'hilly." 1t took three mogul engines,
at least they sounded like moguls,
to pull US up from Tryon to the
Saluda gap. They pulled and snorted
and scTeeched to the accompaniment
of many "Oh's and Abs from pas
sengers as chasms or pyramids were
passed. A sweet girl in lingerie and
pink, was heard to say clapping her
hands, "Oh how Sweet2 But we.
could not tell whether she referred to
particular given gorge we were
just passing, or to callow youth be-
side her, dressed in a monacle and
pair OF white pumps.
This is a section of great expec-
tations, and consumate annexations.
1t expects big crowds and annexes
their coin. At we stopped
at a house because it was called
FLORIDA Home" That sounded nice.
Rates were fairly moderate. But our
! first meal, a very common cortriv-
ance, poorly served, where seven of
the eight drinking glasses were hair
! Tipped" convinced us that the name
Of our fair state had been purloined
and prostituted to unholy uses. We
moved Things were better, they
had to be to be at ALL
This reminds us to say that we
have been profusely impressed with
this whole section from a commercial
view point 1t is the greatest lex
port territory within our know
ledge The principal item feXport
being-printed and painted postals.
Uncle Sans clearing houses, are kept
submerged beneath a storm Of pretty
paste boards. We note too that
great activity everywhere which be-
tokens thrift and prosperity. This
however largely among visitors
whose principal occupation consists
in meeting trains and going to the
postoffice. Judging by the persisten-
cy of their employment, few things
seems to offer greater pleasure"
than to stand in line and wait an
opportunity for the aforesaid Uncle
Sans paying teller" to declare, Am
sorry, but nothing for you today"
One of the diversions offered,
specially at Hendersonville is to
crowd into a stuffy store of oriental
CD wares and hear an erstwhile
citizen of Damascus or jerusalem, Fee
becrowned, auction off ''for a
'song(?)" the dearest specimens of
Asiatic handicraft to American bar
gain enthusiasts. A strictly hand
made table cover (from Kress fac
tory has been known to go as low
as SO to SIS. I've be shust given
dem away" Hendersonville is a
city of Inns That is take-ins
They have hacks-which after one is
ued, unless the bargain comes first,
the user l06IS udChSu. L hey dlSO
have a pleasure resort known as
Laurel Park, which outside of the at
mosphere, is their most attractive
feature, a mile or so distance is
reached by dummy line, on one lit
tie begrimed car. drawn by a dunn
my" engine, which suffers from a
case of chronic and exaggerated hic-
coughs, and which taps the passen-
gers on the out trip generously sprin-
killed. and literally stiffed with smoke
and cinders.
North Carolina is a prohibition
state. And in this section at least
it prohibits. We were told story
by way of illustration. 1t is possible
so the story goes to bet I'VE drop
of the liquid that cheers over doc
tors prescription strictly to be used
for the sake of the narrator claim
ing exquisite thirst sought the dis
ease" but as there was only one