The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-03-31
PUSHING WORK ON
OCALA NORTHERN
Trains Will Be Running Into
Palatka Within Six Months.

The Ocala Star of last week contains
the following story relative TO the pro-
gress of the Ocala Northern Railway
now being constructed from Ocala to
Palatka, that will surely have an inter.
est for all Palatka and Putnam county
people:
Mr. E. P. Rentz, president of the Ocala
Northern Railroad Company, has bought
400 ions of 6O.pound steel rails, with
butts, angle bars and spikes for laying
same from the Carnegie Steel Works,
and the first delivery of the rails will be
made in about ten days.
With these rails the Ocala Northern
will push right through from the present
terminus beyond Fort Mccoy TO Palatk a.
The company has great many ties in
readiness and gang of from 90 TO so
men who have been cutting ties for some
time are still engaged at the work.
The grade is completed to Palatka and
deep water and Mr.. Rentz says he will
have trains running from Ocala TO Paltaka
within six months, unless delayed be-
yond his present expectations.
The presents distance to Palatka via
the A. c. l.. Railway is "a miles. The
Ocala Northern will be between 40 and
50, shortening of the haul of "a 4 miles.
The Ocala Northern has just received
for its run two of the very latest Baldwin
locomotives, 12-wheel engines, equipped
with electric headlights and all modern
improvements. New coaches and freight
cars will follow in short time and by
the time the first train is ready to go
though to Palatka the equipment of the
road will be as good as any road in the
state not operating through passenger
trains.
Mr.. Rentz has in quiet and unassum-
ing way pushed the Ocala Northern right
through and this paper has watched its
with a good deal of pride and interest
Soon after its organization and when a
very little work had been done 1.-THE panic
of 1907 came on and delayed the work,
but did not discourage its founder and
promoter and he has kept hammering
away and it will now be matter of a
very few months till he will have one of
the most profitable pieces of railroad
mileage in the state.
The road opens up rich scope OF
territory heretofore inaccessible and cut
off from the balance of the world. 1t
will connect great river with Florida'S
best interior city, Ocala, and will place
the Brick City practically on par with
Palatka in the matter of freight rates and
will give us the advantage with the ad-
dition of a two hours haul of 50 miles
of practically the same freight rates that
Jacksonville now has.
The freight rate TO Palatka is only a
fraction higher than the Jacksonville
rate from the north and west. The rate
from jacksonville to Ocala is now higher
than from Richmond, Baltimore or New
York to Jacksonville. With an inde.
pendent line and only 5O-mile haul
this paper can see good freight rate
from the north and west via Palatka and
the Ocala Northern to Ocala. But the
business men and shippers of the terri
tory will have TO avail themselves of the
opportunity that is at our door.
The Ocala Northern will do great
works and become potent factor in de-
veloping the rich and heretofore almost
undeveloped country or portions OF
Marion and Putnam counties thru which
il passes. 4