The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-01-25
INLAND NAVIGATION
OeaIa People should Awaken to Its
Importance

1t is greatly to be regretted that
so small an audience of the substan-
tial citizens of Ocala heard Mrs. Henry,
the field secretary of the Mississippi to
Atlantic Inland Waterway Association.
speak at the board Of trade rooms yes
terday evening on this important and
vital subject-a canal across Florida
to every man. woman and child. not
only in OcaIa and Marion county, but
the rest of the state.
| 1T is passing strange that men in
| business, who are continually striving
and looking ahead for greater trade.
should ignore a subject that if pushed
| with vigor and vim will give to Florida
the greatest benefit ever granted the
state You mistake If you are indif
ferent to this great project, and say:
| "Oh, il will never come in my life
time" It's speedy coming lies with
you, your neighbors and the people of
the state Internal navigation is in the
air It permeates and pulsates in the
halls of congress and that great body,
the servants of the people, are vitalized
with this overshadOwing proposition,
and what they want is for you to say
that you are listening and longing for
the contamination Of this great enter
prise You are the power behind the
throne; you demand, and your servants
act.
1t is TO create associations in every
county in Florida that is the object of
Mrs. Henry's presence. She desires to
lorganize a branch associatio min Ocala
and Marion county to assist in pushing
forward this work.
VIII you do it? She said she had met
many of our leading people, and when
she had explained the project to them
they said: Sure. it is a great PROPOSE
tion. We should assist. and make ii
a reality" But when it comes to attend
the meeting a beggarly half dozen re-
; sponded. Great things for any com
munity's benefit don't Just happen
They must be created, and that means
1t is no use wishing, but we cannot
refrain from saying that do wish
that every person in this town could
have heard Mrs. Henry's enthusiastic
and persuasive talk. She has just go
, it in her; she is saturated with thu
work She has studied it, has writer
tons of literature about it. and aftel
ten years of unstinted labor as editor
of the L. & n. Railroad Magazine, sh,
. has seen, and the authorities have seen
, what conscientious work does.
added last year $4,000 immigrants alons
the line of that road, which in turn
= means for the road thousands of tons o
q extra freight.
r. But, back to the waterway acros
: Florida It is coming. and you cal
hasten it. Organize. as they have don
Pm Escambia, Duval st. Johns, Putnam
Lake and other counties of this state
:, and in Georgia and Alabama. In Lake
. Mrs. Henry raised $500. of whic
amount Eustis gave over $500. How i
. that for enterprise? Come and do like
wise A canal will mean increase
transportation and reduced rates on a
8 our products. We want that and W
:, must have it if we are to increase on
population and productiveness. Sh
said thta the project would cost $22
- O00. 900; that $15.O00,000 would be eS
:, pended in digging the Florida cana
, In all proba bility it would cross Ma
- rion county, uniting the waters of 81
= yer Springs with those of Blue Spring
a distance of % miles. See how deepl
you should be interested in this greG
n public work.
=, Mrs. Henry told many interestin
things of what canals had done Il
other countries; in Holland and in Ge
"a many, where they accommodate oceal
p going steamers; their usefulness al
-
Ia who was present, could testify. 81
:; said before the Manche LiverpO
. canal was built which cost $4,000 90
= the former city got the die-back. TT
90 city was almost deserted; houses EN-
ty and going to ruin. Two years aft
this canal was dug-a distance OF
:, Observation-Disclosures made a gain of q
80 900 people. and has continued to gro
=, ever since.
Senator Fletcher is president of tn
l. Waterway Association and is enthus
astic in the construction of the can;
- but says that if the people want it tn
;s+ must get behind it.
Now, to this end and to form cOu
ty organzat ton. there will be held
vs., the board of trade rooms a public NEE
orc ing Monday evening at 1880 o'clock.
t. which not only the members. but eve
- citizen who loves his town. county a
80 state. and wants to see them grow, a
invited to come, and bring their frient
do Those present at the meeting we
"a President NJ J. Roess, Col. W. n. Car
60 and son, Mr.. Clifton Camp, Mr.. Geor
49, MacKay, DR.. J. f. Chace Editor Fra
,r Harris and this scribe. Several othe
20 sent regrets.