The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-10-30
THE MOST THING NEEDFUL

The Scriptures or Shakspere. or some
other book the people keep more than
they read. speaks of the one thing
needful" The passage doesn't apply
to OcaIa which needs many things, but
its most thing needful is commo-
dious and up-to-date edifice for the
Marion County Hospital
Not any one thing, or two, or maybe
more, in our city is as beneficial and
necessary as the hospital Small and
ll-equipped as It has always been. the
amount of good it has done in pre-
serving life, in saving and soothing
suffering. is incalculable. and its use
fulness would be multiplied as its
ability was increased.
The hospital should be a personal
concern TO every man, particularly IL
he has family, in Ocala. He never
knows when il may be instrumental in
saving his life, or some life dearer
than his own. Seldom does a week
pass without someone whose life and
health is of concern and value to the
entire community receiving treatment
in 1t: treatment that could not be
supplied in any private home unless
extensive means had been making
preparation for weeks beforehand.
Even could all the previous years of
its existence be forgotten. the work
done in this institution in the past
few weeks is enough to impress it's
vital Importance on our people.
Except in the skill of the physic
ians and the care of the nurses. the
hospital has never been equal to the
calls made upon it. The rambling old
house in which it has been located for
yTybi Ia nd
comfortable enough for private res
idence, has never been large or con-
venient enough for its present pur-
pose. and as it's age and the work of
the hospital increases, it becomes less
and less adequate every day.
Even this building may soon become
unavailable. The people who own it
have for some time known that they
could draw more revenue from the
property il it was put to other uses.
They have been quite patient: they
have waited on the hospital as they
wouldn't have waited anything
else; and they can scarcely be blamed
If before many months they serve no.
tice the institution that it must
find another home. This would not
be right in a destitute community, but
Ocala cannot claim that she is moi
dDle IurnlSn an institution OF SucT
Importance with a more fitting habi-
tation.
Some few of our business men have
given freely of their time and mean:
to aid the institution, number of la
dies have worked faithfully in it's be
half. many good people have made do
nations. and all our physicians hav,
done yeoman work, but it has receiv
cd
mass Of the people are sadly apathet
lie.
Now, this shouldn't be SO. The city
and county spend thousands of dol
lars every year on public improve
ments. and the people spend tens o
thousands on things they do not need
Marion county has just invested fort,
thousand dollars in a new jail-a nee
essary expense-why can't it inves
one-tenth the sum in the most neces
sary institution in its borders. Yer,
few people would object if the cit.
gave a thousand, and these sums, add
ed TO what the hospital association ha
on hand, would go a very long wa
toward enabling the hospital to bull
home of it's own-a home adequat
to its needs, and that would be a ben
eft to Ocala Marion county and a.
More than all, the people can helI
The people of Ocala spend enough ev
cry month on things they do not nee
to build and fit the hospital. With s
little self-denial that they would no
feel it, they could give more tina
enough in few weeks for the pur
pose.
Let the hospital association go ahea
with its good work. which has lai
dormant for some months, and pro
coed with the enterprise something o
the same plan of that of the Masons
building the Temple Theater. The hos
pital plan is years older than tn
theater plan but the theater is bui
and in operation. while the hospital
almost where it was before the theate
was thought of. Let the associatio
start its work and depend on the pee
pie to help finish it. If it is to be sal
to our reproach that we can build
temple TO Thespis, but cannot build or
to humanity, the sooner it is said, til
better.
Let the city council and county con
missioners see what appropriat ton the
can make to this most worthy of oil
5ects, and let man raise his voit
against an undertaking that may /
worth more than all the world to hi
ere a year passes. Let every man ar
woman see how large a loaf of brea
he or she can cast on the tide tn;
may now his or her way before II
sun again rises and sets
The holiday season, the time
gifts, approaches. Let us all go
work and see IL OcaIa cannot lay
large and lasting gift in the hands
suffering humanity.