The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-09-01

of country midway between this city and
0cala, just west of the St. Johns and Ock
lawaha Rivers that has been without trans
pOrtatiOn. This may mean nothing to
you who are not acquainted with this
section, but it does to us who live here.
1t means thousands of acres of fertile land
remaining idle for want of transportation.
But just wait. Go down to the foot of
North Third street and you will see here
the terminal of a new railroad, the Ocala
and Northern Railroad if you please, and
this road is going directly through the
heart of this community. You will see
here large gangs of men clearing and
grading the road bed, making ready for
the steel gang which will rapidly follow
in their wake.
But am getting ahead of my story-l
must take you back to the time when
Mr.. Seig opened up the Burbank Ocala
colony, little less than two years ago.
This colony lies just north of our sister
city and contains $4,000 acres of rich
fertile land. In the brief space of three
months after this tract was placed on the
market, every acre was sold: Today if
you 90 over this tract, you will really be
amazed at all that has been accomplished.
You will see here new homes, fields
cleared and neatly fenced-you will see
growing crops, and to look upon the happy
contented faces of these earnest men and
women who have started out here to
mark out their path in life, would do your
heart good Here you will find men from
most every section of the cOuntry-from
the dirty grimy factories from sweaty
work of our great cities, and machine
shops, from the crowded office, retired
business men who feel the need of reCrea-
ton and rest, and if you please, farmers
from practically every state in the Union
and Canada,-hardly a trade or vocation
but what is represented here.
At the little city of Burbank, which
was founded at the opening of the colony,
you will see pretty little place of some
three hundred people-yOu will see streets
| of neat little homes, stores well stocked, a
church that would do any place credit, a
school, in fact in every respect a modern
city. And remember this is only two
years old.
The colonistS have already organized a
Fruit and Truck Growers Association and
the work accomplished this last year has
already proven it to be practical. On the
purchasing of seeds and supplies, they
saved something over Is per cent. By
combining this way they are able to ship
their products to northern markets in car
load lots, thus getting the benefit of rates
and good prices.
! Burbank also has a Board of Trade and
it has organized canning factory, cane
factory as well as having interested sew
eral other enterprises of like nature. Re-
3 CenllN lIlG DOdlu VI ilduS kdNS " OHiiANSN
in the parlors of the Burbank church. A
large crowd was present, among them
Mr.. Sieg. Fifty-four guests sat down to
the table and after a dinner, as only the
ladies of Burbank can serve, several very
practical and to the point speeches were
made.
Mr.. Sieg, who was the principal guest
of the evening, was greatly pleased over
the many good things that had been ac-
complished. Perhaps can give you an
idea of the great work he has done for us
there by quoting part of his speech.
Mr.. A. G. Kirck, President of the Board of
Trade, introduced MIR. Sieg and when he
spoke of him as the Father of our Colony
a most hearty applause followed. Mr..
Sieg spoke in part as follows:
Mr.. President, and members of the
Board of. Trade, upon this occasion which
| assure you is one the like of which has
never happened under similar conditions
before, | am proud and glad to be with
Won. Less than two years ago when /
came to look over this great tract OF land,