The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-06-30

ton put upon II by mis1nformed peo-
pie. Predestination (whack) could
mean an memorable effect following a
foreordained infinite cause. or it could
mean (whack) that effects which, in
the ordinary course of events. would
be characterized as predestined,
(whack), are intercepted and set
aside by the introduction of mans
free moral agency" (Whack)
sat facing him, and while l was
strong and lusty then, l have never
been the same man since. for in my
sincere efforts to cork up my hilarity
must have ruptured something.
Fishing, while very good sport, is
mighty poor business. and I often
hear people say that they have no
time for such nonsense; but, after all,
when one remembers that ninety per
cent. of the business men die with no
assets. and most of the other ten have
so much that they are virtually slaves
TO their property, he ought, if a fish
erman, to be thankful to be able to
escape it all and do something sensi-
bic, like getting acquainted with ma
ture.
If one loves TO hunt, and has a good
dog who follows him Loyalty through
thick and thin, he will grow to love
that dog more than his mother-in-law,
and the more he associates with some
men the more he will think of that
dog.
Florida is yet asleep, so far as her
game and fish are concerned.
When I was a boy, southern Michi-
gan was much like Florida is now.
There was much timber, and those
woods were full of squirrel, partridge,
quail. wild turkey, and often We would
see a company of deer. During all
the year the lakes and ponds were
full of Mallards and woods ducks
while in the spring and fall the migra-
tory ducks came in innumerable
hosts. The migratory pigeons would
sometimes literally darken the sky
Now, there is little forest left. Once
in while stray squirrel still makes
home in a hollow tree You might,
in days hunt start a covey OF
quail, but probably you would not
and occasionally one sees a partridge
or few Mallards, but the summer
or woods ducks. and the pigeons are
not there. and | understand that the
wild pigeon is practically extinct All
the lakes are whipped to death, and
good fishing is getting very scarce
The great west still has few prairie
hens, a few quail, few coyotes, but
the bison that once covered these
great prairies are gone, and the ante.
lope and deer are nearly gone.
Just before l came to Florida
made a 120O-mile trip through the
widest part of Kansas and Colorado
by automobile, and the only game
saw was few quail, few stray coy
otes and thousands of prairie dogs
The only places in the United States
where game or fish in abundance is
yet to be found is in the extreme
north, or the gulf states.
All over the country sportsmen are
inquiring: Where can one find good
fishing or hunting?" Thousands OF
people are coming to Florida in the
next few years. and the straw that
will turn a very large number of them
is the expectation of finding good
sport by forest and stream.
AS civilization proceeds, the outing
habit grows. AS long as cities are in
close proximity to large areas of for
ests, no one cares to go into the
woods. But as these cities get bigger
and the social and business cares
grow more and more complex. and
politics, wars and pink teas come to
Tex. then the sensible ones wake up
, to the fact that the whole smear is
more or less a fraud and a delusion
and they long to get back to Mother
Natures bosom, for they know the
good dame TO at least be honest.
The most of the lakes of Florida
are too muddy to be of use, but Ocala
is fortunate in having Lake Weir
Blue Springs and Silver Springs avail
able. The latter is an especially val
liable asset, and it would be hard to
duplicate it anywhere. A few weeks
work with dredge would enlarge the
pool at the head, and the debris would
raise the shore line There is now a
good boat livery installed; the fishing
is good, the water beneath and the
great cypress trees above are roman
tic and picturesque to a degree sell
dom seen.
A fine days outing would be to go
in parties-fifteen or twenty-take a
number Of heats NJ tho Spr;uOr a15