The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-06-20
BOARD OF TRADE
Date Lighting and Oklawaha
River Improvement

Ar AhCSbAhB VA the DDdlN Va bi0N AAi |
the circuit court room last night was
well attended and was an eloquent
testimony to the revived interest our
leading citizens are taking in that Or
ganization.
Present were President J. E. Chace,
Secretary r. c. Muncaster, County
Commissioner Ed Carmichael Circuit
Court Clerk S. T. Sistrunk, Messrs. N.
]. Roess, Z. E. Robinson, Jake Brown,
H. c. Jones, III. c. DoZier, r. V. Curtiss,
A. E. Gerig, J. II. Brinson, VIM. VI.
Gober. Arthur Cobb. d. w. Tompkins.
| w. ]. knight, c. r. Kreger, 3. II. Sey
mOur, George Rentz. Fred Magaw. G.
| G. Crom, J. A. LaRue, F. G. B. Weihs,
| F. +. Harris, r. c. Camp, r. l. keat-
| ing, j. 3. Ley, VI. VI. Little, E. p. Rentz,
Jack Rentz, ]. Walter Hood. +. Van
| Hood, J z. Martin, S. ]. Rogers, ]. Fl.
Benjamin and a few more the reporter
did not know.
| After the meeting was called to or
der, President Chace introduced Mr..
John l. Bronson, representing the John
| l. Bronson Company, southern agents
for the Morris Iron Company of Fred
erick, Md. Mr.. Bronson made a very
pleasant and instructive address, the
substance of which was as follows:
| Beauty and Utility OF street l1ghtinS
1t is a pleasure for me TO be the
guest OF the Ocala Board OF Trade and
wish to thank them for the pleasure
of being in your beautiful city or
Ocala whose possibilities are unlimit-
ed. And l desire to congratulate the
board in having as their secretary Mr..
Muncaster, who Is the most live of
live wires, and who will reap a harvest
|, of results, if they give him the sup
port which he so richly deserves.
Before the days Of systematic street
lighting only those ventured out at
. night who had urgent business or am
pie bodyguard; a street is safe just to
the extent it is lighted. Good street
, lighting more than anything gives to
a city an air Of progressiveness and
? prosperity. To appear prosperous is
the first step towards being prosper
Gus. and anything that adds to the
traffic of a given street, must thsre-
, fore add to the value of the abutting
7 property.
The value of property on business
street is directly proportionate to the
number of people who make use of a
street as a thoroughfare, this being
, proven every day in our progressive
cities. No subsidiary condition SO
Two years ago. two small cities in
Ohio were suffering from the disease
of chronic gloominess; the larger town
as it happened, was fortunate in that
, every business man OF the town, includ-
o ing the mayor and councilmen, were
c members of the board of trade, and un-
, der such harmonious conditions 1t was
O the first to improve it's lighting cOndi-
tions, and did so with great vim
a disseminating entirely the of the
= ancient arcs and replacing them with
complete installment of ornamental
lthree-light clusters in it's business sec
z ton. and single light units in it's res
q idential streets, clear to the corporate
limits.
p On the night the lamps were to be
a first turned on, the city invited the
G ctzenry of the smaller town "to come
over and see how we do it," and prac-
r tically the entire town came over
After a pleasant little supper, the Wis
q itors were shown over the entire city
land the remainder of the night spent
n in jubilee.
Today, this town has drawn largely
q from it's neighboring town and is ia.
: nous throughout its section, and is
c the pride of it's population, one of its
q greatest assets. 1t has modern school!
p and hospitals. churches and libraries
, opera houses and picture shows ant
a over 80 per cent of it's population owr
= their own homes.
Civic pride is emulated and ii
4 nothing is that fact brought out more
clearly than in street lighting. It Sc
cures for them a greater population
: increases it's benefits in trade, adorn.
ment, decreased crime, protection ant
the prestige which can in no other way
be obtained at such reasonable cost oil
with such satisfactory results.
No modern Improvement attract:
d such widespread and pleasing atten.
ton. nor so clearly builds up a city, a.
ornamental street lighting.
I would suggest a permanent com
mittee to plan out a complete system
of lighting for the city and to make
: the necessary arrangements for the
Installation.
Permanent Committee Appointed
Mr. Bronson's proposition is to be-
Igin by lighting the courthouse square
and extend the illumination to the en-
tire city as fast as means will permit
The lights on the square are to be six
teen in number-four on each side
The lights are to be mounted on 16-
foot iron posts, cluster of three
lights, 100-watt in the center and &
60-watt on each side, on each post.
A motion that the hoard indorse the
enterprise and guarantee against any
deficiency was carried unanimously.
permanent committee, consisting OF
Messrs. c. Carmichael, Jake Brown and
NJ. J. Roess, was appointed to work
out the plan to light the city.
A letter from the Jacksonville board
of trade, asking for Ocalas help is or.
ganizing a state chamber of commerce
was read. The secretary was instruct.
ed to reply. assuring Ocala's support
and signifying this city's willingness
to be headquarters of the organization
DR.. Chace offered his resignation a.
president. 1t was gently but firmly
jdeclined.
1t was resolved to eliminate all back
dues and start afresh July l. \ mo.
ton passed to amend section > of the
P bylaws, and make the dues $25 a year
payable quarterly in advance, and the
secretary was instructed to publish
notice accordingly for thirty days.
The Government Engineers
A committee consisting of MeSSrS