The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-03-15
WOULD STEAL OUR
BRICK STREETS
Editor Of Ocala Star Visits
Paiatka and is Impressed.
Tells His People Of Freight Advantages
Inougurated by OcaIa Northern
Railway.


Railway.
The editor OF the Ocala Star visited
Palatka last Sunday, coming over the
line of the Ocala Northern Railway, and
Fin the following interesting article tells
of the impressions received on the trip
Sunday, the editor of the Star treated
himself TO ride over the new railroad
the Ocala Northern, to Palatka and re-
turn.
He went over the same route as far as
Orange Springs on the fourth of July
last, when the road was opened 10 that
place, and couldn't help being surprised
to see the many improvements in that
short time along the route.
Between fifty and sixty Ocala people
went out on the morning train TO Silver
Springs. The mass of Ocala people
never really become acquainted with
Silver Springs until the Ocala Northern
began running trains, and now that the
superb passenger boat, the City of
Ocala, is in service, the beauties of the
run and the river will become as famil-
lar TO them as their own streets.
Burbank looks bright, enterpriSing
and thriving, and so much Improvement
is manifest in eight months from the
car windows that there must be solid
reason for it out of sight. 1t is easy to
see that there is some splendid land
there and the people are certainly put
ting in strenuous and intelligent work
on it.
During the Seminole war, the govern
ment established chain of forts some
twenty to forty miles apart from Palatka
to Tampa. The army officers invaria-
bly, picked out the best spots in the
country for the location of these forts.
Fort King, near OCala, was one OF these
spots, and the next TO the northeast was
Fort Mccoy. With its high and health
full site, fertile land and pretty lakes, ii
combined the ideal and useful in the
highest degree. Fort Mccoy of today
is pretty and thriving town and has
the makingS of city. With its big
sawmill, wellequpped stores and fine
surrounding country, il has the three
principal industrial upports-manufac-
lure, commerce and agriculture-and il
looks good enough for art, too.
A few years ago, traveller through
this country could have sometimes rid
den for miles without seeing house or
haman being, bnt now the swift NOV
ing train is seldom out of sight of resi-
dence, either an old pioneer home,
whose people have lived by farming or
stock raising since the war, or longer,
or some neat array of house and out
buildings recently erected by an ener
getic settler from another state. The
land and the climate is there and the
people are coming and the day isn't fag
distant when the Ocala Northern trains
will run between an unbroken success
sion of farms, with pretty village
every second or third mile.
Bay Lake with its gem of sheet OF
water and indications OF big timber
plant near by, was next TO Fort Mccoy,
and then came Orange Springs, old
fashioned but wide-awake, with numer-
Gus new houses built and buildings since
July 4.
The new town of Kenwood, that has
sprung up almost by magic, with its
live looking plant of the Putnam Handle
Manufacturing Company, was another
pleasant surprise. There are no more
important towns from Kenwood TO Pa
latka, but a very good country, with
dozens of pretty lakes and many thriving
farms and handsome homes in sight of
the railroad.
Except TO pass through on the train,
the writer hadn't been in Palatka for
twenty years, and he hardly knew the
place. The first thing he noticed was
the splendid streets, the entire business
section paved with solid brick, and
lot better brick than that on Ocala'S
square and adjacent streets. We don't
want to move 10 Palatka, but we wish
we had the power 10 sneak over there
some dark night and steal the streets, or
those that are paved with brick.
When we first heard of Palatka, ii was
called the Gem City of Florida. From
our observations of Sunday, ii seems TO
US that it deserves the appellalion more
than ever.
We have no time today 10 write such
description of Palatka as ii deserves
What we want 10 impress on Ocala
folks is its importance through the
Ocala Northern to them. The railroad
runs its trains on the G. S. & +. tracks
down into the business heart of the city,
and can run them far out on the dock
TO the deep water OF the St. Johns.
The people of Ocala and contiguous
territory have been sweating and swear
ing for the last twenty years or more
over high freight rates, Here is their
chance for permanent salvation. 1t is
practicable, and what is more, it is easy
for them, if they will only go about 0,
to establish water transportation from
the Ocala Northern terminal to New
York or Baltimore. A steam schooner
line would be the best thing-veSSelS
that could come over the bar and up TO
Palatka under their own power. Such
boats could make the trip in four days
or less, and there is business enough TO
keep two of them running steadily.
Even line of sailing vessels would be
an immense help. There was one big
three -maSted schooner in the river Sun
day, and there should always be dozen
to twenty. There were that many there
when we came to Florida, twenty-Six
years ago, and there are now at least
five times as many people in this terri
tory as there was then.
No doubt that the people OF Palatka
would heartily aid those of Ocala in
such a movement Ii is primarily 10
our interest TO make the move. The
Ocala Northern is first and foremost a
local road, and the people of this city
should give il every dollar of business
that they are not obliged TO give TO other
lines. The bigger roads will absorb il
if they can, and they will never take
the home interest in us taken by PreSi-
dent Rentz and his assistants.
The road now runs a double daily
passenger service. The first train
leaves Ocala at 7;3O a. M, the second at
2:30 p. m. Returning, they arrive al
0cala al 20 and 7l5 p. IN. This double
daily train has to run 2t6 miles day,
SO one can easily see that it has TO make
good time between stations. The road
bed is surprisingly good and the cars