The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-25
THE UNION STATION


circular letter to all it's members.
asking them for their opinions on an
union passenger station; IL they want
IL, and IL they do where do they think
IL should be located.
The Star doesn't suppose there is
any question about the members of
the board and the people generally
wanting an union station 1t would
be not only an Increased convenience
to the town folks-that is, IL II was
properly located and conducted-but 1t
would impress all travellers. either
stopping or passing thru. with a bet
ter opinion of the Importance and adj
vantages of the city and section.
There is considerable difference OF
opinion. however, as to where the sta
ton should be located. These differ
ences make some tolerably deep creases
in the railroad map, and until they are
ironed out there is not much chance
OF an union station being ordered by
the railroad commission. In fact,
member OF the commission said to
Star reporter some months ago that he
was In favor OF the station, but our
peopIe did not seem 20 be able to agree
on site.
- The trouble is caused by the fact
that the Atlantic Coast Line passen
ger station Is more convenient to
about two-thirds of our people than
any other place In the city could be.
1t Is right at the business center. and
Is moreover close to the homes of
nearly all the large and increasing
number Of people who have homes at
the lake. 1t is not likely. however.
that the Coast Line will abolish this
station, even IL an union depot Is es-
tablished. To the casual observer, 1t
would seem that the crossing OF the
Seaboard and the Coast Line would be
the logical point. 1t is well under
stood among railroad men, however,
that a crossing is the worst possible
place for a station Of this sort. and
when II is remembered that ii is in the
Seaboard freight yard and at the bot
tom Of Coast Line grade, it's unfit
ness Is easy to realize.
Two other sites have been prom
inently mentioned-one in the far
north OF the city, and the other at the
Seaboard crossing OF Exposition street.
The Star doesn't think the first would
suit anybody but those who have
property to sell in that vicinity and
the hackmen. II would compel about
nine-tenths OF our people to pay hack
fare or take a long walk every time
they had to go on a journey. Our
population Is not great enough yet to
warrant a street car line.
AS for a station on Exposition street
the Coast Line could not reach IL
without building half a mile of track.
which would call for the condemnation
OF a large amount of property The
road would certainly fight any such a
proposition. and would have a fair
chance to win. 1t would be just as
right and more convenient to insist
that the Seaboard should parallel the
Coast Line track to the Oklawaha ave-
nue. station. as to order the Coast Line
to build to-West Exposition street.
There Is not any objection that could
be urged against the one that couldn't
be brought against the other. One is
on one side OF town and one on the
other, and about the only difference
would be in favor OF the Coast Line.
There Is more travel over the EXPOSE
tion street crossing than any other in
the city, so the argument of danger
now advanced by some against Okla
waha and Fort King is lost. The
truth is, however. that the dangerous
crossings in the city are not the most
frequented ones, but those the least
used
1t is the Stars opinion that IL the
railroads are ordered to build an union
station they would prefer to put one
up on North Lime street. near the old
s. 8. o. & q. station site. This would
suit the Seaboard to a dot. 1t would
also suit the Coast Line, as it's west
coast tracks end there. while the trains
on the main line could come in to 1t
and then back out with little incon-
venience. Coast Line passengers from
and for up town would probably con-
tinue to use the present station as long
as II remained. The disadvantages of
this site Is that IL is in the most ugly
and unsanitary part of Ocala and
would give many people a very unfav-
orable opinion OF our city. This would
be mended in time of course. but not
for years.
1t seems to the Star that the best
place for an union passenger station
would be between Magnolia and Main
streets, about opposite the foundry.
There is vacant ground there which
the railroads could possibly acquire
now at a fair price and lay their tracks
into on equal terms. 1t would be
in a good and imposing portion of the
city, would be almost as convenient to
the mass of the people as the Coast
Line station now Is, and more so than
the Seaboard.
Another good place would be in the
vicinity OF where the old Silver
Springs and Western depot is located.
This would not be as good as the site
between Magnolia and Main, but it
would be better than any other sug-
gested and would probably be easier
to obtain. There would be no very
valuable property to buy or condemn,
and 1t would be easy of access. as it is
by the Coast Lines main track and
the Seaboard has a freight track to it.
1t would be a rather monumental
neighborhood, which, however, would
probably improve and fill up.
The Star doesn't take any stock in
the idea of building the station in a
thinly settled portion of the city. Any
portion OF the town where the station
Is located will soon be thickly set
tied, and there will be crowds around
IL when the trains are due from the
day IL Is opened. Safety against trains
lies in watchmen and gates and not in
futile attempts to dodge the center of
population. Let us have an union sta
ton. and let us have it in a good
looking and convenient portion of the
city. instead of putting 1t where the
citizens will have to pay the backmen
a months lodge dues for every round
trip to the metropolis or the lake.
SOCIALISTS HAVE US SKINNED