The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-11
OCALA's NEW ROUTE
TO THE NORTH AND EAST


railroad. the ocala Northern, to Pa
1atka and return.
He went over the same route as far
as Orange Springs on the fourth OF
to that place, and couldn't help being
surprised to see the many improve
ments In that short time along the
route.
Between fifty and sixty Ocala peo-
pie 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 ocaia, is in service, the
beauties of the run and the river will
become as familiar to them as their
own streets.
and thriving. and 50 much improve
ment Is manifest In eight months from
the car windows that there must be
solid reason for 1t out of sight 1t is
easy to see that there is some splendid
land there and the people are certain
ly putting In strenuous and intelligent
work on 1t.
During the Seminole war, the gov
eminent established a chain of forts
some twenty to forty miles apart from
Pa1atka to Tampa. The army officers
invariably 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 hea1thful site. fertile land
and pretty lakes, it combined the ideal
and useful In the highest degree. Fort
Mccoy Of today Is a pretty and thriv-
ing town and has the markings Of a
city. With its big sawmill, we'll
equipped stores and fine surrounding
country, 1t has the three principal in
dustrial supports-manufactu COM
merce and agriculture-and it looks
good enough for art, too.
A few years ago, traveller through
this country could have sometimes rid
den for miles without seeing a house
or a human being, but now the swift
moving train Is seldom out of sight of
a residence, 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 outbuildings recently erected by
state. The land and the climate is
there ana the people are coming and
the day isn't far distant when the
Ocala Northern trains will run be-
tween an unbroken succession OF
farms. with pretty village every sec
ond or third mile.
Bay Lake with its gem of a sheet OF
water and indications of a big timber
plant near by. was next to Fort Nc
Coy, and then came Orange Springs
old-fashioned but wide-awake, with
numerous new houses built and build
ings since July 4.
The new town of Kenwood, that has
sprung up almost by magic, with its
overlooking plant of the Putnam
Handle Manufacturing Company, was
another pleasant surprise. There are
no more important towns from Ken
wood to Pa1atka, but very good
country, with dozens of pretty lakes
and many thriving farms and hand
some homes in sight OF the railroad.
Except to pass thru 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 bust
ness section paved with solid brick. and
a lot better brick than that on Oca1a's
square and adjacent streets. We don't
want to move to Palatka. but we wish
we had the power to 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 appel
1ation more than ever.
We have no time today to write such
description of Palatka as 1t deserves
What we want to impress on Ocala
Northern to them. The railroad runs
its trains on the @. s. & F. 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
swearing for the last twenty years OIL
more over high freight rates. Here is
their chance for permanent salvation
Its practicable. and what is more, IL
Is easy for them, II they win only &c
about ii, to establish water transpor-
tation from the Oca1a Northern ter
minal to New York or Baltimore. A
steam schooner line would be the bes
thing-vessels that could come ovel
the bar and up to Palatka under theil
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 a line
of sailing vessels would be an immense
help. There was one big three-mastet
schooner In the river Sunday, ant
there should always be a dozen tt
twenty. There were that many Their,
when we came to Florida, twenty-si1
years ago, and there are now at leas
i've times as many people in this ter
ritory as there was then.
No doubt that the people of Pa1atks
would heartily aid those of Ocala IL
such movement. 1t is primarily Il
our interest to make the move TIL,
Ocala Northern is first and foremos
local road. and the people of thi
city should give it every dollar o
business that they are not obliged t,
give to other lines. The bigger road
will absorb it il they can. and the.
will never take the home interest il
US taken by President Rentz and hi
assistants.
The road now runs double-dail,
passenger service. The first train
leaves Ocala at 1870 a. m, the secon,
at $3.50 p. m. Returning. they arriv
at Ocala at 1:20 and 7:45 p. m. Thi
double daily train has to run ZIG mile
day. 30 one can easily see that it ha
to make good time between stations
The roadhed Ia slarnrfsiuclv pood an,