The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-02-27
MeGert's Letter

Ocala, Fla, Feb. 20, 1913.
| City Council OF Ocala, Oeala, Fla:
Gentlemen: Our city has been stead
lily growing and is spreading out in
every direction. Many new homes
have been built, numbers of tracts of
land have been subdivided into city
lots, a great many of them have been
sold and no doubt all OF them will be
sold in the near future Houses will
be built on these lots and will be oc-
cupied, and in my opinion the city
should extend It's limits at least one
quarter of mile in every direction.
1 1t will not be long until the demands
will be made upon the city council to
extend the water mains and electric
lights in every direction and 1t is no
more than right that these new addi~
lions should bear at least a small per
cent. in the way of municipal tax to
defray these additional expenses. They
should bear in mind the Nanny conven-
licences they now have-chuFehes,
schools and markets, and in case of
sickness doctors can be summoned to
the homes in a very few minutes. The
city must have revenue to keep up it's
utilities. We have a number of non
residents that own city and suburban.
property IHdl nave IhbSSl6u IIlOnSy Luz
speculative purposes only. They de-
pend on few people to improve and
build upon their lots while theirs lay
idle and reap the benefit of the neigh
bors' improvements.
i l would further suggest that the
city limits be extended one-half mile
wide from the present eastern limits in
the most feasible and direct course to
Silver Springs, Silver Springs to be an
nexed to Ocala. This is the most i'm
| portant proposition that confronts the
city of Ocaia today This would solve
the greatest problem, cheap transpor-
tation, and when this is assured,
OcaIa no doubt will double her popu-
lation within the next five years. In
order to secure this, a line of railroad
should be built from the city's prop
erty near Taylor's pond through the
! center of the half-mile strip to Silver
| Springs Free dockage at Silver
/ Springs has been promised by Mr.
Carmichael This road, no doubt,
could be operated for a while with gas
oline motor cars, but I would suggest
that the city of Oeala' increase the
power of the electric light plant to
such capacity to furnish power to
operate cars on the proposed railroad,
and for lighting the city and its gem
eral needs, also a surplus for manu-
featuring enterprises that would no
doubt locate here The property own
| ers of this proposed extension to Sill
yer Springs would be greatly benefited
by railroad crossing over their lands
and should donate a large per centage
of their holdings to the city Of Ocala
for these benefits and the enhance
ment of the value Of their property.
There are a number of other things
that Ocala needs and one of them is a
new water plant, for which financial
provisions have already been made.
The electric light and water plant
should be located together in connec-
tion with this proposed road 1t takes
fuel to generate power and that is the
biggest operating expense. This fuel
could be transported TO Silver Springs
| by water and then over your own road
from Silver Springs direct to the
plants. The saving in freight on fuel
alone would amount 10 many thousand
dollars and would 60 a long ways to-
ward paying operating expenses of the
road. There are great many things
in connection with tbs proposition to
be considered that can be worked out
later, should my suggestions meet
with your approval
Yours truly,
J. NJ Meffert.