The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-11-21
cosT CONGRESS VISITORS EN-
rERTAlNED

in Ocala were very delightfully."- en- i
tertained Saturday morning with an
automobile trip to various points of /,
interest around Ocala.
A number of Ocala citizens very
generously offered their cars for the
trip, and shortly after nine o'clock |
the cars, all comfortably filed, left
the Harrington Hall hotel for a sight |
seeing trip. going first to our hand
some new Marion county hospital.
The visitors went inside and in
spected the building. They were
completely carried away with the
view from the balconies. number
remarking that they could almost i'm
agine themselves in the Blue Ridge
mountains. They were quite aston
ished to know that our county was
so very rolling, and were extremely
pleased with our up-to-date and mod
ern hospital, and complimented us
but all its appointments.
The cars then passed through the
beautiful grounds of the elegant sub
urban home of Hon. R. L. Anderson,
| which was most heartily admired.
The next point of interest visited
was the Ocala Country Club grounds,
which are considered by all who have
ever seen them to be without a peer
in the state of Florida. The rolling
grounds, the wonderfully beautiful
oak trees and the greensward stretch
ing before the eyes of the visitors in
every direction brought forth many
exclamataions of pleasure and SUR
prise, and the pretty club building
also came in for full share of praise.
From the country club the party
was driven to the Marion Farms,
where more than half an hour was
spent.
The hog pens were visited, where
there were over $50 very fine hogs.
Some of the gentlemen could not be-
| lieve it possible that Florida could
produce such hogs, and said that
they had never seen such huge hogs
outside of Illinois and other stock
raising states of the middle west.
This stock was a wonderful revelar
ton to them and they were delighted
with the farms. The giant oak trees,
some prbably centuries old, appealed
to quite a number, who greatly ad-
mired their majestic beauty. The i
stockade, ETC., was visited, but the
flock of nearly two hundred bronze
turkeys were grazing some two miles
away, SO this interesting sight was
missed. The herd of Jersey cows was
also viewed, and where the annual
cane grinding is now going on theI
visitors fingered long enough to en-
joy some of the good sugar cane and |
cane juice. which will soon be con-
verified into very fine Florida syrup.
From the farms the next stop was
at Silver Springs, which is one of ma |
lures most magnificent wonders. |
springs in the glass-bottomed boat
were so entranced that it was hard !
to tear them away 1t is truly a won |
derful body of water. and it's chief |
attraction is the fact that every time |
you see the springs there are differ |
ent views, different colorings, and in |
many respects there is no more beau |
tiful springs in this or any other
country.
After returning to the city some of |
the party went out to the fair |
grounds and saw them all in readi- |
ness for our approaching annual fair
next week.
1t was then the noon hour. and the
mornings pleasant diversion was |
over, and all of the visitors expressed |
themselves as having been very
greatly delighted with the courtesy
extended them.
At the banquet Friday night, given |
in honor of the cost congress, notice
of which has already appeared in /
these columns. number of ladies'
graced the occasion with their pres
ence. and added greatly to the sue
cess of this event. Sixty seats were
occupied by the visitors. members of
the board of trade and by represent !
atives of the two newspapers and /;
the Ocala Printing Company. AS we
have already said Mr.. Rooney acted
as POSTMASTER and there were sew +
eral short and piquant after-dinner
speeches made. Il
The following ladies were present [
at the banquet: Mrs. Watts and Mrs.
Hill of Tampa; Miss Pearce of West
Palm Beach: Mrs Morrison. of Nor s