The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-03-07

reasonably adequate, its facilities at
Ocala, and announced its readiness to
purchase any and all properties that
might be essential for the enlarge
ment OF such facilities. and the con-
struction of a commodious brick
freight depot. making the same
fully and completely adequate,
| according to the conditions as they
then existed. and providing for the
facilities that may be rendered neces-
sary by enlargement and growth in
the future. While the city council
COX no action as a body, the various
members thereof announced their vii
ingness to pass any reasonable ordi-
nance as 10 the closing OF streets and
otherwise, where it did not seriously
interfere with the public interests. so
! as to permit the enlargement of such
facilities upon the scale as then CON
templated I have not a particle Of
doubt that if an ordinance had then
been introduced providing for such
enlarged facilities within the limits
Of the scheme contemplated it would
have been readily passed by the city
council. but any man of ordinary COM
mon sense and reason would know
that the passage Of such an ordinance
at that time would have rendered it
impossible for the railroad company
to have acquired the necessary prop
erty in the immediate vicinity without
The payment OF extortionate and tor
tuous prices. Believing that there
would be no objection TO the passage
OF any reasonable ordinance along
the lines contemplated the railroad
company quietly purchased practical
" all Of the lots and property between
Osceola street and Main street, run
ming east and west, and from South
Third street to the city limits on the
south. At the time of the purchase OF
this property between Eighth street
and South Third street, it was cover
ed by a network OF negro houses, and
the prices as paid by the railroad
| company were largely in excess OF the
actual or real value OF the property
at the time il was purchased. The
railroad company went along in per-
feet good faith and removed every ne
gro cabin and house from the proper
~ referred to, and actually paid for
/ the property so acquired between $10,-
900 and $1,000 with the view Of max
ing improvements as originally con-
templated. Notwithstanding this
| fact. some critics have the hardihood
to say that the railroad company is
simply INDUCING in the hold up
proposition. If these critics were to
spend between $4,000 and $1,000 in
perfect good faith 10 accomplish GER
tain results, which would harm no
particular individual and would re-
dound ultimately to the great benefit
OF the public at large, I feel that they
would insist that such criticism is
absolutely without foundation or JUS
tice
In an editorial in the Evening Star,
the statement is made that it is Who'll
ly unnecessary to close Sixth and
Seventh streets in order 70 furnish
facilities to the railroad company and
the general public. as the company it.
self has already acquired a tract Of
land south of Eighth street upon
which the contemplated improve
ments could be made I presume that
the writer OF the editorial is not a
civil engineer, for, if he were, It would
have been perfectly apparent to him.
as it is to every unprecedented individ-
ual, that it is a physical impossibility
for the railroad tracks to reach the
property south Of Eighth street with
out absolutely closing every street
from South Third street to the proper
ty referred to, the grade of the Eichel-
berger property being SO high that
the present engineering science has
not vet developed the fact that a train
could be operated on the surface TO
reach this property, and it is perfectly
evident that in order to reach it such
excavations would have to be made
as TO render every intervening street
impossible
Unfortunately the original design
contemplated that the Eichelberger
property, which the company acquired
at great expense, would be included
in the improved facilities, and it was
purchased especially for that purpose
but the committee OF the city council,
to whom the original ordinance was
referred, objected to this for the rea-
cor, 81 - ;vv~1Iv-OJ @bc ob-o1,,+1 H.