The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-30
(DOneStic)
WORK SHOULD BEGIN AT ONCE

Many plans for the improvement
of our city were made during the
year that is closing, and it Will be a
reflection on our enterprise if some
of them are not carried to compile
ton in the year that opens this
week.
The enterprise nearest to hand
the one easiest to carry out and
which will bring the most Immediate
results IS building an electric rail-
way line to Silver Springs, now a
part of the city, and inaugurating a
freight and passenger service to con-
meet with the boats on the Ottawa
ha river.
We want to make of the panhandle
that joins the main portion of the
city to the springs an unbroken line
of suburban residences, traversed by
a boulevard that will be one of the
beauties of the state as we'll as a con-
people. We cannot make much pro-
gress toward this end without an
electric railway, for the simple rea-
son, that in no other way can We OBJ
tain a mode of transportation suffi-
ciently cheap and reliable to meet
the needs of the majority Of the peo-
pie.
Building an electric railway line is
net an immense undertaking. Thirty
five or forty thousand dollars would
lay the rails, put up the wires and
buy a couple of passenger and as
many freight cars. We already have
the power plant. The line would be-
gin TO pay expenses as soon as the
cars began to run. It's a well-known
fact that there are always more peo-
pie wanting to go to Silver Springs
than can find transportation. The
great imp adiment TO constant
freight traffic by way of the river
has been the little gap of five and a
half miles between the city and the
springs, harder to get over than the
200 miles between the springs and
JacksonvilleH
There never has peen finer resi-
dence section annexed to a city than
the strip between Ocala and the
springs. 1t is high and dry to with
in a few yards of the water. 1t is all
down hill from the city, making an
unbroken slope for drainage and
adding to water pressure all the way.
With trolley line to give cheap and
convenient transportation, people
would at once commence to build
homes on the outlying territory, and
in five years there would be an I'M
broken street, with not a few side
and cross streets, all the way to the
springs.
Along this line are many sites
particularly adapted to the most ele-
giant homes. Several of these have
been already engaged and plans laid
for residences Of the finest class.
This strip is also adapted to the
establishment of manufacturing en-
terprises, and it may be confidently
expected that building a trolley line
would be soon followed by the erec-
ton of factories large and small.
Manufacturing plants could obtain
cheaper land to build on; they would
have greater water power than the
enterprises in the heart of the city;
they could obtain water freight rates
and their workmen could build
homes around them; they could have
nearly all the advantages of the city
and escape some of the disadvant-
ages
Nor is this all. The trolley line
Springs run to Carmichael's farm on
one side and Arden on the other
Along Silver Springs run are thou
sands of acres of land as rich as
the valley of the Nile, and free from
the Niles Disadvantages. This ter
ritory will raise enough Of the finest
truck TO feed the people OF state.
All il wants is men to do the work
ard access to market. Fast gasoline
boats would take the delicate varie-
ties of produce to the ocean steam
ars at Jacksonville in "a hours. The
Carmichaels own most OF this land,
but. the Star is informed, they are
willing to sell some Of it TO desira-
BILE settlers People who think OF
going TO the Everglades could do far
better here in Marion county.
1t is necessary TO build trolley
line and a dock, and set the river
transportation ball to rolling if We
expect the government 10 improve
the Oklawaha. Uncle Sam is not