The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-10-14

4
came from former secretary of the
Board of Trade FIVE years ago, whose
only act was TO have some huge pla- /
cards printed and placed over town,
Il am boosting for a Union Depot 8 |
From that the idea grew and possess
ed the people and it became popular
and they thought they really wanted
and needed a union station He said
fhis road brought ten passenger
trains per day to the city to trade.
There were number OF tie leading
business men of the city opposed to
the union depot and he NAMED half a
dozen of them. He referred to the
item Of transferring PASSENGERS as
very small. as most OF them come and
go by his roa Re said Col. Rogers
referred to enc the city the
first time M ~ years age md made
a complain of poor SCI lie which,
he believe |, had not bcea -sade since.
AS to the j slic failing 20 make con
nections, the schedules Will not be
CHANGE by the building iSs a union
depot. This is net a gateway Of
travel ncr a terminal and thsre is no
way of having the sche Fultss changes
as they are the Lest thai csIn be dgurz
ed out on the whole. MI W. ANS
said he took pride in Oca1a and
Marion county that he was born II
the county, and he was also proud
of the road he worked for AMI its
officials and he considered them h77
orable, able gentlemen. That they
had never shown the hand of corpo-
ration oppressors nor asked him to do
a thing that he could net conscien-
tiously do That if his heart was not
in this work he would moi speak and
he did not believe his off Gals would
ask him to oppose the uIiion station
if they knew he did not personally
feel that it was not for the best. He
said they had good depot. well
located. and that the Seaboard' S, rs
years of age, was now ole enough to
come down, and they should build a
new one. lie said that the roads now
had to keep crews and two separate
forces Of men, whereas with d union
station one would suffice and num-
her of families be lost to the city.
He said his road was serving the peo-
pie of this section in ar excellent
manner, and he believed shey should
not be forced to abandon their vail
liable property here and 20 into and
assist to build a union depot.
Mr.. Brand said he did not think,
after all was said, that amy crying
need had been shown for a union
depot. He said he could assure the
public on one point, thfst if forced
into union depot his road would
not maintain the present epot also,
as had been asserted. He said he
knew of no available location for.
such depot, except away out on the
edge of town, far removtd from all
business interests. He said it was
claimed that 500 of the business in
and out of OcaIa was haItdled by the
A. C. L., and this roads depot was
right in the heart of oair business
center in one block of the court
house He said a union station Was
not thing of today but WAS forever
as far as this generation is concern
ed-not to be tried and abandoned
IL not found up to what we had ex-
pected. He then gave some Stats
tics showing immense milling on in
the business of the rotad, both IN
passenger and freight departments;
said that this was general with all OF
the roads and they we1e losing IN
this territory and losing heavily, and
unlike other lines of business, they
could not adapt their Expenses to
their receipts, but below a certain
enrtailing. they had to stand the
loss and maintain their service.
Mr.. Parsons, division superintend-
ent of the S. a. L., was then asked
by the commission for his views. He
said he would say nothing either for
or against the union Edepot but
would ask for time in which TO con-
struct a depot If it sholih be order
ed. Conditions with h4ss road were
very bad. He was not tlnduly excit-
ed but railroad conditions we're de
plorable, their expenses almost a.
heavy as formerly and revenues cu1
away down. He said thousands o.
cars of freight less wereI moving eacf
day than a few months ago, and hi
road was handling no phosphate AMI
little lumber and naval stores II
FLORIDA. where. formerly these Wer'
its greatest sources of tsonnage.
Mr.. S. P. Hollinrake LOT the ocali
Northern was then asked for hi
views on the matter. Mr.. Hollinrak
| caid his road was dbeiTlstf operated b.