The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-04-10
IN THE PHOSPHATE FIELD

The editor of this paper was ont
saturday for little automobile trim
among the phosphate mines to note
the progress being made in this inn.
portant branch OF our industrial life
When we were out about ten miles
We were given an optical demonstra.
ton that the diam0nd-back rattler-
the king Of Florida reptiles-stiII has
ms habitat with US. and lives to a
ripe old age. notwithstanding the fact
mat our woods are full OF turpentin.
ers and phosphate miners. A colored
farmer had just dispatched with a
small stick a monster diamond-back
that measured. when held up. several
Inches taller than his slayer. His
circumference was sufficient for him
to get on the outside OF a rabbit with.
cut much inconvenience. His king.
ship carried on his caudal appendage
ten rattles and a button. which is ev.
idence enough to show that being a
native he was almost old enough 10
have registered under the Bryan pri.
mary election law.
After a little "watchfm waiting" at
the railroad crossing near Blue
Springs run, we soon entered the
Phosphate City" and quenched our
thirst with the popular Bryan decoc-
ton which has taken hold of Dunnel.
Ion since the recent wet and dry"
election, and nothing more intoxicat-
Ing is now tolerated there, and the
people who lived there under the old
regime are still surviving, and the
city is anticipating a future as bright
as the colors of the rainbow.
Paved streets. sewers, water and
electric lights, etc, are merely begin
ners TO the end all the citizens there
are hopefully predicting Ten feet of
water in the river is among the near
possibilities. and II will naturally fol-
low that Dunnellon will become a
wholesale distributing point for an
interesting scope of territory.
We went over to Rockwell and
found the mines there. as well as the
Standard and fernando railroad busy,
very bnusy. which tells its own story
We had the pleasure of meeting
Mr.. Bigelow, the general superintend-
ent. as we'll as Mr.. Barker. the pres
ident of the Barker Chemical Com
pany. who is down from New York en-.
joying our real spring-like weather.
From Rockwell we autoed over TO
South Dunnellon. Elliston, Holder and
fernando.
In all those places several of the
mines that have been closed down for
a year or more are now opening up.
and soon all will be in active opera
ton.
Besides the phosphate mines we
saw a large area of land being planted
To watermelons and other truck. In
one or two fields of several hundred
acres not a stump could be seen as
far as the eye could reach, which is
proof OF the pudding that Citrus coun-
~. besides rejoicing at being the
phosphate center has also some very
progressive and up TO date farmers.
In going over those phosphate lands
one cannot withhold the thought of
how mysterious are the workings of
nature.
As a rule the most OF these lands
have the appearance of being too poor
TO produce any crops at all, and for
that reason for years and years they
were passed over. but like the stone
the builders rejected. they have since
recome the chief stone of the corner.
For ages they have nurtured in
their womb that which has contribut-
ed to the feeding of a large number
OF the teeming millions of both hemis-
pheres.
II is indeed true that the wonders
of nature pass all understanding.