The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-03-20
ONE YEAR UNDER SECRETARY
ROONEY

Before the next monthly meeting
of the Marion county board of trade
Mr.. J. d. Rooney will have been its
secretary for a period of twelve
months, and his reelection for anoth-
er year, and a vote of confidence in
his management of the office. which
was done by the board of governors
at meeting Friday morning, we feel
sure will meet with unanimous APP
prevail and will give general salts
faction throughout the county.
Men are born to certain stations
in life and Mr.. Rooney is occupying a
station to which he is specially fitted
by nature. He is a natural born boost
err No cloud appears so black to him
that it has not it's silver lining. Be-
sides being optimistic, he is jealous.
He believe that what is worth doing
at all is worth doing we'll. If he is
sometimes over-zealous it is because
he is intensely in earnest and is sim
cere in the belief that the rich and
abundant resources of our town and
county justify on his part the most
supreme enthusiasm.
Since Mr. Rooney's election to this
office he has not only given his own
time and talents to it's direction, but
he has kept stenographer and
typewriter constantly busy, and he
has made his headquarters a rendez-
vous for visitors from the country
and from distance, and it is so ar
ranged as to have the appearance
of a farm exhibit at fair, and a Car
negie library of information.
1t was through the suggestion of
Mr.. Rooney thai the name of the as
ISOLATION was changed from the Ocala
to the Marion county board of trade,
and he has made the whole people of
the county feel that they are a part
and parcel of it and that it is being
run for their benefit, and he has sue
ceeded in enrolling large number
living outside of Ocala as members.
While some of the things he has
on foot have not yet materialiZed it
has been largely because the year has
been one fraught with distrust and
lack of confidence, but it is the con-
census of opinion that the financial
atmosphere has now been clarified,
stored, so that next year will see the
qualification of many profitable en-
terprises, some of which will work
for us a wonderful development.
1t was largely through the efforts
of Secretary Rooney that we got the
express rate convention held in our
city and the meeting of the railroad
commissioners to listen to arguments
for and against the putting into opera
ton the "long and short haul clause
of a statute enacted by the last legis-
lature.
1t was Mr. Rooney's enthusiasm
that collected together five thousand
men and women on the Blitchton road
and made it historic in the annals of
good roads building in Florida.
The booklet that Mr.. Rooney has
sent out to home-seekers has received
the most flattering comments from
the press of the state, and he has
good reason to feel proud of his effort
and it is believed that it will bear
fruit, and that all of us will in time
feel its benefits.
There are movements under way
that are not yet ready to be made
public, which are believed will put
Ocala in the front rank Of interior
cities.
In closing we can safely say that
If activity, zeal optimism and consist
ent and insistent booming will trans
form Deal afrom a town into a city
that the board of trade could not get
one who will work to this end more
industriously and sincerely than J. D,
Rooney.
Let US all work together and pull
together in harmony and make the
coming year the best and most mem
orable In Ocala's history.