The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-04-10
ACTIVITY OF THE METRopoL,-
TAN REALTY COMPANY


Has Contracted for $4,000 More
Cigar Factory Assured and Knitting
Mill May Follow
IL mas scarcely been eighteen
months since the Ocala Metropolitan
Realty Company purchased the hold.
ings of Mr.. H. l.. Anderson in the vi
entity of the Ocala Steam Laundry.
the city market and the George Giles
cotton and moss factory, and the i'm
provements which this company has
put upon these properties have been
almost marvellous, and they are in ev-
cry way creditable.
More than thirty thousand dollars
in cash has already been expended,
and the expenditure of twenty thou
sand more is under contract, and will
add yet more to the appearance and
Improvement of that section of our
city.
The little cottages that have not
been torn down have been rehabilitat-
ed and put into most habitable shape,
and some Of them now are bringing
rental of twenty dollars a month.
They have been renovated from with
in and without, and the premises, n.y.
CHEMICALLY speaking, have been so
greatly improved that they will now
pass inspection of the most autocrat-
ic board of health in existence.
The three-story bank building that
this wide-awake corporation was in
strumental in erecting would do cred
II to any city anywhere. But what
good is a bank building without a
bank? So the next step was to or
ganize a regular bank, with all the
name implies, and now a bank with
a capital of $4,000, with a charter
from the state of Florida, bearing its
great seal, is in successful operation,
and occupies the greater part of the
first floor of the building.
The good work has not stopped
there. This active corporation has
been in correspondence with a cigar
industry, or persons interested in the
establishment of a cigar factory, and
the president and secretary of the
Metropolitan Realty Company inform
ed us that in a little while it would
really become one of the industries
of Ocala, and would begin operations
with ten cigar-makers.
That is a step that may lead to an
other and more permanent Marti City.
We already have four or five small
cigar factories, and now, with this
larger one, if Secretary Rooney's idea
Is carried out. and we can pledge the
members of our board of trade to
smoke only Ocala-made cigars" we
can soon build up in our midst a big
cigar industry.
And why not?
With expert cigar makers handling
identically the same quality OF nat
ural leaf tobacco, why can they not
make as good a cigar here as can be
made in Key West. Tampa, or any
where else on the top-side of the
globe?
Why, of course they can, and if the
citizens of Ocala, through the board of
trade, will hold up their hands by
smoking cigars only having the Ocala
brand. a great achievement in Ocala's
growth will have resulted.
But the Ocala Metropolitan Com
pany has not stopped with the land
ing of a cigar factory. 1t is in cores
pondence with parties who contem-
plate establishing a knitting factory
in Ocala, and the officers of the Met
ropolitan Really Company are san
guine in the belief that the same will
be established, and will soon be in
operation in our midst.
Too much praise cannot be bestOw-
ed upon this active. live corporation.
Il is composed entirely OF our best
colored citizens, and so far as its in
luence extends it says that in the ri
valry for building a greater and more
beautiful Ocala the negro population
shall be no laggard in the race.
The officers of the Ocala Metropoli-
tan Realty Company are the heads of
successful business establishments
and bear the respect and esteem of
an the white people of the city.
The following are the names of the
officers and members:
George Giles, president; Jos. j. Wi
ley. vice president; Frank p. Gadson,
cashier: A. st. Geo. Richardson, as
sistant cashier; board of directors,
George Giles. Jos. L. Wiley, Frank P.
Gadson. ]. S. LaRoche, S. H. Hadley,
~ N Ctavvarf II r Williams NeD-