The Ocala evening star., 1915-10-07
GAINESVILLE AND LIVE OAK


was written by our Belleview CORES
pondent concerning her experiences
at the normal school and state post
masters convention last summer:
The University City is a great lit
tie town, very progressive, even the
churches are progressive, they would
send autos out to the University and
carry those who wished to go 70
church and then carry them back
again I call that practical christiani-
ty, and it was appreciated.
Gainesville has a special breed of
mosquitoes all its own. They are like
birds of prey, and big enough to shoot.
The boys amuse themselves by watch
ing them bore through tin cans, and
then clinching their bills on the in
side, and them their antics after they
are fastened and left TO die miser-
able death. How cruel!
There were over four hundred stu
dents, from all sections, most of them
young women, and all were animated
by the desire to fit themselves for a
higher walk in life, the great majori-
ty were fitting themselves for teach
ers, and they were very earnest and
studious.
There was plenty of good hard
work, and plenty of diversion in the
way of games, walks and visiting the
surrounding grounds and as the hun
dreds of young men and women de-
parted and spread out over the state,
and other states, each to fill their own
little inches in the world, they will one
and all look back with kindly re-
membranes to the faculty, the big
buildings, the beautiful grounds, the
bounteous supply of "grub" and above
all, the ties of friendship that were
formed during this brief school period.
| A school like this is a great place
to meet people one knows and people
| one use to know, also people that you
/ know of and those that know of you
and those that know your friends and
vica versa. / met a number of young
/ people that / already knew, and also
whole big bunch of those that was
destined to know.
I One person that l was really glad
to see was Miss Mary Connor, of
Ocala. Miss Connor was not there as
student, but as an instructor in her
chosen profession, that of music. l
wondered thereat, for knew she had
a prosperous music class in Ocala, but
it gradually unfolded in my mind that
like other prosperous and aggressive
people she was simply following that
universal law of business called "ex-
pansion" and seeking wider fields for
the display of her talents, and so ii
came to pass upon the opening day OF
that big school Miss Connor did the
honors in the music line and acquitted
herself with distinction, and as the
school progressed it was my pleasure
to hear many compliments paid tt
her ability as a teacher of music.
I also learned that Miss Conno1
h maintained a school of music il
\ Gainesville, of some pretensions anC
my curiosity led me to investigate
found a conservatory of music equa
to almost anything in Florida,
handsome suite of seven rooms, fitte'
up in luxuriant style, with instru
ments of high class, standing around
gave it an air of business that wa
pleasing to see. One large concer
grand piano took my eye and ear;
was capable of giving forth SCUM
as gentle and as soft as breath o
summer air stirring through the fol-
age, or pouring forth a sound almos
equal in volume to a crash of thun
der, and all it lacked was the maste
hand to make it talk, weep or NOV
the listeners soul to untold height
and my fingers ached to provoke a
expression from its mysteriou
depths.
Miss Connor has magnificent pros
pect for success in this little Gaines
vile city, and / know that she Wi
make good.
III When the big university opens fo
the Fall term Miss Connor will b
found at the head of the musical de
partment equipped to give service c
a high order in her branch of the bi
college, and know that the people c
Gainesville will appreciate her effort
to give them high class conservator
for the teaching of music.
Feeling the need of change of al
and the Postmasters' Conventio
about to convene in Live Oak, pacl
ed my bag and hied me to that breez
little city out among the red clay hill
of middle west Florida, and thereb
hangs tale; instead of taking the !
= c. L. Ry., which is almost an air ir
- from Gainesville to Live Oak ar
80 which has very good schedule, col