The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-09-21
|OCALA'S COMBINED
WATER AND LIGHT PLANT


Before / enter into this matter I
wish to say l consider Mr.. Meffert
perfectly honest in all his conten-
tions in regard to this location. Il
took the matter up with him first and
he told me he was afraid i was too
late, as they had already agreed to
put the water works on the old site,
and had contracted for another well
to be put down there. They had their
blue prints made with an eye to this
location and if l had taken the mat
ter up with him sooner, he would
have gladly considered putting the
plant on the north side of town. Il
was surprised at this, as had decid-
ed, after thinking the proposition
over, the old site was so unfit for the
new water works the city council
would be looking for a new location,
knowing how Ocala has suffered on
account of the reputation of its water,
and knowing the city council was ia
miliar with these facts, / felt sure
they would try to do something to
better conditions. Consequently, /
have been waiting and watching for
an opportunity to take this matter up
with them.
Mr.. Mr.. Meffert says the city will
lose $4,000 by moving the plant. In
my humble opinion, Ocala would
make several times $4,000 in the long
run by putting this plant in a better
location. Of course we know when
the light and water plant is combin-
ed and put on another lot, it will re-
lease three lots in the heart of town.
/ My estimate of the value of these
lots would be at least $4,000 or $10,-
900. If these lots are released, their
value should be figured into the new
location.
i As l mentioned in a former article,
the present water supply has been
written about, talked about, criticised
by the press and by the people until
it is settled fact in a great many
minds that you can not drink Ocala's
water and live. Now mind you, this
REPUTATION was given it by Ocala peo-
pie. If you will dig up some of the
files of the Ocala Evening Star and
Ocala Banner, when the fight was on
: for the city to buy the water works,
| think you will find enough argu-
ment against this water to condemn
, it for all time. 1t was brought out at
: that time that this water was not
| even fit for baths or to water the
lawn. When the city bought it, we be-
, gan to say cit is pretty fair water
Then we said sit is good" Then we
: had it analysed and pronounced it
, "pure and good, if not better, than
any in the state" Now we might
: pull the wool over our own eyes and
: make ourselves believe, because the
/ city owns it, it is not just the same
: water we abused so when it belong
i ed to the company. We cannot fool
the thinking public so easily. 1t will
take more than new plant on the
same old site, to convince them this
5 is not the same old water.
: Aside from this bad reputation OF
the Ocala water, the smallness of the
: lot, the Converse mill and the danger
: of fire and high insurance, and the
: expensiveness of the lift of the water
{ owing to elevation of the ground, the
B contamination of the water from sew.
s erage wells, and many other things
2 that could be mentioned, however
3 am going to mention only one more
v reason. That is this. The plant i:
!, located in one of the best residential
e sections of the town and the people
: surrounding it are bitterly opposed tx
Y its being located here. Now these
e people are among our very best citi
t zens and they certainly have a right
d to our consideration. Now, gentle
men, in the face of all these reasons
and many others against this loca
ton, do you think the city can afforC
: to put it there? Don't you think i
: would be far better to locate it a
J. some point where there would be nj
s opposition? To my mind to put thii
). plant at this location would be one o.
p the greatest mistakes Ocala has eve
Il made.
e The question naturally arises then
s where should it be built? To my wa!
n of thinking, there are only two loca
+ tions that should be considered TO
s one minute. The first, Silver Springs
l, This is the logical and natural waite
e supply for Ocala. If we can raise tn
e money, this is undoubtedly the plac
n to put it. But if we are not able T.
d do this, the only logical place il
d Ocala is on the north side of town.
) have been told by as good engineer
1t as there are in this country, me
< who have done more surveying an
1t investigation in this territory tina
j. any other, that our water flow here
y from the north, or northwest. Tha
D. is, our subterranean streams, at leas
& those forming our water level, com
10 from that direction, and that tn
re principle supply of water for thes
G, veins comes from Orange Lake. Thes
d statements can certainly be verifie
4 by anyone who will take the troubI
re to investigate. can show you a chat
Il, of sinks and other indications of wa
l.