The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-10-21
TIME TO RALLY TO
THE BOARD OF TRADE

is good time for the business men
of Marion county to rally to the sup
port of their Board of Trade.
We don't mean TO say the Board
of Trade has had no support. Far
from it. Marion county for the last
year has kept its Board Of Trade go
ing in the face of circumstances that
would have made other organizations
shut up shop.
It's true our board hasn't made
such big noise as at other times,
but it has kept on making itself
heard, even tho it sometimes had to
talk in whisper. It has always been
on the job.
How big an asset it has been to US
in these difficult days, no one can es-
innate. But we can know that many
times many men have thought, and
some of them have said, "Ocala is
good town. It's keeping up its Board
of Trade"
More than once this year it's looked
like they weren't going to be able to
think such thinks and make such re-
marks. Some of those pledged to the
support of the board have had to fall
out-we are afraid some have fallen
out who didn't have to-but bunch
of faithful ones have stuck and kept
on showing up the kale, which they
could i'll spare, but they denied them
selves for public spirit and love for
the old town and it's county.
Times are better, but they are not
easy. But they will be better for the
Board if all who can will step forward
and help all they can those who have
helped more than they could just be-
cause they would.
The Board of Trade is big thing
for Marion county. Just how much
it does, and how much it is inter
woven with our public life, none of
us can realize, unless we should have
the lack of public spirit to let it die.
1t is. better, more active and in
fiuenrtifal Board than any other town
in Florida has in proportion to its
size. 1t is looked up to and recog-
nized all over the state, and is heard
of in other states.
Boards of trade are the proper
thing nowadays. IL a man in Maine
wants to find out something about a
41,,,., =. Co1,fo~x,;, bo doary,tA xryrsfo r.,
the postmaster or the mayor. He
writes to the board of trade. Of
course, he doesn't know that the town
has board Of trade. But he knows
that if it hasn't, it isn't much of a
town.
Every week, sometimes every day
in the week, there come to Oeala let
tiers addressed to the Board of Trade
from men in other states who know
nothing about Ocala except that they
have seen it on the map or perhaps
seen it's name in a newspaper. How
would you like for man in Oregon
or Saskatchewan or Maryland to adj
dress letter to the Ocala Board of
Trade, and in few days receive his
own letter returned unopened and
stamped, "There amt no such ami
mali?
The Board of Trade was organized
at the beginning of what should have
been good times. 1t sowed good seed,
and when the harvest time approach
ed, the war broke out, paralyzed la
Dor and caused capital to seek a
bombproof. With some of the grim
courage of the soldiers of France and
Britain, the Board has held the
trenches for over year. IL recruits
will come forward, to aid the war
worn ones, the entire army can move
onward.
It wouldn't be proper to close this
without a few words about the mar
who does most of the work, receives
some of the praise and all the abuse
Secretary Rooney.
There are many who appreciate
Rooney at his worth, some who don't
and few who try to reward hin
with ridicule and abuse The frs
class helps the community, the sec
ond doesn't and the Lord can forgive
the third, for they don't know wha
they are talking .about.
Rooney is quite big man for hi
position. There are few men In tn,
state who know as much about a
many different things and can inter
est as many people in them as he.
Rooney works hard. Scores of call
are made on him every week for in
formation about this section, and h,
answers them all. He has made tn
only compilation of information abou