The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-04-10
OLD FIRM IN NEW HANDS

Ocala Bottling Works was an estab-
hshed business institution in Ccala.
The business has gone on ever since,
never closing down or shutting its
doors, and although under several
different arrangements, has gone
right on during all Of those years,
carrying out its mission of supplying
soft drinks for the thirsty of this
section of the state. In those early n
days Mr.. E. C. Smith, still a resi- 4
dent of Ocala, had the property. Mr.. 4
II. c. Jones came in with him later
and has had an interest in the bus
mess, as far as we remember, thru
all of its career since, though not al
ways its active manager. During
these years the company has seen
many other businesses come and go,
spring up and flourish and pass away |
until its founders can look back and |
its present owners can recall with |
pride that there are not a great |
many businesses in the city that ante
date the Ocala Bottling Works.
Several years ago Mr.. Jones in
corporated the business and as it
then was and has since been the
agent in this territory for coca-cola,
incorporated under the name Of the
Ocala Coca-Cola Bottling Works.
Something over a year ago he sold
most of the stock to Mr.. T. H. Ben
nett of Hawkinsville, Ca, and his as
sociates and retired from the man
agement of the business. Mr.. Ben
nett has conducted the business in a
business-like manner, added to the
friends and customers that Mr.. Jones
made and kept most of the old ones,
but Mr.. Benefits health was failing
him and he had to get into the open.
He has sold the business to some
; young men who come to US with ex-
) perience and vigor, the health,
5 strength and financial backing to
4 make the fortunes of the Ocala Coca
Cola Bottling Works hum.
5 These young men who are now in
e charge, the formal transfer of the
Y business having been made few
days since, are Mr.. H. R. Dehon Of
Albany, Ca, the president and man.
ager of the company. He is cousin
{ of the late William Dehon of thi:
county and st. Petersburg, has {
S young wife and two children, wh'
q will shortly join him to make theil
) home in Ocala. Mr.. n. T. Mitchell
Il also a young man from Albany, a
O well as the vice president and secre
l. tary-terasurer, Mr.. E. II. Kalmon
h who will continue to reside in Albany
it making the plant an occasional visit.
II This corps of experienced soft drinl
.e bottlers expect to make bushes
grow and the machinery of their plan
to hum during the warm weathe
now approaching. The strong com
petition that now confronts them doe
- not daunt them one whit, and the
~ expect to put out more of the drin
= that has made Mr.. Gambler both ric
- and famous, than was ever bottled be
fore in this section.
~ Mr.. Bennett had recently almos
ii rebuilt the machinery of the plan
" putting in as modern and as econon
o. ical an outfit as money could bu!
al There are four up-to-date bottlin
g. machines, a Miller rinser and col
g veyor that washes the bottles, take
~ them around on a belt to the hanC
4 of the bottlers and brings the file
~ bottles away; a huge washing m;
h chine that thoroughly washes the DO
al ties in 300 gallon solution of caust
,is soda, heated, if necessary; big ele
no trio water filterer, purifier and sof
ne ener, through which all of the wat'
that goes into the bottles first pass'
before being carbonized.
All of the machinery is operate
by electric motors, the entire roo
go is of brick with clean white wall
n the entrances are screened and Il
II syrup room is screened to itsel
81 Purity and cleanliness is paramoul
& and will always be first in the plant
& There are now two White auto
= used in the delivery service and a.
8 other big truck will soon be secure
s with a powerful motor. With the
= the nearby deliveries and gatherir
3 of empty cases and bottles will
: made. Regular daily trips will
3 made to the territory and prompt Sc
3 vice is assured to the SELLING force.
* Messrs. Dehon and Mitchell w
s keep all of the present employees, 9
< of whom are efficient, skilled me
8 and some have been with the busine
q for many years.
8 The Star wishes the young men :
s success and believes there is plen
s of business here for them as well
s for all engaged in the business.