The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-06-03
HOW -OCALA WILL LOOK
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS HENCE
Continued from Yesterday


His correct and respectful phrase
ology was not the least of the sur
prises of the night. A quarter of |
century sooner, he would have said,
"Old man, are you broker" or some
such remark. I was soon to find that
nearly everybody spoke respectfully
and correctly-that slang seemed to
have passed.
/ pulled out my wealth, quarter
and two nickles, and showed them to
him in silence. When he reached out
and took the nickels, / supposed he
was going to annex them for the
ride, but instead he held them to the
light and inspected them with close
attention. / was about to spring
the old gag, "They are perfectly
good; / made them myself" when he
inquired:
aged sir, do you know how much
these coins are worth ?"
twenty-five years ago." replied,
"they would have bought two beers"
He smiled 'You can't obtain beer
for love nor money, now; it is no long
er made. But these scent pieces are
very rare, and unless | am mistaken
they will bring you in considerable
sum of present-day money"
LEAD me to the banker" said |.
He again put the car in motion,
crossed the square and stopped be-
fore the Ocala House. At least "Ocala
House" CLEANED in line of incan-
descents across the front. The build
ing, however, went up in the air
higher than / could see.
My friend lighted, assisted me from
the car, into the arched entrance,
which sloped gently in from the side
walk The vast Office was half a block
block. In the center fountain play
ed amid a border of flowers. Ny
guide assisted me to a seat, and I'M
mediately black and grinning bell
boy was at my elbow, asking what he
could do for me. / asked for glass
of water, and in half a dozen seconds
it was handed me on a tray. As
drank / noticed the fluid was cool but
not iced, indeniably soft and entire
ly lacking in that faint lime taste
Ocalans are accustomed to.
Meantime my guide had gone to
the desk, a marble counter, at least
twenty yards long, and showed the
clerk the two nickels. That function
airy was at once vastly interested
After looking at the coins, he turned
out one of the fifty or more reference
books in it. He and my guide consult
ed the book, then brought it to me and
laid it on my knee. 1t was young
encyclopedia, half as big as a family
Bible, and printed in BREWER type. Al
the top of the page observed with
much interest the line "Ocala fla
Evening Star Almanac, 1940," and
the chapter head was "Value of Rare
Coins" My friend placed his finger
at certain point, where / read with
the greatest surprise: "Nickles 1897
to 1915, $3.50 each. Previous to that
time, $500 each"
Glow came these coins to be worth
so much ?" I inquired.
The two men exchanged glances
SIN the great war;" said the chauf-
feur, "there was imperative need fol-
nickel steel. Every bit of nickel that
could be found was worked into armor
and ammunition. Toward the last
the government even called in all
these coins, replacing them with sill
yer. So they are very scarce. Only
five have been found since the war
and these two make seven"
''Then these two are worth five
hundred dollars"
"Just So" said the clerk. 81 am not
coin collector, but if you will turn
these over to me I will be response
BILE and obtain for you the money to-
morrow. Meantime, anything in the
house is at your disposal"
isn't this very expensive
house?" I asked.
"Our prices are standard" said the
clerk. ga dollar day, room, bath
and three meals. Some fancy houses
charge more, but we cater entirely to
the regular travelling public"
"How about tips" asked, with an
eye on the negro attendant.
'eTips-what are they"
"Gratuities to the servants"
said; with difficulty using correct
English. which was plumb out of date
when I went to sleep.
"Such things are unknown" said
the clerk. ''The tipping system went
out Of use when was a small boy
and / had forgotten that it existed"
as the high cost of living also out
of fashion ?" I asked, thinking of that
dollar day palace hotel.
He smiled. 81 remember seeing the
term in old books. We think prices
are high enough now. Articles, how
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