The Ocala evening star., 1915-09-30
crossings several times a day, they
would be fixed in short order.
The Track Scales

Another great nuisance is the track
scales out on the Coast Line, by the
Gainesville road crossing. This is
one Of the most travelled roads in the
state. You can't stand at the cross
ing two minutes at any hour of the
day without seeing an auto pass.
Everytime there is box car over the
crossing, there is liable TO be block
ade. II has caused a great deal of
complaint among the people of city
and country One Marion county
grand jury mentioned this crossing in
/ its presentment / have heard it
cussed and discussed by hundreds.
The railroad men tell me the scales
are not used much. / don't know, but
self, and | travel very little. / have
known men TO miss trains on account
of them The scales have no bust
ness so close TO a public road and
street, and if the law was invoked,
they would have to go. 1t would be
the proper and graceful thing for the
railroad TO move them without any
further dispute.
"Others present may think of other
things, but if the railroad represen-
tatives will consider what have
mentioned, l will say that 1 think
their request should be considered in
return.
Let Us Help Each Other
4 Sgnoo1, Ios boa,, ,~-,rosaJ or a r-,aaT
deal by the railroads, especially by
the Coast Line, and our protests have
been treated with indifference, and
once met with insult. Since Mr..
Brand has been in office, it has seem
ed to me that there has been a differ
ent policy and disposition to treat
the people like they were the friends
of the road. Mr.. Macarthur has been
very considerate and ready to help.
/ The Seaboard has not treated Ocala
kquite so badly, but it hasn't had quite
so much of a chance. l would like
for the management of both roads to
understand that we are trying to
build up a good and pretty town,
and / am sure if they will help US all
they can it will pay them not only in
good feeling, but in dollars an cents. I"
Mr. Parsons of the Seaboard fol-
4 lowed and made in substance the
same talk and gave figures to show
that his road had suffered a loss in
business equal to that of the A. G. l.,
|. and gave the figuers in passenger and
freight receipts for Ocala for the six
; months last past, which showed a
heavy loss in business. He gave the
/ number of passengers moved in the
state over his line for considerable
/ period and compared it with CORES
) ponding periods of some time since,
showing heavy dropping off.
Discussions followed by Mr.. George
. Rentz, Mr.. B. H. Seymour, Mr.. H. c,
Jones and DR.. ]. E. Chace, who oppos-
ed the granting of the six months
. time and said they thought if the rail
roads were given that much time they
!. would come before the people at the
: end of that period and ask for a fur
ther extension and they feared if thi:
was granted it would weaken Ocala's
position and the building of the depot
: would be indefinitely postponed.
The railroad officials assured the
: gentlemen that it would not be In
their hands at all and they would
. have to obey the mandate of the
= commissioners and proceed with the
work.
Most of the other gentlemen pres
! ent expressed themselves as being il
: favor of the extension and thought i
: well to meet the railroads half way
and show friendly spirit and an ap
preciation of the conditions that con
!, fronted them. Among those who
stated their views along this lin,
were Messrs. t. t. Munroe, Jak'
Brown, Col. R. F. Rogers, J. NJ. Mef
fert, P. H. Nugent, j. H. Taylor anC
R. R. Carroll.
II Finally, after free discussion OF
both sides, a resolution was offered Il
be written and signed by the chair
man, asking the railroad commission
to comply with the request of the
railroads and grant the extension o.
six months. This was seconded anC
passed, two or three only voting
against it.
II After the meeting adjourned, Mr.
Macarthur promised the citizens tha
the nuisance of the weighing scales
and blockading the cala-Gainesvill'
road in the northern part of town, be
ing in his jurisdiction, would b,
obviated, and the officials of boil
roads promised to do all that coulc
be done to remedy the other causes O.
complaint that Editor Benjamin hat
enumerated.