The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-07-06
A STAR CORRESPONDENT
AT THE UNIVERSITY

pendent fully intended to take in the I
Panama Exposition this year, but it
being such a year of happenings, 10 I
tell the truth / was afraid to get very
far from home, no telling what might .
happen and it would be sure to happen I
if / went along.
There might be an earth quake in
San Francisco and earthquakes and
do not get along very well together.
Then again there might be another
slide in the canal, and if so it would
be sure to slide just before ! arriv-
ed and there would be more trouble
l don't like slides anyhow and would
rather see Leo Hames slide to first
| base than to see old Culebra slide in
to the water.
! Again-Japan might declare war on
the u. S. and u. S. spells US, and if
there is to be any shooting of torpe-
does | would rather go down to VIII
Merrill's store and buy a five cent box
of the 4th of July kind and fire them
at the cats, than to see the Japs
fire theirs at the u. S. steamers, for
feel sure / would be there.
Now / can conjure up a good big
number of valid reasons why | should
not go, but will refrain from tortur-
ing my imagination any further, ex-
cept to say that my cousin, Miss Bes-
sic Haskill, who intended to chaper-
one me, found it impossible to get
away on account of her duties at
large ladies' seminary, where she
holds a very important position, so
feeling the need of relaxation from
the turmoil and activities of Belle
view, l decided to take a summer
course at the University of Florida,
at Gainesville.
had heard of the useful knowledge
dispensed at that institution and
thirsted for some of it, so on the 18th
of June in full travelling regalia
boarded the old train No. 4, on the
Seaboard and told the conductor to
let me off at Waldo, to which he
readily assented.
We had no sooner rolled into Ocala
when familiar face hove in sight,
no less a person than your editor-in-
chief, Mr.. Benjamin, hunting for news
items. He always seems to be hunt
i ing for news items when l. see him,
and / rather think the habit has be-
come chronic, almost a hopeless case.
Anyhow, after coming clear down to
that Seaboard depot and finding me
going so far away from home, he on
ly gave me little four line notice in
the daily, when I feel sure it called
J for at least half or three quarters of
column.
| met lots of people that / knew,
and more that did not know.
l also found that Sniglefoot's fame
has gone all up and down the line,
!, and that he is the subject of much
discussion in railroad circles, on &C
count of his attachments for rail-
J road conductors.
Sniglefoot has a fondness for con-
) ductors, and especially for their coat
tails.
After awhile the conductor told me
that we were coming to the city of
Waldo, where / must change cars to
get to Gainesville. did so and found
lot of pilgrims bound for the same
place / was headed for, then / took a
look around and saw Waldo, and
when / saw it l was glad that my
home was in Belleview. All the same
the people that inhabit Waldo feel and
think the same of their little juno
ton city. / do not like junction
! cities.
am not sure, but think they took
the Waldo, out of Ralph Waldo En-
merson's name when they christened
this town. After waiting around an
hour or so we boarded another train
for where we were going, and we
were on our way-when we reached
Gainesville it reminded me somewhat
of Ocala, for the town scenes to be
just about the same size. 1t is laid
off just the same way, the depots
are in the same relative positions;
: the Seaboard depot being about half a
mile from the court house, and the
: Coast Line track running through the
: town and stopping right off the court
house square, right in front of one
: of the hotels.
. The court house at first appearance
, has more striking appearance than
our own in Ocala, but the inside will
not compare so well.
These Gainesville people must have
2 more money than our Ocala people
for l found things looking more
!. thrifty, the stores more lavish in their
{ displays, the houses have a more set
= tied and prosperous look, and the up
keep of the streets was fine.
There is certainly some fine drives
4 buildings and homes in Gainesville
: and the lay of the land gives it 8
: picturesquessness all its own.
A handsome boulevard runs out tC
E the University, about mile from the
/ court house, and as one arrives IL
\ sight and the scenery and building