The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-05-25

didn't nave cnauce 10 Icdu dDout
Cerig's great 1-cent sale it was be-
cause he or she carefully hid until
the missionaries were past.
We had not seen so much of North
ern Marion before, and we are con-
fident that if we could take a crowd
of homeseekers from other states
over the same route they would bring
500 new residents to this country in
a year. The impression has long pre-
vailed in all the states north of us
that Florida is fiat, sandy, dry and
sterile, and it is one that is very slow
| w giving place to truth. In all this
ride of over seventy-fve miles, not
more than three or four of candy fiat
| land was passed over. Nearly all the
country was hill and dale, and nearly
| all the farming ground was soil that
showed dark and rich where it was
turned up by the plow. All the crops
were luxuriant and green except
some of the oats, and it's this papers
opinion that Florida farmers waste
time on oats anyhow. The corn was
i particularly good; unless we miss our
guess Marion will have another bum
per corn crop this fall. The various
truck crops were growing splendidly,
1.-THE melons and canteloupes were COM
ling on WE'LL and If the people can
Ionly obtain cars to haul their truck
and decent prices in the northern mar
Ikets they will have money to burn.
There were a few fields of cotton,
and it looked well. It is pity that
more of it has not been planted; it
wouldn't cost much to raise bale,
: and it would be as good as money in
the bank.
The roads all around thru Fairfield,
Flemington, Geiger, Wacahoota, Mic
; anopy, back to Pennington and out
again to Mcintosh are fairly good. In
!, lmany places thru the woods the rid
= ing is easier than on the more i'm
J, proved roads, tho of course the pace
must be slower. The country is well
worth seeing, up hill and down dale
!. stretches of shady forest interspers-
ing the farms and many pretty lakes
lin sight, with promise of others be.
yond. Nearly all the homes along the
route seem to be those of industrious
and prosperous people. 1t is just a.
: unlike the popular idea of Florida il
: the north, as our own climate is from
theirs.
II Coming into Mcintosh from tn
west, there is superb view. Thi
Writer has never seen richer coun
9 TRY anywhere, not even in the colder
s west. Mcintosh, as surveyed from
8 the last hilltop, with it's handsom
= homes nesting among shade and or
= lange trees, an occasional church spir
:. peeping thru the foliage, and tn
: magnificent view Of Orange LAX
!, sweeping out beyond, is picture ono
. seen never to be forgotten.
When the party came near Mclr
8 tosh, and began to obtain good vie
of the hills and valleys clothed wit
Iluxuriant crops, Frank Beckham wei
land then began to sing "My Old Ker
lucky Home" On being interrogate
as to the source of his emotion,
said the landscape SO very strongl
reminded him of the bluegrass coul
try where he spent some of his hal
Ipiest days.
Meffert's big farm near Lowe
might from its looks have been bodi
lifted out of an Illinois prairie. Pas
ing the belt of woodland this side
Lowell, we struck the great tract
rolling farm land that extends almo
without break on by Anthony al
Sparr to the massive orange grow
lof Citra.
The most luxuriant corn seen w
field by the roadside at Kendrick;
is planted thick and the green stall
and leaves are high and wide enou,
to hide man.
This country, tho you are seldo
Tout of sight of house, is comps
latively thinly populated. 1t cou
Ieasily support four times as maj
tpe0ple, ana IL IL hS1u enoe AAeAnJ
the disadvantages of country Il
would be done away with, for t
roads would be like village stree
land there would be telephone in
lery house. Emigration and
loperation can make it one of the be
countries in the world.
All Of this doesn't explain why
head this article eTraveling With t
lSawdust Twins" but if you will r
Iup with US yet another minute and
half, we will make you wise to tt
Ialso.
AS aforesaid, Frank Beckham a
Ards Waterman were Mr.. Geri
: accomplices in distributing Lee
literature, and they were such bu
little workers that the reporter cal
q them the Gold Dust Twins. But til
) drew the color-line on that name,
! he changed it to the Sawdust Twi
(which is better.
They sure had the bells on when
Il came to distributing circulars. Ar
fused to play ball on the vacant
when he was boy, and had acqui
pitchers curve that enabled him