The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-06-03
THE SHADY GROVE PICNIC

make the picnic given 10 the cdnQl-5
dates and. friends at Shady Grove a
pronounced success, this scribe could
not find it. The day was delightful;
brilliant Florida sunshine tempered
by gentle breeze, and the ample
shade of majestic oaks and magnolias
made this, the last of the itinerary,
day to be remembered as among the
very best of these interesting events.
Then again the candidate were all in
prime condition and had becomes o
well drilled in their little speeches
that they could venture on slight
digressions and additions without
closing their place."
The meeting was held in a beauti-
full grove directly in front of the old
Shady Grove Baptist church, church
that had been built so long that none
on the ground could give date for it,
the only one that seemed anyway
reliable was given by one of the can
didates who said it was built "before
the coons came home"
Tt seems to have been out of bust
ness for some time, tho lately an offer
has been made to resurrect it, and as
| it is surrounded by fine farming
district there is no valid reason why
| it should not be success. One feat
ure of this picnic that was omitted
from the program of any of its pre-
decessors was the splendid music and
singing by the Misses Catherine and
Mildred Pyles, the charming daugh-
tiers of Captain S. R. Pyles, commits
sioner from the third district. Miss
Mildred played the Accomplishments
on an instrument she called a ukulele,
a sort of baby guitar. This part of
the program liked to have played
havoc with the speaking as when the
young ladies got started the audience
kept them at it and would have cut
out the candidates entirely if the
chairman hadn't come to their assist
ance.
Mr.. J. R. Proctor acted as master
of ceremonies, and he is an expert
along that line, with fine voice, lots
of humor and a thorough knowledge
of the business; he had things moving
from start to finish, and tho he had to
call time on some of the speakers, he
gave everybody square deal. AS I
mentioned before, the candidates can
now speak their little pieces real
NICE There was but little blood and
thunder in any of them, tho one gave
a long dissertation on bloodhounds.
/ The bunch of candidates got
through by noon, when the roll was
called for dinner, call that was re-
lsponded to by the $50 people present
lin very orderly, prompt and business
like manner. We often hear that
lcooking as a fine art has gone out of
Iexistence, and that there is no cook
ling today like mother used to do"
but people will have to go back many
generations to find food prepared in a
more tempting and artistic manner
than that so generously supplied by
the ladies of Marion county to their
invited guests and no heightened ex-
Ipensive hotel in the country could
Iequal it, even tho they try to mastify
their customers by printing bill of
flare in some kind of lingo that no one
lean read.
.l Another feature of the occasion was
a committee of which Captain Pyles
1.-THE Redding brothers. and Joe Davis
were active members. Their duty
consisted in getting on the outskirts
of the crowd and drumming up those
who were strangers and escorting
8 them to the tables, informing them al
the same time that the ladies had pre-
pared for a much larger crowd, anc
! consequently everybody was expected
to do double duty. And this scribe
q will testify that they obeyed orders
} Many regrets were heard at the alb
lsence of the Star editor and the
i tables missed him most previously.
: There were many new faces among
the Ocala delegation. We noted
Judge McConathy going around ap
-iparently in a reminiscent mood, think
ling of the days when he was an activ,
5 participant in all such gatherings
: The law was also represented b.
Judge Gober, while Mayor Robertson
: and family were on hand. The med
: zeal faculty sent Walter Hood, and tn
tooth pullers DIR. Purvis. The churcl
S was represented by DR.. J. M. Gross
Our staid old friend J. w. Frazier wa
e enjoying himself hugely, while A. 7
Thomas, Tom Sexton, Harry Clarksor
Bob Conner, Frank Lightsey, Ale.
Mathews, Frank Gates, Mr.. and Mrs
II. C. Packham, George Bitch, wifi
: and Miss jefferson Bell were nue.
lin evidence Sha kino tho hand of ox,orx,