The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-11-24

to pay for it in railroad stock. A
mighty good proposition, but Ocala
let it pass, as she lets other good
things pass, and goes on weeping
about, and paying, high freight rates
to the A. G. L. and the S. A. L.
The Star has always been sore
about that proposition being set aside.
It is such very good thing for Ocala
it would give us a more direct out
let to the west than any we have now,
and it would bring our town whole
let of local business from one of the
| richest sections of our own county.
A few weeks ago the Star wrote a
letter to Mr.. H. w. Waits, superin-
tendent of the T. & j., and asked him
about schedules, intending to send a
reporter over the line. Next day came
an answer from Mr.. Waits, saying the
reporter needn't bother about SEIZED
ules, that special would be ready to
meet him when he wanted to make the
trip.
So the Star man went to Fairfield
on the 22nd to meet the special. II
was an unique special and very eff
fective one-a 30-hp, 5-passenge1
auto on railway trucks. Mr.. Waits
was engineer and conductor, also
"guide, philosopher and FRIEND" and
Explained the country lucidly as the
car rolled to the northward.
We have ridden all kinds of trains
in all ways, from the Pullman to the
blind baggage, but we do not remem-
Der any more pleasant and interesting
railway trip than that on that clear
autumn morning thru some of the
most picturesque and fertile country
in Florida. From Fairfield to Gaines.
vile, nearly all was in cultivation; il
was farm, truckpatch and grove, over
and over again, with only here and
there a little stretch of woodland.
Fairfield itself is good little vii
lage, Irvine is an enterprising manu-
featuring town, with its big mill
Along from Irvine north are located
several big stock farms-that of the
Edwards Bros. of our city; Dungarver
belonging to s. Fl. Gaitskill of McTn-
tosh, and J. B. Simonton's, whose Ma
rion county cattle made such a fine
showing at the Alachua County Fair
Mr.. Waits stopped the special at the
latter farm and he and the newspaper
man went in to look at the stock
They were welcomed by E. e. Smoak
a stalwart young man, nephew OF
our Jim Smoak, and introduced tc
some of the lady-like jerseys. Most
of the cattle were grazing out in the
distant pastures, but a bunch of the
i yearlings and some Of the cows were
near enough to be seen. They were
prettier than deer and tanner than kit.
tens. Mr.. Simonton thinks a whole
lot of his jerseys-won't allow then
to be put thru the rude ordeal of the
| dipping vat, but keeps ticks off by
spraying and careful watching.
/ The special rolled on, across the
county line at Tuscawilla and into
pretty, prosperous, sleepy Micanopy
once the capital town Of Niece Nopy
| the last king of the Seminoles. Her,
we inspected big packing house
where they were putting up the splen
did oranges that section is famou.
for.
i The balance of the trip is so famil
lar to our own people it might b.
tedious to describe it here. Suffice i
to say we reached Gainesville at moor
after very pleasant ride, and thank
ed Mr.. Waits for courtesy to us in
dividually and his public spirit gen
orally in showing US section so i'm
portant to the people of the twir
cities of Central Florida.
Il The Star wants the board of trade
to appoint committee to communi
cate with the management of the T
& j. railroad and see if there is AM
chance to revive the enterprise o.
bringing that excellent little neigh
borhood road into Ocala, and making
it feeder to our city and through
line to the north and west.
i The 7. & j. is a road to delight al
individualst in these days of cencen
tration. It's daily train, drawn by {
sturdy wood-burned, comes out 0.
Gainesville every day and meander.
| along southwark till it reaches Emath
la, and then meanders back. L
saunters along with its hands in it.
pockets, stops at every station ane
sometimes stops to shoe a cow off tn.
track, but it's busy and useful littl.
road for all that. Every time it i.
nice to a cow it keeps a friend, ane
every time it stops at a station i
picks up some business. Almost every
farm or grove has station. The,
don't ali have agents, but that make.
no difference, for anything can be lef
on the platform till the owner come.
along.
Some of these days, not very Ions
off, this little neighborhood line is go
ing to build again. If Ocala doesn'
reach out for it, Dunnellon will, ane
: as sure as Dunnellon gets it there viii
be big chunk split off our count,
mighty soon after. And we ought Il
do all we can to hold that corner o.
our county. It is the richest corner
of the four.
The Star r,11ts II Nm 70 tho poa,.a :.