The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-04
PRECISE Description
OF BLACK POINT
Sunday Afternoon Spent by Our
BeIIeview Correspondent with
the Soldiers
BelleYieW. August I.

Belleview, August 1.
| had been threatening to infict
my presence upon the boys from Mar
ion county who are at Black Point
and who are masquerading under the
title of soldier" Knowing so many
of them in private life, / wanted to
see just what difference, if any, camp
life made in their makeup, / wanted
to see why some people dignifed the
boys with the title of tin soldiers, and
if there were any tin soldiers there,
| wanted to look at them and place
them in my storehouse of memory.
After a careful inventory Of some
mileage books. and wiring some
friends in Jacksonville that we were
leaving, Minnie and I were launched
upon our great adventure.
Soon after passing the classic
town of Santos we found the local
freight with a disabled car on ac-
count of hot-box. 1t delayed us two
hours, but the time was to as as
nothing, for we visited and made
friends. We rolled into Jacksonville
a couple of hours behind time, none
the worse for our wait and big auto
whisked US out to Springfield, where
supper was waiting.
The movies claimed our attention
Saturday night, and it was delight
full feeling to walk the streets Of
Jacksonville after so long an absence,
and recall the days of early childhood.
When was a little girl / knew nearly
every street car conductor in Jack
scnville and knew where every car
went. Now the whole thing is . Chi
lnese puzzle.
When / lived in Jacksonville lots Of
the streets were pure sand; now it is
hard to find sand street, and Jack
sonville classes with anything Of its
size that have seen anywhere. So we
just reveled in the delights that the
stores, the crowds and the movies fur
nished US until it got late and we were
tired and sleepy.
Sunday afternoon our hosts rolled
out the gas gas-eater and away we
went, little bout thru Springfield,
over smooth streets, past magnificent
houses and churches; down town we
sped and on and over the viaduct that
leads to Riverside, Ortega and Black
Point, where our soldier boys were
waiting US.
Beautiful Riverside unrolIed itself
before US with its elegant homes,
stately trees and well kept parks and
as we sped past streets leading down
to the water we had glimpses of the
st. Johns river lending streak Of
color and life to the everchanging
scenes around US until we rolled across
/ a big, long bridge and entered beauti-
full Ortega, and on and on we sped,
with hundreds of cars passing and re-
passing us constantly, until @halt, "
and there we were before big gate,
with real soldiers barring the way.
i And this was Black Point, the object
OF our quest.
i The gate swung open and we en-
4 tered. A panoramic view opened up
before US. Imagine, If you can, an
i immense point of land, shaped ike 3
horseshoe, jutting out into a body Of
water, and you have Black Point. The
horseshoe itself represents q fringe
of trees and underground about 200
4 yards wide, extending backward from
the river front to the driveway, and
around the entire river front leaving
an immense open field or plain in the
center for maneuyers and driIl work.
imagine the gate as beginning at the
inside rim of the horseshoe, and you