The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-07-16
GOOD ROADS BUREAU Is WORK
ING TO GET PINELLAS SPECIAL

| a movement on foot whereby the Pin
elias Special may be routed over the
Atlantic Coast Line via Gainesville,
Ocala and Leesburg. A committee
composed of members of the chamber
of commerce of Ocala, Leesburg and
Gainesville will be appointed at an
early date to confer with the railroad
officials in an effort to secure such
routing.
| The advantages to be obtained from
the Pinellas Special are fully set
forth in the following letter by o. s.
Chadwick which was recently read
to the chamber of commerce by the
secretary and which was referred to
the good roads bureau:
Gainesville, Fla, June "a. 1920.
Secretary,
Gainesville Chamber of Commerce,
Gainesville, Fla.
Dear Sir
| May 1 not call to your attention the
desirability of The Gainesville Cham
Der of Commerce making an effort
to secure the routing of the Pinellas
| Special thru this city next season?
1t is hardly too soon to begin an
active campaign for the splendid SER
vice this train affords, owing to the
delays which are usually encountered
in conducting negotiations of this
character with railway officials. Many
difficulties will, no doubt, be met, and
considerable hard work will be requir-
| ed.
! 1t is, I am sure, quite unnecessary
for me to enumerate the advantages
accruing to the community from this
train service, as this point was full
| ly covered and understood from the
discussions and mass meeting of citi.
zens> held in this connection last Octo-
Der. However, may say that, in
my opinion many of the other good
things that are being planned and ac-
complished by the Chamber of Com
merce of Gainesville will be very
largely offset and adversely affected
if we cannot secure more adequate
transportation facilities. For instance
the Chamber has been exceedingly
fortunate in securing a large number
of conventions to be held here during
the next year, but our present pas
senger train service is such that it
will not doubt cause adverse comment
upon the advantage of Gainesville as
headquarters. For it is, in truth,
most disagreeable fact that there is
not another city of its size in Florida
which has such poor. slow passenger
service. Something must be done
about it.
AS you will probably recall our
negotiations regarding the routing Of
the Pinellas Special were conducted
last year with the Regional Director
of the U. S. Railroad Administration,
and this train was actually put in
operation before the railways were
returned to their owners last January.
1t is therefore quite possible that we
may have more success with the rail-
way officials this year, especially as
we now have so strong and well-or-
ganized body as the Chamber of
Commerce to handle the situation.
However, if it is found utterly i'm
possible to obtain the routing of the
Pinellas Special thru this section,
then we should demand and obtain
better service from the trains we do
have. For instance. the evening train
from Jacksonville to Leesburg, arriv-
ing here at SIS p. m. should carry
more modern equipment. and provide
Pullman service. Under the present
arrangement. our best train from
Jacksonville is the one arriving at
1:25 p. m. on the A G. L. and on this
train the equipment is quite salts
factory. but its schedule would be
speeded up by the elimination of it's
stopping at every flag station along
the way.
Yours very truly.