The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-02-27

er and editor of the Columbia fTenn.)
Daily Herald, one Of the most infuen
tial publications in that state.
Touring Florida, Mr.. Finney spent i
few days in Ocala, and what he says
of US we know will be interesting .o
our readers.
Under date Of February II, Nj. Fin.
ney says
ITO return to city after an alb.
sence Of twenty-four years is an exDe-
rience that / never had before. In
many respects the physical aspects Of
0caia have undergone little change
in the nearly a quarter of century
since left there The people are
changed, of course. Time is no re-,
specter Of persons, even here where
Ponce d. Leon discovered the fountain
of everlasting youth. But / have found
many Of the old friends and associates
of boyhood and with that politenesa
which is characteristic of Floridians
toward visitors they have been kind
enough to tell me that / had changed
but little in the long absence.
This is delightful little city, just
about the size of Columbia. It is well
off the beaten paths OF. the tourists
and therefore prices here are much
more reasonable for everything than
in the resort cities. To the tourist
Ocala's chief attraction is beautiful
Silver Springs. the most wonderful
springs in the world, where a great
river, navigable all the year, has it's
source. This is probably the one river
in ali the country that can be used by
boats right up to the source. The
scenery observed from glass bottom
beats is beyond description, and there
is an added attraction in the halo Of
Indian romance that hangs over the
country thereabouts.
"Ocala is known as the birthplace OF
a political party that cut quite a
swath in the affairs of the country
few years ago. 1t was here in Decem.
Der, 1889, that the populist party was
born. Those who remember the fierce
campaigns of 1890 and 1892 will recall
the famous 'Ocala Demands The
populist nominee, running on plat
form embracing those demands, poll
ed over a million popular votes in
1892. Some Of these demands then
regarded as the wild imaginings Of
visionary politicians have since been
into law.
Like Columbia, this city Ras dai
ly paper and weekly. Two dailies
have been tried, but without success.
The weekly, the Ocala Banner, is one
Iof the Oldest and most widely known
of ali Florida papers It's editor, a
friend of my youth, who gave first in.
enlargement to my journalistic ambi
|tions quarter of a century ago, is
|still on the job. He is now. as ever, a
valiant democrat and defender Of
the faith. He is for whatever the
democratic administration does. A
gallant Confederate soldier, he is one
man of my acquaintance here who has
absolutely refused to grow old. He
is as spry as ever; and as unafraid ne
when he faced. shot and shell in de.
Tense of the south. On yesterday he
took ride in Wrigley aeroplane
and requested that none of the stunts
be eliminated because he was a pas.
senger If newspaper men were re.
warded in this republic in proportion
to their merit and the measure Of
their public service Frank Harris
would long ago have been a repre-
sentative in congress.
This city and county has never re
covered fully from the terrible freeze
of 1895, when all of the citrus groves
were killed, but its present prosperity
has a more substantial foundation
Finding the growing of citrus fruit
hazardous and generally Improbable
the people have turned more and more
to general farming with liberal acre
age of truch gardening as a side line.
The live stock has improved wonder
fully in quarter Of century. The
razorback hog, the only porker u
which the state boasted a decade .
two. ago, IS rarity now and hog grow
ing is one of the country's great IN
dustries. They are largely fattened
on peanuts and they do their own har
vesting. Thousands OF acres are now
planted to corn and potatoes and win
ter cover crops, on which Craze hogs
or cattle are common.
IN nothing has the county, and for