The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-02-23

Tie uuIOH SLdLIOi!g WHERE we CllIIDSu
Capt HamilI's efficient little train and
were rapidly and smoothly borne to
Gainesville, which next to our home
town holds place in our esteem.
Our principal reason for making
this trip was to see how our son and
heir was getting along in the Univer-
sity City. He is taking a course in
electrical engineering; the theory at
the University and the practice at the
city light and power plant. His pre-
ceptors are DR.. Murphree and Super
irtendent John Long, and it's his opin-
ion they can't be improved on. He
watches over the big engines at the
plant eight hours in the twenty-fOur
aLd studies and sleeps the other six
teen. After seeing him perform with
the machinery awhile, and taking a
look at the books which were Greekier
than Greek to US, we told him he was
smarter than his daddy, which he con-
sidered a compliment-beca he
doesn't know how smart his daddy
isn't.
Gainesville has a gem of a light and
power plant. The power is furnished
by Harrisburg engines. one similar to
Ocala's Harrisburg engine and the
other with twice the power. They are
in beautiful condition, and when they
are running can be heard only a short
distance away. Like Ocala, the
Gainesville plant uses oil. which is
tremendous saving. Gainesville uses
about so per cent more electricity
| than Ocala. In addition to the light
ard power plant it has a big pumping
plant some distance out of town.
Mr.. John Long, who for some years
was night engineer at the Ocala plant,
| is superintendent of the Gainesville
| plant, and Ocala surely lost a good
man when she let him GO Gaines
vile appreciates him, as she should,
and he is doing we'll and appreciates
Gainesville. 1t would be hard work
to find better man.
While the light and power plant
was our objective, we took some time
for other things. One was the Sun
Office. The Sun is one of the institu-
tons of Gainesville. 1t and the solar
sun rise about the same time every
morning, and by the same rule they
are awake all night. The Sun is a gem
of newspaper, complete and we'll
pl oportioned in all departments. We
were much pelased to meet Mr.. Pep
per and the members of his staff. in
Guiding Col. Robert W. Davis, who as
attorney, statesman and journalist is
ore of FlOrida's foremost men. He
doesn't write so very much. but what
he does write is as near perfect as
anything the pen of man ever turns
out. Mr.. Pepper has added much to
the Sun since he bought it. Among
other things he has the latest inprov-
ed linotype with an electric heating
apparatus. We fell in love with that
machine, and would have carried it off
if we had been able.
The entire Sun crowd made us well
come, and we felt almost as much at
home there as in orr own shop.
Gainesville has another bright and
newsy daily. the News, but as it is ar
afternoon paper, Saturday night ano
Sunday are among it's off hours, so tC
our regret we did not meet any of its
folks.
We greatly admired Gainesville's
white way, which turns the public
square and adjacent streets into {
fairyland at night. Ocala will have
one like it as soon as the new engine
is put in our light and power plant
Gainesville's public square is so much
like Ocala's that it makes an Ocalal
feel almost at home. Indeed, sitting
on s. bench on one side of the squar
Saturday night. we subconsciousl.
seemed to be on the west side o
Oeala's square, with "Jake's" and Jo
Malever's in front of US, and Frank
| ever on the corner.
Also there was a drugstore, which
| would have been like the Court Phar
macy if it had been on the corner o
the square instead of in the middle
and when we went in it we though
we were in the Court, for nearly al
the tables were crowded with good
looking boys and pretty girls-but i
didn't have such good-lookers dis
pensing cream and drinks.
We met A. W. Blue, who is the E.
Bennett of Gainesville, and went int
his movie palace, where he had on on
of those wild westers that please boy
and old men. and felt almost as nue.
at home as in the Temple.
We met ex-Ocalans everywhere
one setback to Ocala is she let
Gainesville and other towns take s
many good men away from her. W
ran into a bunch of Coast Line mer
whom we dearly love, because we ha
so rnany beautiful quarrels with ther
when they were here. Malcolm VIII
Jams, for instance, who would hav
licked US six days in the week, if W
hadn't kept out of his way for tw
hours after the Star came out Ma
colin is working hard and prosperin
and loves Ocala still. Says Onl
IL t,.o,,hlc, ....tk H.. IL. j.. Il.