The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-10-01
OKLAWAHA HEARING
ADJOURNS TO 18th
Witnesses for the Railroad Suffer
Greatly Under Mamie Martins
Merciless Cross Examination


Pillans was again placed on the stand
and the olSlawaha Valley case was
continued. Mr.. Pillans testified that
the road did a net business of $1,000 in
June 1921, $21lO in July 1921 and
$2s34 in August 1921 and that they
had balance of S5019.01 on hand on
Aug. 81, 1921 He stated that the
road had made good increase in bus
mess in the past few months, due, he
thought, to better business conditions,
reduction in operating costs, lower
labor and material costs. He said
that the business of lie Rodman Lum-
Der Co. was turned over to the road
in August and that it also helped the
road to certain extent. Upon direct
examination Mr.. Pillans stated that
the condition of the d. v. was much
better than it was when it was turned
over to Mr.. Cummings. He stated
they had spent considerable money on
bridges and had put I'M between 10000
and 10000 new erossties. He said
that when Mr.. Cummings took charge
the equipment was run down and now
the cars have been overhauled, the To-
comotives put in good running shape,
the track and roadbed vastly improv-
ed He stated that most of the money
spent by the receiver was in the way
of betterments. Mr. Pillans stated
that although the Rodman Lumber Co.
is the chief patron on the road, there
are many other people on the route
who are benefited bJ the service. He
said there were three stores in Orange
Springs, one in KenWood, one in Bur-
bank, three in Fort Mccoy and that
these as well as people in the country
along the route are dependent on the
o. " for their tral sportation. He
stated that the Wilson Cypress Co.
gave $1100 business to the O. v. year
ly and that it had another year and a
half to ship logs from its present To-
cation. In addition t0 the Wilson Cy
press Company's use of the road, Mr..
Pillans said there was considerable
amount of available hard wood along
the route and that it is being shipped
a little at the time with prospects of
larger shipments to wood workers in
Palatka. The Arlo Box Co. has a
spur to the o. ". and used the o. v.
tracks into Orange Springs. Besides
these users of the road there are three
naval stores plants shipping over the
O. v. tracks. On further questioning
Mr.. Pillans stated that there was
some farm produce shipped over the
road but does not know about stock
men using the o. VI. In addition to
these sources of revenue, Mr.. Pillans
stated that the o. ". has mail con-
tract bringing it $277 month and an
express contract bringing $50 a
month. He stated further that the
Wilson Cypress Co. ran its own trains
and paid rent for using the track at
the rate of $2.75 car, and that the
Wilson Cypress Co. has to repair any
damage done to the track on roadbed.
Mr.. Hilburn then turned the witness
over to Mr.. E. H. Martin for cross
examination. Mr.. Martin proceeded
to go over all the statements made by
Mr.. Pillans and made every effort to
verify by actual figures whether the
@. V. was paying expenses or not,
whether it is paying expenses exclus-
i've of the hauling done by the three
sawmills on its route and whether
when the mills cut out their timber
(as will happen in the course of a few
yearsl the road can then pay ex-
epnses. In his questioning Mr. Mar
tin found good many discrepancies
in the direct testimony of Mr.. PLANS.
Quite number of figures quoted in
his testimony were far from cores
ponding with the reports sent in from
time to time by the receiver, which
reported were compiled by Mr.. Pill
lans. Mr.. Pillans was at a loss to
account for these discrepancies, but
promised to return to Rodman and
look further into his books and see II
he could locate them. Many of the
questions asked by Mr.. Martin in
cross examination that dealt with ex-
act figures, Mr.. Pillans was unable to
answer from the data he had brought
to Ocala. A list of these questions
was made and Mr. Pillans has return
ed to Rodman to look up the informa-
tion in the books there.
Mr.. Martins line of questioning was
directly an attempt to ascertain
whether the road was a paying prop.
osition or not. He was anxious to
find out whether all the money spen;
on betterments to the road and equip.
ment had really been spent for better.
ments or whether it should have beer
entered in the books as regular up
keep Of the road. He also discovered
that no charges had been made IN th'
%. W. accounts TOR depreciation. IN
terest or compensation TO the receiver
It appeared from his questions tha1
Maxim vas also trying g deter
y g