The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-04-29

and on each trip see something new and
different. The unexpected discoveries make
the motor trips through the county mosr
fascinating The trip may be to one of the
large springs. Besides Silver Springs and
Blue Springs, there are Salt Springs. with
their medicinal properties, and with salt
water fish and crabs, although inland; Or
ange Springs; Silver Glen Springs. and
Juniper Springs. All of these springs are
well worth seeing, although they are not
all as yet equally accessible. 1t may be
trip to some of the lakes. There is hun
dred or more The largest are Lakes Kerr.
Bryant, Jumper, Delaney, Scrub, Ella,
Smith and Bowers Orange Lake and Lake
Weir the two largest in the county, have
already been mentioned 1t may be trip
along the river, or to the National Forest.
An Indian burial mound or mound of
shells, may be happened upon. Some of the
natural grottos where the ferns grow SO
thickly, are worth seeing The lime quar-
ries and the phosphate mines should be
seen. The largest hardrock phosphate
mines in the state are located at Dunnel-
Ion. The muck farms should be visited.
Many of Floridas most interesting places
are found away from the main roads. Few
roads in Marion county moreover, are not
travelled by the automobile
During the winter season in Ucala and in
the other towns i'm the county, there are
many pleasant social affairs. In Ocala the
genuine negro jazz bands played for dances
long before the street called Broadway
heard them, and made Of them something
quite different. Now, of course, Ocala has
the Broadway veriety and the original
bands are seldom heard The negro jazz
has something of the folk music about it.
Spring in Florida is delightful Most
people who spend the winter in the State
make the mistake of going back North too
soon. They leave before the magnolias
bloom. They should stay through the
month of May, at least. Cne OF the COM
monest misconceptions of Florida, too is
with regard to the summers. 1t is suppos-
ed by many that the heat is unbearabIe. It
is not. Far from it. Florida summers are
pleasant. The days are hot of course: but
the nights are nearly always cool. Heat
prostrations are unheard Of More people
are finding out these things. and more and
more people are coming to Florida for their
summer vacations. The peninsular is long
and narrow. Marion county is located
where it is narrowest. The Atlantic ocean
is on one side and the Gulf of Mexico Oh
the other, and there are many lakes and riv-
ers in between. The resulting breezes and
the. evaporation of the waters make the
summers pleasant The rainy season comes
in the summer to help cool things of. f.sFor
the most part these rains come when the
heat begins to get excessive The sudden
downpours wash out the atmosphere. and
the sunshine that follows has a greater
balminess than ever. There are few all-day
rains of the drizzly, marrow penetrating
kind Occasionally misty rain sweeps in
over the interior when therd is storm on
the coast There are few all-day rains of
any kind. Even during the rainy season
the sun shines most of the day. The heavy
showers usually occur in the afternoon. ana
are frequently followed by wonderful lumi-
nous sunsets of the most exquisitely blend
ed colors The fall and winter months are
the months of sunsets, however. Frequent
ly the effect is somewhat like sunlight
streaming through the windows Of some
great cathedral, but more vivid and real.
The afterglow is blend of color, usually of
pink. purple, or 'of amber, which runs the
entire scale of tints, and suffuses the heav-
ems from horizon to horizon and the waters
and landscapes as well.
The people of Marion are most hospita-
BILE and neighborly. They have many OF
the fine traditions of the Old South combin-
ed with the ideals of world made kin by
easy and rapid means of communication
and transportation. The people OF the
county have many picnics, barbecues and
cane grinds, to which they invite all of
their friends Fortunate indeed. is anyone
who is invited to Marion county home. He
is sure to be stuffed with such good things
as hot waffles with Florida cane syrup or
orange blossom honey, fried chicken, chick
en- pillau, or country cured ham. and the
other good old dishes. The people of Ma
rion county are a church people. The
church is the center of the community life.
At picnics and barbecues and other public
gatherings the Divine blessing is never for
gotten.