The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-12-07
CROSSING THE EQUATOR

Sixty miles south OF latlCude L,
north, you come to the equator, and :
cross the line between%the two halves
of the world, and forty-nine dollars
after I collected the first one crossed
the line of the first half of the century
necessary to rig up that Christmas
tree for the industrial school The
equatorial line is marked by vol
canic mountain ten thousand feet
high, and my fifty-dollar line was
staked off by Mayor Robert l.. Ander-
son with bright new dollar bill.
There was little running down the
ATTITUDES but no running down the dol
lars to reach the middle mark Tues
day morning When / returned from
my humble breakfast, Port Leaven-
good of the Star and Fred Cook of
the neat little grocery next to the
Star had already separated them
selves from dollar apiece and open |
ed the days good work with those
Iauspicious offerings
/ Scarcely had / booked the welcome |
scads when the door opened and in
Icame j. p Phillips, who was going to
conference and afraid the fund would
be closed before he returned. The only
. time I'll be unable to get money out
of Phillips for a good cause will be
, after he is dead. Going to the bank
J Ito salt down the kale, that unobstrus-
u i've helper, Dewitt Griffin, silently
slid me a toadskin across his shelf.
Coming across Will Gary just then, /
Ipaid him dollar and dime for
Telephone message, and he gave me
back the dollar for the tree. VIII
knows all about how to grow Christ
: mas trees.
d It was not long after that l saw
d George MacKay coming, taking up
: only little more than his half of the
sidewalk and smiling like the full
Il moon. / knew he had dollar for me
as soon as lamped him. 1t was soon
after this that / took my meridian
. dollar from Robert Anderson Jr. Its
. lone of the mayors little privileges to
: contribute to Christmas trees. It's
. also one of his privileges to conlman-
q deer the assistance of all the good
citizens within call. Therefore he
. called Lester Lucas, Robert Lee Van
0sten and Frederick R. Hooker, al OF
whom cheerfully responded and put
: me three dollars into the second half
,ol Mr.. William Jennings is Brlton
N of cosmopolitan experience, . cheer
= full pessimist and d man who willingly
- gives up his coin to those who make
~ good use of it. In fulfllment of these
qualities, he heaped another dollar or
ne the steadily growing stack.
~ Walter Ray of MRrtel was the mex
cheerful giver, and closely to hin
came J. C. Johnson, who grows Hasr!
,ss dollars than Carter grew oats. TheI
- arrived C. Y. Miller, pulling plunl
re- as soon as he hove in sight.
- Late in the afternoon, as the west
liz lering sun made the tall building
20 throw chill shadows on the square,
stood at the Court Pharmacy corne
an and wondered rather sadly why Their
had to be six or seven mean men i
a nice little town like 0cala. But tn
a. shadows lifted when ! turned to per
iii lceive Mrs. Norton Davis, as bright a
Ia twenty-dollar goldpiece, as sh
Ismilingly offered her welcome contri
In button to the fund.
~ A few minutes later that ever kin
az and thoughtful lady, Mrs. w. A, Nc
.an CURE, waved at me a dollar bill lik
magician's wand. Mrs. McGuir
helps in every good work that come
Nr her way.
al Mack Taylor, the Dodge car di:
ON penser, called me into bis sanctun
ao- where he and Parker Painter, th
~ model milkman, sat screened frol
Tvs public view behind new and shin
All auto, and then and there did they Gag
ire force upon me a new dollar bill wit
Md Ian earnest adjuration to come again
needed the coin.
A little later l met a young frier
tha whose generosity is greater than h
Inc bank account, and he gave me do
and dar but won't let me give his name.
tbe BY this time had roll of dolls
an bills as big as mules hindieg, b
no DR.. Peek said it wasn't big enough 81
.als added another layer.
at Charlie Rose was as welcome as .
ale American beauty as he came bloomir
inc across the street in the dusk with
irg Icrisp greenback iuttering in his ftHl
the lers.
for A little later, ran across aneth
dav good sport who was willing to bet
nm dollar the tree would be success
AZ but wouldn't let me give his name.
rbe There were two letters in my p
ace box when | went to supper. One co
line tanned bill; the other the followir
am; letter from Collier brothers, who a
among the schools staunch and usef
mid friends:
lose 0cala, Decempel o.
Dear Friend Benjamin: We tai
pleasure in handing you herewith Of
the check for 81 and surely wish we cou
make II S5 With Lsndest regards Al