The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-04-01
HOsPITABLE HAWTHORNE

among other privileges
secured to him by membership in that
great fraternity is that of occasional
ly going out to mingle with the three
link brethren of other towns.
AS is well-known to all Odd Eel
lows. the first degree is the most DIM
cult to confer on candidates, at the
same time affording a fine opportunl-
tv to teach a great lesson in the most
impressive manner. Tulula Lodge, the
strongest in this part of the country,
has a fine degree team, and 1t is be-
coming the custom of smaller lodges
in this territory to send for SAID
team whenever a class reaches that
point in it's journey of instruction.
1t came to pass that Hawthorne
Lodge had a fine class of candidates
coming along the well-worn path, and
when it reached the Valley of Elah
the lodge decided to give the candi-
dates the best there was in the shop,
so it sent word to Tulula at Ocala,
saving, "Come over and help u.s." And
Tulula picked out thirteen lucky ones,
and they mounted two gas chariots,
and the road was fierce; nevertheless,
even as the sun set on the eve of the
3Oth ultimo they came to Hawthorne.
And there they met most hospitable
brethren, who fed them on the grain
of the rice and the gravy of the pull
let, combined in the succulent dish
called purlo, and many other savory
things, and when they had Toasted
and were full, and then some, they
all repaired unto the tabernacle,
where they showed the candidates
how to dodge trouble in the years to
come. And after that, and many
warm wishes and cold drinks from the
Hawthorne brethren, they hit the trail
for home, and were sweetly snoring
in the hay ere p. M, and fondly
dreaming of the time to come to
visit Hawthorne again.
The Ocala party consisted of M. M.
Little, w. L. Colbert, J. M. Potter,
Chris Simmons, Tom Carter, j. H.
Ward, A. Slott, A. BsHalsell, Glib Nc
Rae, J. M. Riles, Charles Tubbs, j.
W. Akin and J. H. Benjamin. They
rode in two big cars, driven by those
two live-wire characters, Arthur
Baker and Louis Keeffe, the latter
being best known as Shorty" be-
cause he amt.
The party went by Citra, and split
out in the woods few miles north of
that town because of a difference in
opinion between Riles, who was in
the front car and Colbert who was in
the last. Riles was brought up in
that country, and when a fork in the
road was reached about four miles
north of Citra he ordered full speed
ahead. Directly the other car reached
the fork, and Colbert directed the
driver to turn to the left, but first
tried to call the other bunch back.
But it was so busy chewing the rag
that it heard not Colbert and his
frantic whoops, and as it couldn't go
more than six miles out of the way
anyhow, Colbert and his crowd, in
Guiding the writer, in Bakers car
turned to the left and went thru the
woods. Whether right or wrong, Col
bert knew all the turns and twists
and forks in the roads, and we
strongly suspect he must have courted
girl up that way in his young days
At any rate he and his platoon beat
the others into Hawthorne by fifteen
minutes.
On the way thru the woods, the
writer, who among his other failings
is an enthusiast in archaeology, OBJ
served two magnificent antiques. One
was the bridge over Orange Greek
which in a few brief years more car
be seen only thru the ports of g
divers helmet. If you go over thai
| bridge in a car with driver you are
not certain of, you'd better insist OF
alighting and walking across ahead O,
him. The other was the roadbed Of
an ancient railroad-older even thar
the roadbed of the once famous "Vine
gar Route" from Ocala to Silver
Springs. While not knowing for sure
the writes opines that it is a rem.
nant of a road planned by a northern
| syndicate in the late seventies OF
carly eighties, to run from Jackson
vile to Cuba or Panama or some
where else south of here. The syndi
cate roped in the Confederate veteran
Gen. John B. Gordon, and used hi:
name as president to give respecta
bility to their scheme It built a few
miles of track out of Jacksonville
and some roadbed further south. Thel
it busted. The F. R. & n. used par
Of the roadbed when it built soutl
from Hawthorne. If it wasn't tina
road, it was some other.
| Hawthorne has no white way, yet
but our car had no sooner pulled u
in front of the lodge hall that goo,
cid brother Burkstresser of the Haw
thorne lodge, was with US, telling u.
of refreshment after our long an,
bumpy ride. We decided to wait unit
the other car came in; meantime, on,
| bro+bor who bod oa+op a hon, sorJ