The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-07-19

eye to the future. Some day 1t hopes
to be the capital of the new state of
South Florida, and if the state splits
(which God forbid), I'll not oppose
Fort Lauderdale having the state
house. It's business blocks and resi-
dences are built on uptodate plans. Its
streets are wide and well-paved. There
are more miles of pavement in that
little town than there is in all Mar
ion county. 1t is better equipped
with schoolhouses than Ocala. Its peo-
pie are taxing themselves for i'm
provements, and seem to like it.
1t has a fine seashore suburb and
an excellent bathing beach, where
people can go in swimming every day
in the year.
There are many Ocala and Marion
county people aiding in the building
of Fort Lauderdale. Alfred Beck has
drugstore the equal of any in the
state except in few of the largest
cities. With him is Ivan Lanier, one
of our Ocala made prescriptionists. w.
w. Wheeler and Chas. F. Flippen man
age well-stocked and busy hardware
store. These young men have Marion
county wives and good homes. I saw
for few minutes Ben Todd, raised
in Ocala. He was in town from his
farm out in the 'Glades and had Ben
Jr. with him, and both Bens looked
like they lived in a good home and
had three squares day.
The dean of Marion men in Fort
Lauderdale is Geo. G. Mathews, editor
of the Sentinel. George lived in Mar
ion county many years, represented it
in the legislature, and was, think,
justice of the peace for the Ocala dis
trict for coupla years. George is edi-
tor of the Fort Lauderdale Sentinel,
is hustler for his town, and is very
outspoken on public affairs. There is
nothing monotonous about his paper
George claims to be a radical Really
he is reactionary. He wants the
women to wear long skirts again, and
denounces the boys for kissing the
girls. But / wouldn't insure a pretty
ankle against being looked at if it
walked near George.
Rev. T. J. Plunkett, the good Cath
olic priest, who made so many friends
in Ocala while building new church
here, is doing a similar work at Fort
Lauderdale. He is also doing Marion
county favor. He insisted on hav-
ing Marion county limestone in the
structure of his church The stone
shows up beautifully, and he is not
slow to tell people where it came from.
A very broad-minded, well-informed
man is Father Plunkett, and one also
whose soul abounds with cheerfulness
and charity. 1t was pleasure to meet
him.
There were other Marion countyites
in Fort Lauderdale, all of whom I
should have hunted up had l had time.
Also l hear that pretty city is now
the home of old-time Volusia county
Enthusiastically, P. N. Bryan. uncle
of ex-senator Bryan, and my landlord
when l lived in New Smyrna. A very
good man is Phil Bryan-he and his
are all good, and among my best
friends. Also, Fred Barrett, agent
and operator at New Smyrna of the
Blue Springs, Orange City & Atlantic
railroad thirty-five years ago. It's
hard to tell whether the girls or boys
liked Fred the best-the girls took
him along in the day time to pick per-
simmons, grapes and other fruit, and
the boys took him at night to pull
down the chickens when they wanted
to make a purlo. Barrett was a
mighty clever boy. Mrs. Dupont,
daughter of my old-time friend, F. A.
Mann, editor of the Halifax Journal,
who | knew when she was little girl,
was up north, but saw her pretty
home by the river. | can remember
that she was an artist by nature and
rejoiced in all things beautiful.
Mrs. Beck took our party in her
car and showed us Fort Lauderdale as
she had Miami. What / have written
is only an index of what we saw.
One thing we viewed under her
guidance was the Seminole Indian
camp near the town. These people
have been described so often by better
authors that won't try them over on
my typewriter. But their camp was a
very interesting sight to US; particu-
larly to my young folks, who had
never seen any of them before. 1t
was ten o'clock in the morning when
we visited them; the women were busy
at work. the children were busy at
play, and the braves were wrapped up
in quilts on the platforms that served
them as floors and beds under the ar