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Down in
Citrus County by L. J. Brumby Activity in Prospect Mining, Turpentine and Timber Operations, Cattle Raising and Truck Growing, Beautiful Crystal River, Holder, the Convict Camp, Etc.
A representative of the Ocala Banner made a
business trip
last week down in Citrus County, winding up in Dunnellon and Rockwell,
in
Marion. A half dozen or more phosphate plants, a turpentine still or
two and
the towns of Crystal River, Holder, Elliston, Rockwell and Dunnellon
visited. Few people realize or can understand except
by a personal
visit, the great strides this section of our state has made in material
prosperity in the past few years or how much it is adding to our
industrial
wealth or, the rapidity of its progress. These are not mere empty
words, but
impressive facts. With great phosphate plants upon formerly valueless lands, laying a tremendous tax upon
Europe from which is paid weekly thousands and thousands of dollars to
laborers, superintendents and all classes of trade, with numerous
turpentine
stills and saw mills, with the rapidly growing fish and oyster shipping
interests and with an energetic set of farmers who now appreciate the
possibilities of truck growing and cattle raising, this section is
rapidly
becoming one of the wealthiest in Florida. Just now it seems that all the phosphate
plants and
turpentine stills are running at their fullest capacity and never have
crops
been better. Everybody seems to have money and in the entire trip, not
a
merchant, and fully a hundred were seen, complained of lack of trade. The first stop was made at Crystal River and
a day and night
spent at the big new Bennett House-on-the-hill, so well conducted by
our old
friend, Dr. J. D. Bennett and his estimable wife. The great trouble in
the past
with this point was its lack of hotel accommodations. This defect has
in the
past year been entirely remedied. In addition to the Bennett House,
Mrs. Mary
Allen has added to the Dixon House, which is very convenient and plans
to
accommodate in good shape to add to its capacity. Then there is the
Willis
House, which is very convenient and plans to accommodate in good shape
those
that do not care for the expense of the higher price and more
prestigious
hotels. All three did an excellent business during the winter and are
doing
well this summer. It is no disparagement of other towns to say
that Crystal
River is decidedly the best town in Citrus County in point of business
and
manufactures. At the head of the beautiful river from where it takes
its name
and only a few miles from the gulf, it is naturally a fine fish and
oyster
shipping point. Five houses engaged in this business last season and
there will
be more next. Mr. E. T. Bowman, a leading merchant, is one of those who
will
embark in the industry; Another is Mr. Paul Boellert, also engaged in
merchandising, who has formed a copartnership with Capt. A. D. Hill,
formerly
of Louisiana. They propose to go in on a big scale and will at once put
in an
ice and refrigerating plant and command a fleet of schooners in
addition to
buying from other fishermen. The big cedar mill of the Dixon Crucible Co.
of New Jersey,
and the new veneering mill, each give employment from thirty to fifty
hands,
are both running. New buildings are being erected, including Mrs.
Allen’s new
store on Main Street. When this is completed, Mrs. Allen will have two
large
stores in the town. Among other successful merchants who are staunch
believers
in their town are Miller Bro., Sparkman and Co., and Dr. W. E.
Armstrong and
Dr. P. W. Fant, who in addition to their medical practice, conduct well
equipped drugstores and Mr. W. H. Pratt who is a new comer. Mr. N.
Barco and
Mr. R. J. Knight, both so well known in Ocala, Have elegant homes here.
A good
livery stable is conducted by Mr. J. S. Scott. Among other old and new
friends of
the Banner are Mr. T. F. Hoy, a former Ocalian, now in the fish
business, Mr.
L. M. Noles, the contractor and builder, Mr. W. H. Espy of the Cedar
Mills, Mr.
W. H. Johns and J. D. Sullivan. It was here we met Mr. C. A. Miller, of
Fairmount, member of the school board, president of the newspaper
company, a
prosperous farmer and a brag melon grower. The Crystal
River
News, to use a stock phrase, but in this case the simple truth, fills a
long
felt want. Its first number was out last Thursday and it was a fine
one,
typographically, locally and generally. It is owned by a stock company
and
managed and edited by Mr. W. S. Smith. It is highly creditable to the
town and
deserves the warmest and most cordial support. Every stockholder of the
“News,”
with one exception, is a subscriber of the Ocala Banner and thoroughly
understand what it takes to make a good newspaper. Politics are even
livelier
in Citrus than in Marion. But of this it is not an outsiders privilege
to
discuss. All are good men and the county is safe in any event. The stop at Holder was brief as it was
necessary to drive
out to section 34, one of the large Buttgenbach plants, one of the
properties
leased from Mr. Holder. This is where Mr. A. S. Anderson, Mr.
Buttgenbach’s
general superintendent, and Mr. A. F. Handley, a former Ocalian, make
their
headquarters. Mr. Handley at present is quite sick. Mr. T. C. Freeman,
also
from this county, is located here and has a fine position, also Mr. F.
M.
Sanders, who is moving arsenal in his capacity as convict guard.
Convicts are
worked here and worked hard as they should be, but they are a well fed
and
healthy looking lot and don’t seem to care much about it. Stopping over at Holder on the return trip,
a short talk was
had with Dr. Walter Turner, who reported business good. The Banner is
very
popular here and it is regretted that the time could not be spared to
see our
friends here and at section 20. This will be done on a later trip. On
the way
to Dunnellon, one of Ray’s turpentine stills, where Mr. Walter
Ray was paying
off a big force of hands and Ford & Hiller’s phosphate mines
at Elliston were
passed and Dunnellon, the lively phosphate city, was reached shortly
after
noon. Dunnellon, her business interests, the big phosphate plants on
the
Withlacoochee River and at Rockwell, the story of traveling with an
insurance
man and Louis Volk’s latest fish yarn all deserve and will have
another and
separate article. Everywhere the Ocala Banner seems secure in its popularity and gains new friends every day. Some day when there is plenty of time it will be shown in these articles just how this paper has in the good county of Citrus, nearly as many subscribers, in proportion to population as it has in Marion, just why it has good friends, and just how their friendship is obtained, maintained and appreciated. All this in spite of, or because of, the fact that the county has two of the best edited and printed newspapers in the state, Sherwood’s “Chronicle,” at Inverness and Smith’s “News,” at Crystal River.
Source:
Ocala Banner: 6-13-02 |