The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-01
WAY DOWN IN FLORIDA.
EMPHASIZING VOTES FROM PALM
 REACH.

What a New Havener Says About Notable
 Region-"The Stately ships Go Byi" Also
 Steamers-Deer and 'Gators-Sea Trout
 and Channel Bass, POnpOns, Etc.-The
 King Fish and AmbeEjacks-The Shore of
 Lake Worth-HOtels, Villas, Etc.
 Palm Beach, Fla, March 20, 1885,
 If Senor Don Ponce de Leon had have
 found that Fountain of perpetual
 youth" indulged his incompetence in
 it's waters, and so been with us to-day,
 what a surprise party the east coast of
 Florida would be for himl Yet, be-
 cause of its very recent transforma-
 tion scarce a. dozen years have passed
 since the whole long stretch of three
 hundred miles down from Jacksonville
 has been reclaimed from a well nigh
 impregnable, uninhabitable, non-come-
 at-able series of almost interminable
 pine and palmetto forests, cypress
 swamps and low lying water-covered
 wild rice fields. Such spirits as sought
 to colonize the shores of the bayous and
 shallow water ways along down some
 hundred miles below St. Augustine ana
 up the St. Johns river two or three
 score of miles aspired to nothing more
 effective in transportation for several
 years than the old time flat boat and
 an occasional primitive steamer. It
 might be half a dozen years ago, or
 seven or eight, but not more than that,
 I'm sure the occasion. which had so
 long waited, met up with the man who
 was to, and now has, transformed all
 this wild desolation of luxuriant na-
 ture, and made 1t at once the treasure
 land of a million settlers, If they'll
 come, and countless thousands who
 have come, and do come year by year,
 and restore health and retain their
 leases of life itself. This mans name
 is Henry M. Flagler. It is not the pur-
 pose of this article to tell the history of
 either the wonderful man or his great
 work; it is only to tell of results and
 possibly add to the information the
 Journal and Courier's readers have
 upon the grand subject of the develop
 ment of a large territory. Fore
 thought, long-headedness nor enter
 prise seem to be words that fitly ex-
 press the cause of the inception of such a grand, far-reaching plan to conquer so quickly so vast a country; inspira-
 tion is more nearly 1t. MT, Flaglers intelligence indicated to him the clima- tic advantages of Florida for health and for farm culture. To attract thoughtful men and those of wealth and culture, that their intelligence and means might benefit the state, he built at St. Augustine such creations of the builders art and so improved the whole city, that all who came found comfort there and learned by the expe- rience of breathing it, the healing quality of the balmy air. Not only did he build the abiding places, but the perfectly constructed railroad to bring | them there. The public appreciated all this and enjoyed St. Augustine. Then | the same spirit armed for still greater | victories. Away down here where the | long stretch of sea-coast takes a slant | a little more to the westward and | where the gulf stream runs close in | (within a. mile) to shore, in behind a long island covered with a grove of CO., coa palms, are the land-locked waters of Lake Worth. The wonderful charm | of this region and the perfect situation of this particular part of it, attracted | Mir. F1agler's attention; this was exact 1y two years ago; to-day it is the sec ond season of one of the largest and very finest hotels that the whole coun- try can boast Of, The Royal Poinciana, colossal in size, four hundred and fifty feet iong and six stories high, yet with such architectural descernment and taste Is it planned that the whole effect is completely pleasing. The style is colonial. Doric pilasters extend along the entire facade and the grand en- trance is through the projecting porti- co, which is supported by immense Co., rinthian columns. The wide and lofty doorways lead directly into the rotun- da, the general gathering place for all Tn extent this space is about a hun dred feet square and is at once impress sive and pleasant; what of decoration there is is chaste, elegant, light and airy. This room contains the various offices, &c., necessary to the conduct of the hotel. Leading from it directly in line with the main entrance is the stair case, which from the first landing leads 10 the assembly hall, an octagonal i room, seven sides of which open di- 'ectly to the outside area, securing per feet ventilation. All that intelligent ; could suggest, encouraged l, oy the most lavish expenditure of 7 means, have builded. fitted and fur ! lished this immense hoteI--in word I 
 Nor does it's excellence stop short y here; it is supplemented by being kept under the efficient manage nent of Mir. H. w, Merrills. Both in ' ervice and table there can be none better, and from the nature of the case, ] ew indeed the world over, as good. The country all about abounds with 2 fur and feather-and sur 4 ounding gardens furnish the tables I with fresh and delicious vegetables, peas, beans, potatoes, let 0 uce, radishes &c., lend particular T harm at this early season of the year c Tor the very practical mind maybe a U ew figures will convey better an idea g the extensiveness of the Royal Poin- Q jana. There were used in its construc- U ion five million feet of lumber, 36O,O0O hingles, 400O barrels of lime, three mill q on lath, twenty acres of plaster, K welve hundred windows and eighteen II undred doors, and 1t took 24,OO0 gal- s' ons of paint to cover itl To get the 1T laterial to the ground cost sixty thou tt and dollars for, frafp-ht aIopat 1T