The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1906-02-02
II. N. FLAGLER
COMMENDED
Tallahassee True Democrat Says
State Has Been Benefited
BEST FINANCIAL FRIEND
Rsked Money and Reputation to Build up
d Dreary Wilderness, Depending
Solely on a Caprici0us Public.

iuC chttIlSioH VI llc TlOIUUt TsuSl
Coast Railway from Miami farther on
to Cape Sable, there to brave the winds
and waves of the Florida Straits, and
linking the scores upon scores of small
islands together into chain extending
from the extreme point of mainland to
the rock-built, tar-to-seaward island of
Key West, is indeed, unique and
mighty conception of the mind of man,
says the Tallahassee True Democrat.
The contemplation of this wonderful
scheme reminds one of the vast changes
that have been wrought in that southern
latitude, in the past few years, by the
brain and effort of single individual.
Grand and many are the transforma-
tons made in all that territory. especi-
ally in that region lying south of San
ford, on the St. Johns, where, little
more than half score of years ago it
required strong imagination to picture
what is now reality.
At this time, few were the villages,
and of towns there were none, in all this
wild domain; only a few rough log houses
near each other, termed settlements,
separated by 20 or may be 40 miles of
dreary wilderness. These were the
homes of the only inhabitants rough
hammered cattlemen. who invited no inn
migration to interfere with their laws
of custom and were jealous of their
squatter sovereignty.
For two hundred miles Of southern
course, u traveller would have moved
amid such scenes until the northern
shore of Okeechobee lake is reached.
To the south of this the far-famed Ev-
erglades that reptile-haunted swamp,
extending south as far as land extends;
on whose inaccessible islands dwell that
unconquered abOrigine the Seminole.
One day two lines of steel, beginning
at the very portals Of refined civilization,
pushed their way, mile aftermile toward
this distant wilderness, and today the
most fastidiOus of multi-milionares
places his delicate wife and child in a
private palace car and they, after few
hours of swift and pleasant journeying,
find themselves the guest of hotel that
Is enved by world-famed rivals, in
company with hundreds of their class
within a few miles and near neighbors
of the SeminOles!
1t does not suffice to say that the man
who has performed these wonders did
80 for selfish reasons, for self-aggran-
disement alone. The only safe critic
rion, the only infallible way is to judge
man by acts and his actions by their
results.
This being true, we must accord Hen
ry M. Fagler high need of praise for
results undoubtedly achieved. For he
it was who thus dared to endanger his
means and his reputation as fnancier
by building a costly line Of road, which
for hundreds of miles is bound to mar
row strip of land on the one side by an
ocean, on the other bya non-supporting
and bowling wilderness; depending al
most entirely upon the wisdom of ca
PRECIOUS public.
And who can enumerate the many in
stances of kindness shown, of valuable
free contributions he has made to en-
ployees pensions, lands donated, hos
pitfalls for the sick and disabled superan-
nuaries. Of these we learn but what
of those we hear not of-kind deeds
done in secret! Who can deny that the
whole State of Florida has been bene-
fitted by the fame and prestige he has
done 80 much to give her?
1t is but just to say that it is impossi-
BILE for the opponents of Mr.. Flagler to
prove that the public welfare was not
the uppermost, predomnating thought
in his mind when he worked these Won
ders, that patriotism is not his ruling
passion. Who hath the wisdom or power
to search another's heart and lay bare
the thought and sentiments surging
there?
Geo. Franklin and j. B. Meriweather,
are in Melbourne assisting S. S. Buell.
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