Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-04
THE RISE OF FLORIDA
Flagler's Contribution to the
Growth of the State.
EFFECT OF HIS RAIL ROADS
Probably $1,000 Permanent Residents
Added.
EAST COAST now BUILT UP
Great Increase in the Capital, Number
Of Wage Farmers and Products
in Past Five Years.
EAST COAST NOW BUILT UP
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS
Special Correspondence The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

hecOfu-ttef10.
ST. AUGUSTINE. February q, 1907
Mr.. Henry M. Flagler owns nine hotels
in Florida, and among them one that Is
counted the largest and another that Is
counted INTELLECTUALLY the most beautiful
in the world. and railway system COO
miles long. He is extending his railway
along the coral banks at the tip end of
Florida to Key West, bun does not expect
to build any more hotels 1t has been fire.
quently printed that he would reproduce
the Royal Poinciana at Key West and the
Ponce de Leon at Havana, but he tells me
that he has no such intention. He Is sew
enty- Eight years old and is satisfied that
nine hotels are enough for q man at his
time of life.
Mr. Flagler has theories about good
many things, as people of his wide expe-
rience and knowledge are likely to have.
and one in particular about the investment
of money. He believes that plenty Of rich
men will give Of their fortunes for educa-
ton, for libraries. for hospitals and other
works OF charity, but few are willing to
assume the risk of an uncertain business
proposition for the public welfare or act as
pioneers In promoting the development OF
great enterprises. In the first place they
don't like to assume the responsibility or be
troubled with the anxiety or have the repu-
tation of failure and then they don't like to
lose money, particularly on tnelr own DuSl-
ness. No matter how rich man is he hates
to lose dollar. But MIR. Flagler had the en-
terprise, the foresight and the courage to
come into Florida and assume the risks
that attended the development of this state.
He came nineteen years ago. great deal
of money had already been lost here. The
late Henry B. Plant had struggled against
heavy odds to make something out of Flor
ida and was still investing large sums In
uncertain prospects. The population was
scanty, shiftless and indolent; the climate
was delightful as rule. but uncertain IN
spots. and the topography was uninviting.
Yet Mr.. Flagler assumed the responsibility
and risk of developin., a sandy wilderness
and has succeeded in a most remarkable
manner. He has not only provided great
playground for the people and health re-
sort that has healed hundreds of thousands
of unhappy invaltds. but has brought In
tens of thousands Of enterprising settlers.
has developed the orange, the grapefruit
and pineapple industries, and has made
vast tracts of vacant land accessible to
homeSeekers.
MI. Flagler's Enterprises.
And it has been purely an individual un-
dertaking from the beginning. He has no
partners; has offered no stock or bonds
for sale; he Is not a borrower; all the
money invested here has come out of one
pocket; all of the interests, all of the
property belongs to Mr.. Flagler himself,
and there is no excuse for complaint
ital stock upon which these many enter
prises are operated is only one million
dollars, and Mr.. Flagler owns every share
hands of his managers to qualify them as
members of the directory. =.
His interests are divided into three
ton One company runs the railroad. an
other the hotels and third the land
interests. Mr.. Flagler also owns one-half
of the Peninsular and Occidental Steam
oh which steamers from
Tampa and Miami to Key West, Havana
and Nassau. The other half interest In
the steamers is owned by the Atlantic
Coast Line railroad.
Nobody knows how much Mr.. Flagler
has invested; nobody knows what his
revenues are or have been from these va
his stock pays dividends. because there
has never been a financial statement pub
lished. The public has the uusual amount
is interested, and it Is not necessary for
him to make report to himself. Not
hts as he is as bis
ness, knows exactly what Is going on
everywhere among his various enter
prses every day Every Ever t morning he re- e,
each Of his nine hotels, giving the number
of guests that were lodged under their
roofs at midnight. The heads Of various
departments of his railroad report to him
regularly, and he spends great deal of
his time going about and inspecting
things for h1mSelf.
Although the capital stock Of the Flag
Ter companies amounts to only million
dollars. 1t probably represents sixty times
as much, and those who are familiar with
Mr. Flagler's affairs calculate that by the
time he has completed his railway to
Key West his total investments in Flor
ida will exceed $75,00O.000. The officials
employed by him speak very modestly,
and will tell you that Mr.. Flagler's prop
erty in Florida is taxed on an appraise-
ment of s25.Oo0.OOO. which they insist is
very near its full value. But while that
may or may not be the case, a slight cal
culation will show that the amount Is not
excessive. For example. he has 366 miles
of railway. from Jacksonville to Miami
526 miles already in operation. and that
must have cost an average of $4,000 a
mile. or something like $21.00o.o00 for his
railways alone, while the extension to Key
West, now about half completed. is one Of
the most expensive pieces Of railway con-
struction ever undertaken, and Is costing
from $4,000 to $4,000 mile.
Churches Built by Flagler.
While we are enumerating his various
public enterprises, it would not do to over
look the churches Mr.. Fiagler has built
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