Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-08
LIFE At PALM BEACH
Entertainment Found Outside
the Hotels.
Mr.. FLAGLER'S MANSION
One of the Most Beautiful and Preten-
tious in America.
RISE OF THE OIL MAGNATE
Unable to Gust the Beach Club Where
the Wealthy, Duly Accredited,
Indulge in Games of Chance.
RISE OF THE OIL MAGNATE
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
PALM BEACH, Florida, March 3.-There
is great deal of private entertainment at
Palm Beach among the cottagers as well
as the guests at the hotels. Attached to the
Royal ,Poinciana is grill room filled with
palms and other foliage plants, where din
ners and luncheons of an claiborne and ex-
pensive character are given every day In
a style equal to that of the most fashion
able places in New York. There are house
boats anchored in Lake Worth for SINH
lar purpose and several private house boats
owned and occupied by people of wealth
and leisure, who migrate from one Of the
resorts to another and entertain their
friends with sumptuous hospitality. A
feet of electric and gasoline launches at
tached to the hotel is used for excursions
up and down the lake and for fishing ex-
petitions. But the most select and desirable
entertainments are the dinners. luncheons
and teas at the cottages along the lake
shore. The ladies among what you may
consider the permanent residents, people
who come here every winter, have club
known as the "Fortnightly' for intellectual
improvement and edification. AS its name
indicates. the members meet every other
week for a program Of music, Rotations,
readings and discussion of current topics.
They often bring musicians all the way
from New York to entertain the guests.
The Flagler Mansion.
Mrs. Flagler' takes the lead In social at
fairs, although she is quiet, unassuming
woman. The Flagler mansion, as l told
you in recent letter, is one Of the most
beautiful and pretentious in America. 1t is
a veritable palace, situated on the bank of
Lake Worth, few hundred yards from
the Royal Poinsiana Hotel-a colonial pOr-
tico, with six massive pillars attached to a
house of Moorish design, inclosing patios.
The walls are Of white concrete and the
roof is of red tiles, which make vivid con-
trast. The windows are shielded by blinds
of olive green. which heighten the effect
and the mansion is set in the center of a
beautiful tropical garden surrounded by a
lofty fence of wrought iron and monumental
pillars. From grand gateway with Or
iron gates the house Is ap-
by brilliant bank of hibiscus, bush which
bears a scarlet flower. Here and there are
exquisltely carved marble seats, massive
urns and vases of classic designs, and some
of them are of considerable antiquity. On
one side of the house are two pergolas COW
cred with Towering vines, and on the other
wide recessed porches overlooking the lake,
sheltered by canvas curtains and awnings.
Big bronze QOOrS leaO from the pOrtlcO
into a domed hall. 10 feet long, with an
imposing marble stairway that rises to a
gallery. To the left of the hall Is large
library finished in Italian renaissance; to
the right a Louis XVI drawing room in
white and gold. Other features of the
ground floor are dining room, music
room, breakfast room, sitting room for
Mrs. Flagler and a suite of Offices with a
separate entrance, where Mr.. Flagler does
most Of his business, for he spends at least
NnOnfhC On
the second floor are sixteen suites Of bed
rooms, dressing rooms and baths, decorated
and furnished to illustrate the styles Of
different periods Of history and different
nations.
The Flagler mansion Is sumptutously
equipped with everything that can con-
tribute to the comfort and qualification of
its occupants. Mrs. Flagler's silver, crystal
ton Of pictures of great artistic value upon
the walls. Mr.. Flagler is a man Of frugal
habits, but no one appreciates the good
things of life more than he; few men have
a greater capacity for enjoyment. Not
withstanding his seventy-seven years he
has perfect health, he Is as vigorous as a
man of fifty, and he takes keen interest
in everything that is going on around him.
father lived to lightweight years and had
twelve brothers and sisters, all Of whom
lived beyond their eghtieth year.
Flagler's Rise to Wealth.
Mr.. Flagler's father was a country parson
who preached all his life in Presbyterian
Church in a little village near Canandai-
qua. N. Y, and never received more than
500 salary. And Mr.. Flagler says that he
never received any higher salary himself
When his compensation reached the munifi-
cent figure Of $35 month he resigned and
went into business for himself The New
York newspapers report that young Mr..
loolrafa l1o fold 40 o1o
day that the men who built up the Standard
Oil Company are all of pious character
and religious habits, while those who built
up the steel trust are generally sports. Mr.
Rockefeller, as you know, Is a Baptist, and
takes an active interest in the affairs of
that denomination. Mr.. Flagier has been
an active member of the Presbyterian
Church ever since his childhood, and for
many years was an elder in the Old Stone
Church on the public square of Cleveland.
When he was fourteen years old he left
home, walked nine miles to the town of
Medina, on the Erie canal, with all his
passage on a canal boat for Buffalo After
several days waiting he found a schooner
that took him to Sandusky, and during the
voyage was caught in terrible gale which
lasted four days. From Sandusky he
walked down to a little village called Re
public, where he got a job in country
store at s. a month and board. When he
was sixteen his aspirations for a wider
where for several years he clerked for the
father Of Charles Foster, formerly a men,
Der of the House of Representatives and
Secretary of the Treasury during the Har-
rison administration.
Having saved few hundred dollars he
decided to go into business for himself, and
removed to Bellevue, Ohio, the county town,
where he opened an office for a commits
sion business. He bought a horse and
buggy and drove around through the coun-
try buying grain, hay. vegetables, butter
and eggs, chickens and other produce from
the farmers, and shipping them to John D.
Rockefeller, commission merchant in
Cleveland. Mr.. Flagler made $50, 600 in this
business while he was at Bellevue. and lost
the entire sum in a few months trying to
develop salt mine near Saginaw. Imme-
diately after his failure he went to Cleve-
land and resumed his relations with Mr..
Rockefeller. He bought butter and eggs,
hay and grain, corn and potatoes all over
northern Ohio, and was pretty well on his
feet again when. in 1867, Stephen Hark-
ness, relative of his first wife, loaned
him enough money to make up. with his ac-