The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-14
WITH THE PRESS BOYS
DOWN THE EAST COAST
Frank L. Mayes.

the State Press Association meeting
at Key West, involving as, the trip
did a Journey of over 1900 miles, il
was not because l had more time on
my hands than / knew what 20 do
with. or that I could not have en-
pboyed to a profit the same time at
home, but because / desired for the
benefit of The Journals readers as
well as for myself 10 learn more
about the great state of Florida, its
people, it's resources, and its posi-
biHties, and TO acquaint myself with
some things concerning which the
great majority of Us enjoy the most
profound ignorance
Florida is such great state, the
occupations and interests OF its peo-
pIe are so numerous and varied. its
resources in its respective sections
are so different in character, and its
means of communication are, COM
Daratively speaking, still so limited,
that the old saying that one half the
world does not know how the other
half lives is more than true of the
people of Florida. We of West Flor
ida know little or nothing of South
or Middle Florida, and the people OF
those sections know little of US.
When a stranger asks US about some
place in the south part of the state
and we can tell him nothing about
it. he is surprised. He falls to real
ize that Key West is as far from Pen
sacola as Chicago IS and that it would
be just as reasonable to expect a Pen
sacolian to know all about Chicago
as it would to expect him to know all
about South Florida. On nearly all
of the maps, West FIorida-that part
Of the state lying west of the Apa-
lachicoia riyer-is cut off from the
state proper and placed down in the
lower left hand corner of the map.
This ought to be bad enough, but in
a finely illustrated work which
bought on the East Coast, purporting
to be a STANDARD Guide of Florida, .
and containing large folded map Ia
belled the Standard Guide Map OF
Florida" the western portion Of the
state-West Florida-is not only cut
OF as usual but it does not appear
even in the lower left hand corner
OF the map and the book itself con-
tains no reference to the vast, fertile,
and populous section of the state ly.
ing between Apalachicola and the
Perdido of which Pensacola is the
metropolis.
1t Is 500 miles from Pensacola to
Jacksonville, $50 from Jacksonville
to Miami, $50 from Miami to Key
West, and about the same distance,
or little further. home by way OF
Tampa. The trip has to be made by
both rail and water, and in that jour.
ney from the Perdido to the Keys
and from the Keys back via Tampa
Bay, you find as many different con.
ditions of sail. climate, occupation
and resource as you could find in a
journey of similar length anywhere
| in the world, and you have still not
seen half of Florida nor gained an
idea of whac the state is producing
or can produce when its resources
are developed.
The greatest Transformation that
any section has ever experienced is
found l suppose on the East Coast OF
Florida where Henry NJ. Flagler and
the people who followed the building
of his East Coast Railroad have con
verted one vast uninviting wilderness
and jungle into the garden spot Of
the world with beauty that canno
be described and magnificence an6
splendor that can hardly be compre
hended even when seen.
I had heard of the East Coast, reaC
of its beauties and attractions, seer
pictures of the great hotels where
the wealth and luxury of the worlt
congregated for brief time eacf
year to drink in the joys OF the LAND
of eternal summer, but no description
can convey or Imagination conceive
The splendors Of that magic transfer
nation which the brain of one man
in league with the forces of climat.
and nature, has wrought in that nov
almost enchanted land.
The great Flagler hotels are thu
marvel of modern times. The Ponc,
de Leon at st. Augustine is, l pre-
sumo, the most splendid creation tina
has ever come from the hand an
brain of the builder. OF Spanish al
chitecture, it is appropriately typica
of the early days of the ancient SET
tlement when the Spanish cavalie
after whom it is named, fresh from
the courts Of Spain. planted on tn
western hemisphere the first seeds o
eastern civilization while at the sam
time pursuing his unrequitted ques
for the tabled fountain of youth.
But no Spanish king or cavalie
ever conceived court so gorgeous
no embattled defender of ancien
. faith or castle ever dreamed of pill
so costly as this magnificent exam
pie Of modern genius and achieve
ment. The Caesars of old in tn
palmiest days of the Roman empir
held sway over nothing that could al
proach it Their gardens and court