Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-02-01
EDITOR HARRIS TRIP.

| from trin 20 Key West After re
ferring TO Jacksonville's phenomenal
progress he continues his write-up OF
bis trip as follows:
Though the oldest city in the west.
ern world. St Augustine. as Il Is TO.
day. Is the creation OF Mr.. Flagler.
Much Of the prettiest portion OF Il he
redeemed from the sea.
When he first beheld tits narrow
streets and quaint buildings. It's old
fort and city gates-hIs wonderful in
tuition instantly told him that Il
would make an ideal tourist retreat,
and In the formulation OF his plans 70
this end the Ponce de Leon, the Alca-
Ear and the COrdova hotels were mere
evolutions OF the wonderful intellect
that made the East Coast the Appian
Way and the rendezvous Of the tour.
list travel Of the United States.
Fashion empties itself on st. Angus
tine and the whirl Of society in win
ter begins and ends there.
For many years yet to come Il will
be the tourist Mecca, and more and
more so after the completion OF the
Key West extension and the Panama
canal.
The hotels Of ST. Augustine are no
ted for their elegance. grandeur and
beauty Of design, and when the sea
sou is at its height no lovelier vision
Is allotted TO man than 10 behold the
crowds Of well dressed men and hand
sOmely gowned women that make
their homes under the roofs Of these
luxurious abOdes.
1T is said that no scene OF earth Is
more brilliant than a ball at the Ponce
de Leon. The innumerable colored
electric jets. issuing from crystal
globes and golden candelabra, emer-
aids, rubies, Opals. pearls, sapphires.
glinting from the bosOms
and brOws Of the fair participants.
add lustre to the scene and make IL
a picture rivalling the courts Of roy.
atty
AS you travel on down the PENN.
sular the scenery becomes more beau
tiful and tropical in appearance and
the atmosphere more soothing aud
I'VE met a German gentleman who |
slid that he had travelled in Italy, !
Sicily. France and Spain, yet nowhere |
Is there such a climate as there is on |
the southern East Coast Of Florida. |
and that it is compelled TO attract |
The tourist travel Of both hemispheres.
AT Palm Beach. between Lake |
Worth and the ocean. Mr.. Flagler has /
erected the largest hotel in the world.
md as everything cOnspires to make
his spot a jewel In beauty. he has
made IL his home and spends most OF
he winter months there. Whitehall,
his residence. Is a luxurious palace.
md the grounds which adiOin those
II the Royal POinciana and the Break
rs contain every rare plant and
lower that will thrive In the tropics.
md IL is. indeed. a fairy land
AT OrmOnd. Miami, Nassau and az
Knights Key Mr. Flagler has built his
ystem OF hotels that has now become
amOus all over the world. The most
colossal ones are yet to be construct
d. one az Key West and the other In
havana. When these two shall have
zen finished he will then have an
ven dozen, and they are without
parallel In the worlds records.
When Il Is stated that the opening Of
hese hotels alone costs S25O.OOO some
lea Of their grandeur can be ascer-
aimed.
When Mr. Flagler first entered
pom his work Of development and be
an the erection OF his hotels and the
OF his railroad they were I
eferred 20 as 'Flagler's folly yet &
Ihile still In their infancy. they are &
aging dividends on their investment. I
nd the earning capacity OF the road
: but eighty dollars less per mile than \
he Atlantic Coast Line, one OF the d
ldest established lines I'm the State.
What will II be when the extension 90 q
ley West Is completed and IL becomes {
be feeder for Panama canal?
"Old-timers held up their hands in .
orror when Il was proposed 20 bring \