The Washington herald., 1909-01-06
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Palm Beach, Fla, Jan 5-An Eden ere
ated out Of a wilderness by the magic OF
money that rich Americans may have
winter. paradise-that is Palm Beach At
The easternmost point OF the Florida
peninsula. warmed by the sweep Of the
great Cuff Stream. IL is the northernmost
p5int on the Atlantic coast where one
may find the genuine tropics It is di-
freely south Of Pittsburg, and is the near
est tropical resort for the milliOnaiTes Of
Chicago. Cleveland. Cincinnati and Pitts
burg. as well as for the very wealthy
people Of New York. Boston, Philadel-
phia and Washington.
Here Henry NJ Flagler, the genius OF
the Florida east coast. has his magnificent
winter palace. Mr. John D. Rockefeller
not Ions ago modestly avowed that Mr..
Fi2gler was the brains OF the creation Of
the Standard Oil Company. However
that may be. Il is gospel truth that Mr..
Flsgler was the brains and the money
and the creative agent in retaining the
east coast Of the Florida peninsula from
The primeval estate OF the Jungle King
Palm Beach is located on the narrow
strip OF land which separates Lake
Worth from the ocean Lake Worth is
really salt water lagoon. q narrow
sound. twenty-five miles long and about
a mile wide. The peninsula which Gi-
vides II from the ocean is also about a
mile wide. Years and years ago a few
adventurous persons with money, and
with a great desire 70 escape from cold
winters. came here and established homes
for themselves, using yachts for ingreSs
and egress. Mr.. Flagler came with the
railroad. which he owns. and established
a town, which he owns in essence II not
in fee simple The few people who were
here when he came he has made rich.
Those who have come since owe their
prosperity 20 him Somewhere men may
rail against the Standard OIL somewhere
men may say Flagler Is a "malefactOr
OF great wealth somewhere men may
look upon Flagier's millions as tainted
money-bUt not On the Florida east coast.
Here Henry y. FIsgleT is the fairy god
mother. the perennial santa Claus, the
indulgent father Of every man and every
enterprise
On the narrow strip Of land between
Lake Worth and the ocean and facing
the lake, Mr. Flagler built the Royal
Poinciana Hotel. Il has been enlarged
more than once until now IL is the largest
tourist hotel in the world. 4 little more
than half a mile 10 the east facing the
ocean, Mr. Flagler built The Breakers,
another immense hotel On the lake.
a little south Of the Royal Poinciana ne
built his own palace. Whitehall. Up
and down the beach for several miles
are scattered the villas Of other million
aires who come here 10 I've IN the winter
and enjoy the gayety afforded by the
society Of the merely transient wealthy
ones who stay at the Royal Poinciana
and The Breakers
The season begins about the time Of
che Christmas holidays and continues
through the month OF March For nine
months OF the year all this magnifceuce
and splend0r Is deserted. but the three
months shine with added glory because
the reign IS so brief. Hundreds Of care
takers are present all the year round. Of
course Il requires an expenditure OF
5000 each year 10 open the hotels OF
the Flagler Florida Coast Hotel system
mat includes the expense Of cleaning up
-ae grounds. rearranging the furniture.
and bringing the servants from the
North
At the two Palm Beach hotels there is
@ servant on the pay roll for every guest.
when there are I,259 guests at the Royal
Foinciana and so at The Breakers. a
total Of 2,G00, the servants roll viii show
-210 names This Includes the outside
aervants as wei as those whos are en-
gI0yed IN the hotels, the wheel chair
men. the fishing faCtOtumS. the golf cad
lies, and so on.
There are other hotels. several Of them
-cr0ss the lake al West Palm Beach,
md some on the same sacred strip OF
and with all the muli0naires- They are
much cheaper. but they are not what one
would call dirt cheap" One OF these.
situated close to the Royal Poinciana.
G3iveIy advertises itself as next TO the
biggest tourist hotel in the world"
Of things % do the "idle rich find
ereat variety at this resort. There Is
fishing, not 50 good as al Tampa or
Miami. perhaps. but also not so strenu-
Gus. which may be a recommendation.
There is yachting and nnot0r-boating and
sailing. There is q stretch OF nearly
10 miles OF unsurpassed automobile roads
I'd and down the coast. and new roads
are being pushed into the interior, pene-
trating TO Lake OkechObee and Ever
slades-
There is the Jungle Trail, down which
men and maids may stroll OF De carried
IN wheel chairs. It is three miles OF trop-
ical jungle beauty with all the tropical
jungle ugliness carefully cut out and
banished by that same magic Of money.
At the very doors Of the hotels are the
goIf grounds. vel kept and not too
sporty And not very far away may
be found a palace wherein the tickle
goddess Of fortune holds court and per-
mits those who have gold to WOO and.
sometimes. to win.
In the afternoon one may have tea on
the lawn, with a good band 10 furnish
an accompaniment for the conversation
so that drinking tea may not become TOO
much Of an effort for even the most IA
tigued Of milliOnaiTeS. II one doesn't
care for tea-there are other things II
one IS a woman and has money there can
be no paradise without a shopping dis
trict, and Palm Beach is an up-to-t7ate
paradise. 50 there are shops. rich ones.
and jewelers. and milliners and modistes
are ever ready. during the season. 10
cater 10 the whims OF the woman who
wishes 10 buy something new There
are rows Of shops on either side Of the
main corridor ii the Royal P0inciana. and
there is a little row Of wooden store
houses outside. The little stOTerooms are
OF exactly the kind that are pushed into