The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-02-05
A TRIP TO KEY WEST

1uIOuSu Tue courtesy VI MI. n. NJ.
Flagler, the editor of this paper re-
Gently enjoyed the privilege of a Wis
il to Key West over the extension of
the Florida East Coast railway.
However much one may read of this
enormous undertaking he cannot
gather a comprehensive idea of this
work until he travels over it and be-
holds it with his own eyes.
Reaching out into the sea beyond
the sight of land, in water thirty feet
deep, no wonder people regarded the
construction of this daring project as
mere fancy-a kline of pleasant
dream-that would have its ending
only in the imagination of its found
er.
Then, too, so many things seem to
have conspired to prevent its con-
struction.
Its advocates had to fight every
inch of its charter through the. legis-
latu:e, and the most stinted illiberal-
ity was shown it by our lawmakers.
Liberal to the point of prodigality to-
wards other railroads, squeezed lem
ons only were tossed at this one.
Then the work was retarded and a
great deal of it destroyed by one of
the most terrific storms that had ever
before swept the east coast section.
Many of the contractors were ar
rested under false peonage charges,
which cost it's philanthropic founder
thousands and thousands of dollars, as
it is his rule of conduct to stand by
those who Loyalty stand by him.
Never were employees treated better
than those engaged in this work.
What Mr.. Flgaelr does he does with
prodigality and princes could have liv-
ed on the food given to the laborers
employed in the construction of this
road. They were not only fed well,
but were housed well, but the most
awful stories of their ill-treatment
were published in the newspapers to
poison the minds of the people
against its builder.
It was impossible to obtain fresh
water along the entire territory
through which the extension runs, and
every gallon of water had to be hauled
for miles and miles and yet the labor
ers were supplied with an abundance
of water for all purposes, and when
one estimates what it costs to supply
five thousand persons daily with fresh
water, and having to haul it for a
great distance, some of the obstacles
it had to overcome may be readily
observed.
Another drawback it had to face
was the great financial panic which
crippled and embarrassed and in many
instances wrought ruin to so many
strong financial institutions in many
parts Of the country.
Still another drawback it had to
face was the final stOppage of the
work by the United States govern
ment.
But, during all these drawbacks,
Mr.. Flagler never lost his courage nor
I,ie ,,o-,-o IL e+or+oa mt MIL, +l,o
resolution to build this road from
Jacksonville 10 Key West and deter
mined that nothing should prevent the
.consummation of his wish, and a genii
with a magic wand could not have tri-
umphed more successfully over the
obstacles that continually arose in his
pathway to prevent it.
The building Of this road is not
only a great engineering feat, but is
a great financial one as well
Taken in connection with the system
Of hotels and steamships, it is the
most gigantic enterprise ever under
taken by a private citizen since the
beginning of creation. 1t has no pre-
cedent, counterpart nor similarity in
history. The building of a railroad
across the continent, uniting the At
lantic and Pacific, was a wonderful
achievement, but il nowhere had to
trestle across the ocean, and it was fl
nanced by the United States govern
ment.
The distance from Jacksonville to
Key West is FIVE hundred and twenty
two miles. When Mr.. Flagler took
hold of this work this great stretch
OF country was almost a trackless
waste.
Dade county was much larger then
than it is now, yet as late as when
the town of Miami was laid out there
were only two persons living in its
neighbOrhOod, and only one hundred
and four voters within the limits of
Dade county.
When Palm Beach was agreed upon
as a meeting mint bprWenp Ar plant