The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-02-05
ODDS AND ENDS OF THE EAST
COAST TRIP

COAST TRIP
While in St. Augustine We visited
the Record office. It is perhaps the
most complete job printing establish
+ ment in the south, and for so small
! place turns OUT an immense amount
of work. 1t has the finest printing ma
chinery manufactured and draws trade
from Atlanta, Augusta, Birmingham,
Montgomery and other distant cities.
1t is printing the city directory for
Montgomery, Augusta and Jackson
vile. The pay roll for the week end
/ ing the Saturday before our visit was
$1,000. Mr.. Harry Brown is the edi-
] tor and general manager, and is gen.
ial and cordial in his manners.
/ Mr.. Flagler has erected a Y. NJ. c.
A. building at st. Augustine. Bed and
meals are supplied to the members for
fifteen cents each, and to others for
twenty-five cents each. A reading
room. gymnasium and games of va
rious kinds are provided for the en-
tertainment of the members. 1t is a
splendid institution, though run at a
loss.
The tourist season is opening up
well. When we passed through Palm
Beach we were told that the arrivals
at the Royal Poinciana were 1O5 as
compared with Go the same day the
year before. and this proportion held
good all along the route.
Nice fishing camps have been pro-
vided at Knights Key, and the fishing
affords fine sport, and is likely to be-
come a popular fishing resort
In a little while an army of twenty
two hundred men will be at work on |
the extension. and machinery of the |
most approved designs will be used as
aUxiliaries, and the work will be push |
ed forward to completion with all pos
sible speed. When it shall have been /
finished the southernmost point of /
land will have been reached by the
iron horse"
Key West is the farthest south of
any American city, and it is recogniz-
ed as a strong military and naval
base. Gunboats are always lying at
anchor and a military post is main
tanned. In the strategy of war it will
always play an important part
Key West will be the nearest point
of any American city to the Panama
canal and when that project is com
pleted it will lie directly in the oath
Of commerce between the two coun-
tries, and it will grow to be a great
city.
II we were a young man, or had
surplus money to invest we would
turn our steps in the direction of Key
West. Every foot of land on the is
land is destined to become valuable
Key West has cable connection with
the main land, and has two systems
of wireless telegraphy.
Nowhere else in the United Statesi
is there TO be found such exquisite
beauty of ocean. sky and land, and
the tropical verdure give it a distinc-
ton all its own. Ii is as a beautiful
jewel set in a tropical sea.
Mr.. H. NJ. Flagler and party, consist
ing of Messrs. J. r. Parrot, ]. c. Mer-
edith, w. H. Beardsley, T. y Porter
and Frank Harris, left Wednesday
on the steamer Montauk, af-
ter spending Tuesday inspecting the
work at this end of the road. While
here Mr.. Flagler expressed his deter
minatiOn to push the work between |
here and Knights Key as rapidly as
men can be brought from the north to
DO it, The party were entertained at
dinner Tuesday evening by Mr.. and
Mrs. W. R. POrter.-Key West Items
in Sundays Times-UniOn.
The dinner at which Mr.. and Mrs.
Porter entertained Mr.. Flagler and his ;
pupSfS was q very pIoca,t cOciaI r,,Do