Gainesville daily sun., 1909-08-01
FLAGLER IS AMONG TEN
GREATEST AMERICANS
lContinued from Page OneD

available TO owners OF thousands OF
acres Of land hitherto regarded as
worthless. IL has created enormous
wealth where none existed before. and
has led TO a marvellous influx OF per-
manent homeseekeTs and transient
winter residents and the upbuilding
of prosperous settlements and bust
ling towns in sections where a soli-
tude prevailed and where for cen
turies the Seminole and the alligator
had undisputed sway and held civili-
xation at bay.
Hitherto, for four months Of the
year, practically twothirds Of the
country's population has shivered
with cold throughout our inhospitable
Northern ATTITUDES, finding relief there
from only by fleeing to Southern Eu-
rope or the Pacific Coast. Now thcy
are seeking Florida resorts instead
and spending their money at home.
Mr.. Flagler's enterprises having made
accessible an Americal Riviera inn
nitely larger than that which skirts
the Mediterranean, and one which has
been made even more seductive and
delightful as q winter resort for our
people. To accommodate this large
transient element, adequate provision
had TO be made, and at heavy cost,
and TO that end alone not less than
twelve million dollars have been ex-
pended on hotels, casinos, golf links,
public baths. hospitals, street paving,
sewer construction, and other like es.
sentials 70 health and comfort.
But the most audacious project Of
Mr.. Flagler approaches the roads I'M.
al stage of completion. Within anoth.
er twelve months he will have com
pleted and In operation an extension
Of his East Coast system, a standard.
ICED railroad. built out from the main.
land. for one hundred and thirty
miles, through the waters Of the Al.
lantic Ocean to Key West. by means
OF series OF massive pier-and-arCh
viaducts, constructed Of REINFORCED
concrete rising thirty feet above mean
water level The road will link to-
gether the keys OF islands. some thirty
IN number, by means OF this series
of colossal viaducts. some OF which
"A ~ nF s,,
all of them over water varying from
three TO thirty feet In depth. thereby
making Key West the commercial
outpost OF the country commanding
the entrance 20 the Gulf OF Mexico
bringing Cuba within ninety miles Of
the great railway system of Tn. cont.
nent. and, In effect projecting our IN.
tire railway system hundreds Ci mile,
nearer TO the Panama Canal than An.
railway now existing The advantages
which this marvellous ocean highway
Is destined TO afford our Cummerc,
with Cuba and the West Indies. a.
well as with Central and South Amer.
lea. and ton the completion OF the
Panama CanaD with most OF the coun.
tries OF the Orient. are incalculable
In time Of war, its stragetical import.
ance as an army and navy base. and
its value as a base OF supplies. il
would be difficult TO exaggerate.
In no other country would such a
project ever be thought OF even as a
national undertaking. Nowhere does
history show q parallel to IL as an
individual enterprise. Only a coun.
try's strongest. most resolute men are
ever Unidentified with great and diffi-
cult physical undertakings Of this
character. Unless a public benefactor
like this Is for inscrutable reasons to
be excluded from consideration as un.
worthy OF recognition for this honor
| submit that IL is Just that Henry
NJ. Flaglers name should be accorded
its rightful place in the galaxy OF
the ten greatest Americans now liy.
ing. John II. Flogg In Leslie's
Weekly.