The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-07-29
1.-THE FATHER"
EVERGLADES
Writer in Everglades Magazine
So Dubs Napoleon Broward
HIS ADVENTUROUS LIFE
A Native Of a More Populous State Would
Land Him in Presidential Chair His
tory viii Record His Name High.

The following article, by Clement
Yore, appeared in the last issue of the
Everglades Magazine, and is full of in
terest to our people:
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. cabin
boy, pilot. owner of the famous Three
Friends" the man who kept Garcia,
the Cuban general in the field and the
most potent factor, in gaining the in
tervention of the United States between
Spain and Cuba, the man who saw the
possibilities in Florida's Everglades and
ran for governor against every none
tary interest in the State of Florida,
and was elected, has again defeated
the cohorts of capital and greed in
Florida and will represent his State
in the United States senate.
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward is a
big man physically, mentally and
morally. He stands more than six feet
and he is just the kind of man to
pace the quarterback of Man of
War. All Of his life has been devoted
to fighting unjust things, and always
has he been arrayed against power and
oppression. Born of the great middle
class class of our Anglo-Saxon stock,
the cruel war of the Rebellion found
him destitute after the cessation Of the
lannon's roar.
STEADILY he arose through all of his
youth to point where he was independ
ent of every man. He sailed the high
seas in many capacities from cabin boy
to captain. He was the owner at the
outbreak of the Cuban war of the sea-
going tug called Three Friends" He
was engaged then in the dangerous
task of wrecker |. e., a man who
takes his life in his hands, to save pro-
perty in the nature of steamships and
sailing vessels, which have been lost
upon dangerous reefs around the FlOri-
da coast and the islands of the South
Atlantic.
He was employed by the Cuban Junta
to carry arms and munitions of war to
the Cuban army in the field. This he
did successfully for several years. The
Spanish navy had thrown Gordon
around the Cuban coast. to pass through
which was almost instant death, yet
this man Broward did it many times,
and through his efforts the Cuban army
WAS furnished with the means of Otfenss
and defense. At last there was re-
ward offered for this boat and it's cap
tain, and the United States govern
ment was compelled to take him into
custody. The justice, however, of his
work was appreciated by the whole
world. and the shamelessness of our
was never exhibited through
the conviction of this man, and our de-
claration of war against Spain was a
justification that Captain Broward Of
1.-The Three Friends" was right.
He was fired on many times by Span
ish gunboats, and once at least he de-
feated gunboat that attacked him.
After the Spanish war this man re-
turned to his native Florida. He had
always dreamed of reclaming the fer
tile Everglades. He saw them gradu-
ally slipping into the control of the
class and the railroad interests
and so one day he said to some friends,
Il believe | will run on the independ-
ent ticket for governor of this State,
and save the millions of acres of Ever
gades land to the people of Florida.
Politicians laughed at him. Every
big newspaper in the State opposed
him. The Interests" were arrayed
against him to man, and he felt the
poignant shafts of the railroad interests
yet he said Il know the Florida
Cracker will excuse mistakes of gram
mar when he finds I'm talking horse
sense.
"He took the stump; he spoke in the
cities, in the beautiful and perfumed
orange groves, out in the piney woods
and at the turpentine stills. He talk ed
to the oyster fishermen, to the m schan-
les and the farmers, and when election
day came around, these men believed
that he was talking horse sense, and,
they elected him.
Nov he has recently come through
another campaign, and has defeated
Senator Taliaferro, and he is now to go
to the United States senate, where his
the Everglades of Florida
will sound throughout the nation in
clarion tones. 1t is Broward's dream
to make the Everglades the garden spot
which Nature intended they should be.
and if he can make the United States
government assist in this great move,
ment he intends to do so.
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward is a,
man among men, and he has the mark
Of the master upon his brow. His face
is strong, and his jaw like that of the
intense fighter, the man who does not
know the meaning of defeat. And yet
when you look into his eyes, you see
there CLEAN of sweetness and senti-
ment, and somehow or other you know
that the fight this man is making il the
fight for love and Of others and the de-
(enntinnad On nara Al