The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-15
Mr.. TEMPLE or FLORIDA

One of the witnesses before the
Stanley investigating committee re-
Gently was w. C. Temple of Florida.
He proved to be mighty important
witness, but that is not the point.
The point is that it brought into ma
ional prominence once more a man
of unusual character and Characters
tics, and showed the nation-or so
much of il as read the testimony CIV
en- before the committee-how a man
Of force is an asset to any state.
Temple of Florida is the Temple
of Pittsburgh, of several years ago
donator of the famous Temple cup,
known to all baseball fans, owner of
the Pittsburgh baseball team for sew
eral years, a steel operator, factor
in the organization of the steel trust,
and an interesting character in every
respect.
At the time of the formation of the
steel trust, Temple was a mill owner,
with large interests. The steel trust
had to have his properties. They
wanted Temple, but he didn't want to
be in the combine. So he sold his
holdings to the trust, after showing
Morgan and his bunch how they
might successfully promote the steel
combine. But the trust did not want
Temples mills alone; they wanted
him to remain out of the business
forever. They did not want him as a
competitor. So in addition to buy
ing his properties, they engaged him
not to enter the steel business for
the rest of his life.
Still young man, Temple decided
to go to Florida, and live life of
ease. But there is no life of ease for
a man who was as active as Temple
was. No sooner was he located in
Florida than his influence began to
be felt in the state because of his ac-
tivities.
i He engaged in orange growing as
a pastime-and made it great bust
ness proposition. Skilled in the art
of organization, he undertook to show
the orange growers the secrets of CO.
operation-and he was factor in the
Organization of the Florida Citrus
Exchange, a corporation that is doing
much for the orange grower and more
for the consumer of oranges, since it
prevents the shipment of unripe and
inferior fruit to the northern mar
kets.
/ Florida is now Temples hobby. He
believes in the state and its future.
He sees its greatness in every ray of
sunshine. He talks it and advocates
II in every way. The possibilities of
the state are unlimited in his estima-
ton. He induces northern people to
/ 90 down there. He works for mar
kets for Florida products. He writes
entertainingly of Florida at all times.
And still he actually believes he has
retired from business.
The Florida citrus fruit growers
have tremendous advantage in all
of the middle west and eastern states
but they have not taken advantage to
the extent Temple thinks they should,
nor to the extent they will if they
| follow Temples advice. In fact, if
the fruit growers of Florida combine
in marketing their product, so that
the consumer will be guaranteed SUI
1 perior fruit, and the markets care
fully studied as they will be under
such combination; if they cooperate
along the lines of the exchange
which Temple is managing, they will
find that Florida cannot raise enough
citrus fruit to supply the demand
that will be created for it.
I But as for Temple himself-as de-
lightful a character as one can meet
in years journey. Growing gray,
but still young; a sense of humor as
genial as the sun of his beloved Flor
ida: an eye that answers your ques-
tions before he speaks, and a face
that is as classic as any Scotchman
ever wore and as kindly as an Irish
man could hope for-Temple of Flor
ida makes friends wherever he losses
his hat. He loves life and life loves
him. He plays golf good deal, fish,
i es some, and entertains much. He
j knows the soil and climate of every
}, state in the Union as well as he
] knows iron ore. He is a master Of
transportation. He is a shrewd bar
gamer and a clever seller, and an ex-
} pert adviser, but one loses sight of
: these things in his presence. For he
is, above all else, bundle of enthu-
} siasm, and Florida and it's possibili-
: ties are the foundation of his dreams.
l Dayton co. Daily News.