Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-05-31
IS Inclined
THAN To FINANCE
Showed No interest In Rail-
road and Hotel Plans of
His Late Father.

ana sun auOLnef klDu 10 the Dutcn lOr
anything they had a mind to pagan
other dissatisfied youngster was
commission merchant in Cleveland
Dir. Flagler had saved a little money
and went into the grain business in
Bellevue, o. He sent a good many
carloads of wheat to John d. Rookie
feller, the Cleveland commission mer-
chant.
John d. and his brother William
started small oil refinery In Cleye-
land on the side of hill. They built
second in 1867, and Stephen Hark.
ness, related to Flagler by marriage,
backed him to the extent of 100000.
with which he bought a partnership In
the Rockefeller concern.
Bought Up Refneries.
This was Rockefeller, Andrews &
Flagler. OF the three Cleveland resi-
dents always said that Andrews had
the largest endowment of natural abil-
ity. Rockefeller the most pertinacity,
Flagler the most method. BY and by
other refneries sprang up around the
three. Rockefeller. Andrews & Flag
Ter bought them up.
They were making money and max
ing it fast. F'lagler became resident
of Cleveland. and that city began to
take notice. In 1870 they closed their
partnership and organized the Stand.
ard Oil company. At first it was CAPT
talized for 100000 Then when they
bought out Lockhart, Frew 81 Co. of
Pittsburgh, Warden, Frew & Co. OF
Philadelphia and Charles Pratt e Co.
of New York the capitalization jumped
to S3.5OOo00
Once the Standard Oil company be-
gan to feel its strength the history of
the business career OF Mr.. F'lagler was
identical with the history of Standard
Oil. He was called the second pow
err" there. Up to June, 1908, he was
vice president and director.
He was also a director of the West
ern Union Telegraph company, the
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail
way, the Minnesota Iron company. the
Duluth and Iron Range railroad. the
International Bank Note company. the
Morton Trust company. the Penlnsular
and Occidental Steamship company.
the Florida East Coast railway and the
Jacksonville. Tampa ana Key West
railway. M sls
Mr.. Flagler became interested in the
possibilities Of the Wilderness Of Flori-
da being used FOR fruit growing. and
| he decided to open up the wilderness
by means of railroads With this end
in view he acquired in 1856 the Jack
sonwlle. st. Augustine and Halifax
River railroad and two years later he
bought the st. Augustine and Palatka
railroad, the st Johns and Halifax,
which ran 20 Daytona, and a narrow
gauge road
UnSl 1892 he devoted his energies to
improving the railroads he had. but
then he began the construction of u
line south from Daytona. his purpose
being to opeu up the Wilderness That
year thousands of orange trees were
planted along the road, but a frost
blighted them. Mr. Flagler then de
clded to run his road beyond the reach
of frost, and in 1894 he carried it as
far as Palm Beach.
Again the frost arrived He then
extended his road TO Miami in 1896.
and no frost reached the crops there.
Spent Many Millions.
Edwin Lefevre says this about Mr.
Flagler's work in Florida:
fp 30 10
figures can give an adequate idea OF
the magnitude Of Mr.. Flagler's work
He has spent $41,00oO00 in Florida
that is, his investment in Incorporated
enterprises amounts to that--diyided
roughly as follows: Eighteen million
dollars in the old railroads, including
the development of towns; 100000
in the Key West extension, $l2000O0U
in hotels and Sl,000,o00 in steamboat
/ and outside enterprises.
This sum does not include his char
ties, churches and divers donations. for
neither he nor any one else has kept
the dgmes. The value of the taxable
property In the districts exclusively
reached by the Flagler roads has in
creased $o0.O000O0 since lie began.
There are today only about 25.oOO
acres under cultivation for fruit ana
vegetables out or n total Of about $500,
600 acres now available for such cult
vatiOn"
In 1905. when the Panama canal was
assured, Mr.. Flagler conceived the idea
Of running his railroad 10 Key West
He sent for his engineers and told
them OF his plan He told them hap
hazard makeshift roadbeds would not
do, expense did not count, but he must
have an up to date, permanent road
built And he got 1t.
Tie road Is famous for Its forty-siS
mile extension from Knights key TO
Key West. opened III January. 1912, the
object being to run ear ferries to Ha,
yana, ninety miles distant The road