Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-03-02
WHILE NORTH SH|VERS
THOUSANDS bASK
Continued from First Pagel

sion l have gathered during the few
days l have been here and 1t seems
to be the impression of all northern
visitors. Palm Beach is attractive as
a resort and will always continue to
be the spectacular show place of the
coast but for substantial achievement
and permanent growth this city i'm
presses me as the one that is certain
TO stand out as the place having a
great future. 1t requires only ordi-
nary vision to see city of many thou
sands within the present decade. About
S0 per cent. of the population repre-
sents northern activity and ginger.
with the enormous grapefruit
groves, the fruit farms and the rapid
development of agricultural interests,
added to the fisheries and the fact that
this is certain to be one of the i'm
portant ports and the further fact that
1t is now the outlet of a branch of the
drainage canal system, it is not diff
cult to understand the phenomenal
growth and development. Miami was
scarcely more than village ten
years ago; to-day it is bustling,
beautiful city of Approximately 10000,
and l am told the census jumped al
most six thousand in a single year.
from the opening up of the fruit coun-
try and increase of activities along the
general lines of development. The
Flagler railway system has made Mi
ami the metropolis of the lower penin-
|sula.
There is also a significant develop
ment along political lines only second
TO the material prosperity. The coun-
ty of which Miami is the seat of gov
ernment closed down on the liquor
traffic recently, and it is said there is
a Statewide sentiment developing on
this proposition along moral and econ
omic lines.
Ex-senator William Finn, of Pitts
burgh, was here yesterday and attend
ed meeting of the Bull Moose COM
fnittee. He was so much impressed
with Miami that he remained until
to-day, spending most of the time rid
ing about the city and its suburban
districts. He also believes that there
is great future for this section and
agrees that Miami is the natural out
let for Southern Florida.
Here the visitor finds a reverend
Ing interest in the wonderful drainage
work of the State in the Everglades.
Since our boyhood DAYS we have been
taught that the Everglades was a
jungle swamp, filled with crocodiles,
big serpents and bad Indians, but to-
day the drainage and irrigation scheme
has changed all this and there are
now thousands of acres of rich soil
under cultivation where as many as
four crops are gathered in a single
year
1t is not difficult to understand why
F'lagler pushed forward his great rail-
| road system in view of what has trans
pired and is transpiring all over the
southern part of Florida 1t is Just
on the edge of its development. Land
In the Everglades which sold ten years
ago for two dollars an acre is now
selling at an average of $40, and in
some cases from $50 to $500 an acre.
Meanwhile tracts are being taken up
by farmers and fruit growers who are
utilizing what has been vast waste
in producing enormous crops OF the
fruits which are sent all over the
world in untold quantity.
our party travelled all of the way to
Key West in order to see the wonder
ful viaduct system over the Keys, and
even Key West, isolated as 1t was for
many, many years, is now looking for
ward to its permanent development
as great seaport by reason of the
opening of the Panama Canal. Mil
lions of dollars are being expended
there in docks. Altogether Florida is
opening up opportunities such as have
not been known since the early west
ern homestead days and the boys of
the present generation are going to see
in this peninsula such growth as will
be comparable only to the opening of
the prairies of the great West.
Fine State highways, constructed of
the coral rock which sticks it's nose
through the surface everywhere, are
helping to bring Florida into her own
and the lesson must be obvious for the
| Pennsylvanians who are coming this
way in increasing numbers every year.
Palms of every kind. flowers of
every sort, fruits in endless variety,
| fish inexhaustible, climate unsur-
passed, bright future what more
e. j. S.