The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-07-20
THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
XIV.

Palm Beach, making the trip in lit
tie over two hours. At Delray, we
turned out for another ride by the
ocean. BY doing this we missed see
ing Lake Worth and some other pref
ty towns, with fine territory, but we
had another good view of the great
Atlantic, which was in one of it's
most smiling moods that day.
West Palm Beach and its nearby
towns were pinpoints of civilization
in the wilderness twenty-five years
ago. Now they stud like so many
Jewels one of the most enticing and
enterprising regions of Florida. I
first heard of Palm Beach while was
at New Smyrna. A land company
had staked off lots there and was try
ing to sell them. New Smyrna friends
who had seen the place told me it
was land swindie. Gosh! / wish |
had gone down there and let myself
be swindled into buying few acres.
The place began to grow when
Flagler decided to build one of his
big hotels there. Then sprang up an
alliance-Palm Beach for pleasure on
the ocean side of Lake Worth and
West Palm Beach for business on the
land side. Both have fulfilled their
purposes magnifcently, and beside
Palm Beach does much business and
West Palm Beach is a pleasant town.
A number of smaller towns are grow
ing up in the vicinity; their edges
overlap, and they will soon make a
city covering more space than Greater
New York, and. more agreeable to live
in.
West Palm Beach is another town
that shows plainly that it's people are
considering the future, and want to
not only live in an uptodate city
themselves but keep It going for
| those who come after them.
We stopped in West Palm Beach
about two hours. The young folks
drove around looking at the place,
and put in most of my time talking
with him.
Joe Earman is one of Florida's big
men. One of the few good things
| that Governor Cats did was to put
Mr.. Earman in public Office and give
him a chance to show what he could
do. He was first appointed on the
board of control, where he found him
self in somewhat unfriendly element.
This he won over by sheer merit and
geniality, and when after two years
service he left that body all the other
members were his appreciative
friends. Education lies nearest to
Mr.. Earman's heart. AS a boy he
worked his way against great disad-
vantages, and now it is a labor of
love with him to remove the obstacles
between Florida boys and girls and
| education. Particularly does it de-
light him to go down in the depths
and help to the surface some one who
had been hopelessly struggling, and
aid in giving the instruction that
enables the swimmer to buffet the
waves of life's rough sea. So board
of control work was very congenial to
him. Mr.~Earman was later appoint
ed chairman of the state board of
health, and beyond doubt that body
attained it's greatest efficiency during
his administration. It has deteriorat-
ed perceptibly since his resignation.
Mr.. Earman is prominent among
the men who have builded West Palm
Beach. His enterprise and good bust
ness sense, while advancing his own
interests have also been at the serv-
ice of his community. Regular WISH
tors to Palm and West Palm Beach
are large number of men whose
talents have never rusted in a napkin.
Mr.. Earman is "Joe" to most of these
men. He is one of them and stands
shoulder to shoulder with the best,
and his acquaintance with them has
been greatly used for the good not
only of the East Coast but all the
state. Mr.. Earman is an all-Florida
man. No state division for him but
he will labor for the representation
that South Florida is entitled to.
Mr.. Earman is municipal judge of
West Palm Beach, an Office in which
his wide knowledge of human nature
makes him proficient. He tempers
| justice with mercy and gives the &C
cused the benefit of the doubt, but is
not easy to impose on. His common
sense decisions are winning for both
him and his town enviable publicity
If Judge Earman had been on the
bench, instead of Solomon, on the day
the two mothers disputed about the
child, he would have arrived at a de,
cision without having the kid swung
by the heels in the man-at-arms' fist
| soaring the child's mother half tr