Evening star., 1941-12-28
Palm Beach C|ings
Successfully 10
Tourist AIoofness
Wealthy Still Control
Exclusive Area; Frown
Even on Commerce
Wide World News.

Wide World News.
PALM BEACH, Dec. 27.-Palm
Beach isn't place-its an attitude.
Even though the town limits OF
this fabulously wealthy community
are extensive, sprawling for miles
I'D and down a narrow slice of island
lust off the Florida East Coast
mainland, the Palm Beach attitude
of exclusiveness extends even
farther-to Hobe Sound, 25 miles TO
the north. and Boca Ration, 20 miles
southwark.
In between are sprinkled several
little municipalities. Each has sep
arate police and fire departments
and separate governments, but all
are cut from the same cloth-and
that's cloth of gold.
For the residents of the gold coast
are the holders of enormous for
tunes, who sometimes count their
incomes in seven figures.
The first big money came to the
area in the early 1905 when Henry
M. Flagler, Florida railroad and real
estate developer. and Col. Edward
R. Bradley and their friends
| thought that the island on which
Palm Beach stands would make q
perfect winter playground for the
rich.
Closer To Gulf Stream.
They observed that the coast o1
Florida thrust closer to the warming
waters of the Gulf Stream at Palm
Beach than at any other spot on
the Atlantic. The dense tropical
growth they saw as the promise OF
I wonder gardens for the delight OF
those who could maintain large
estates
Mr.. Flagler began the construc-
ton of the Royal Poinciana Hotel
which remained one of the worlds
most famous resort inns until it wa:
razed in 1884. Cape Cod cottage:
sprang up on the land as homes
for the vacationists whom the de-
velopers hoped would come.
They did come-in such great
numbers that the city of shanties
housing construction workers anc
servants of the town was moved
across the narrow waters of Lake
Worth to the mainland, where i
formed the nucleus of West Palm
Beach.
With this cleavage between worl
and play, the form of Palm Beach
was cast. To this day Palm Beach
is a community inhabited almos
exclusively by wealthy vacationists
and virtually all the commerce tina
must serve town of $1,000 to 20,00'
is conducted across the lake.
Though the lake is so marrow
you could almost throw a gilt-edge'
bond across it, it is socially as wild
as an ocean. The laundryman o
filling station manager from Yves
Palm Beach who tries to move hi
establishment across the way find
himself barred when he gets to tn
three bridges crossing to the dia
mond- studded hamlet.
I. Ceiling on Business Spots.
The town fathers have dong sine
decided how many places Of trad,
Palm Beach can have and still keel
its dignity No more are permitted
Four service stations, no laundrie
!, and absolutely no hot dog stands o
blatant tourist curio shops ar,
J allowed. ss
: The ban doesn't extend to luxur,
shops. of course. Worth avenue, tn
. main shopping center, is lined will
stores selling clothes, works of arr
furniture, cosmetics and bauble
which only the favored can carr
away and the rest only dream about
With New York's Fifth avenu
and Miami Beach'S Lincoln roac
this short street ranks among Nortl
Americas swankiest shopping thor
oughfares.
What makes the money com
here? The climate helps; so doe
the natural beauty of the semi
: tropics which makes the well-ker
= estates look like fairylands.
: But the tradition of exclusive
: ness is probably most importan
Because the rich began coming
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