Northern people go to Florida, from November to April, to spend money. Sunshine, soft breezes, flowers, and singing birds are a vast improvement on raw winds, alternating frost and thaw, and mud and misery.

The favorite resorts of Florida are on the east coast, where are the Halifax and Indian rivers, formed by flinging out an arm of sand into the great waters of the Atlantic and turning a section of the deep into an inland sea. The ocean beach of Florida, stretches north and south, more than 400 miles.

Northern capital alone has made the improvements which, in conjunction with natural elements, constitute the attractive features of Florida's pleasure resorts. Most of the expenditure in this direction is represented by capacious and superb hotels at various well-known points, which owe their construction to a single man.

At St. Augustine, this man of comprehensive entertainment, built the Ponce de Leon, and when this luxurious and beautiful structure is opened for the season, the ancient town, over whose time-begrimed fortress the ensigns of three different nations have successively waved, celebrates the event with processions, the booming of cannon and a profusion of flags.

The Alcazar and Cordova, at St. Angustine, owe their origin to the same man, and later he added the Ormond, on the Halifax, the Royal Poinciana and Breakers, at Palm Beach, the Royal Palm, at Miami, and the Colonial, over at Nassau—all sumptuous and palatial.

The greatest, however, is the Royal Poinciana, at Palm Beach, a place which this modern Crœsus has made the most beautiful spot on earth.

Cocoanut plantation. Cocoanut raising, so profitable in India, as shown by the above illustration, is also one of the industries of Southern Florida.

On one side is Lake Worth, on the other the Atlantic, and over the stretch of sand between are groves of cocoanut palm and palmettos, avenues of Australian pine and oleanders, and gardens of glorious hued flowers. When all this tropical foliage is bathed in Florida sunshine, gleaming and glad; when the Neapolitan Orchestra goes out under the palms and the guests gather for the afternoon concert, and that heavenly music floats out upon the breezes which come in fresh and sweet from the sea; when the cocoanuts cling close to the strong stems above and great plumes of green sway across the blue beyond, their grateful shade sheltering the throngs of beautifully gowned women below, whose toilets are in pretty pink and purple of the flowers; the scene is certainly very fairylike. It has been called "Paradise" so often that the term is trite. But one could weave many a vision of fancy together and find them realized here.

Palm Beach, florida, as it appears to the tourist.

To see it is to understand why Palm Beach has become the center of attraction for that procession of wealth and aristocracy which moves southward in search of rest, pleasure or new excitement. Nearly the whole generation of millionaires flocks here. It dazes one to look over the list of names sometimes registered at Palm Beach —the Astors, the Vanderbilts, the Goulds, the Castellanes, the Manchesters, the Stillmans, the Benedicts, the Joneses, the Harrimans, the Van Rensselaers, the Clarkes, the MacVeaghs, the Wanamakers, the Schofields, and a score or more of others. Nowhere else are so many millionaires housed and huddled together on one little strip of land.

Of course money flows like water. It hardly seems to be money, but is flung out with a freedom which is equaled only by the eagerness with which it was grasped in the making. At high tide, which was reached about the last of February this year, the Royal Poinciana had some 1,400 guests, and the daily income could hardly have averaged less than $10 per guest. The employes and help, of the great establishment number 1,100 persons, and the cost of food alone is $2,200 per day.

It nearly all comes from the North, and hence means little to Florida. Cars are sidetracked at the kitchen doors and the supplies go straight to the pantries and refrigerators. The dining-room covers about two-thirds of an acre, seating 1,700 people, and the corridors and halls measure more than two miles. It is the largest hotel in the world.

The railroad built by the owner of these mammoth hotels has opened up the garden spots of the east coast.

Latest method of growing pineapples in Florida.

The Indian River orange groves produce the finest flavored fruit sent to market, and the pineapple fields on the same river, near Forts Pierce and Eden, are very prolific. One of the farmers of that section says that if he gets only two crops in five years it is still a profitable business. An acre of ground has yielded as high as $900.

At Miami the truck gardeners are raising immense quantities of tomatoes and other vegetables. Corn in the ear and peas, beans, and tomatoes may be found ready for market in the beginning of April. A small limb on a grape-fruit tree often contains as much as 50 pounds of fruit.

Sponge factory—Key West, Florida. An important industry about which few people are informed.

Not the least interesting and important among the features of Florida production is the sponge industry, a representation of which appears in this connection.

MAKING MONEY AT THE MINT
ALASKA
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© 1998, 2002 by Lynn Waterman