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Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
taken in hand by capitalists from Boston, and connection made by rail
between Gainesville, Palatka, and Leesburg.
“With this company Mr. Plant made arrangements for the construction of
the road from Gainesville west to a connection with the Southern extension
of the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad which has been constructed
and is now in operation.
“A branch will soon be built to connect it with Lake City.
“By reference to our map, it will be seen that these roads traverse all the
counties of the interior, down to the Everglades, and open them to
settlement and to profitable orange culture and the production of sugar,
cotton, and rice. These roads have brought actual settlers by scores of
thousands to occupy these rich and fertile lands, the finest in the State, and
other railway companies, stimulated by their example and encouragement,
have constructed roads connecting with these. By the charters of bankrupt
railroads which they have bought, the Plant Investment Company is entitled
to a large amount of lands from the State, 10,000 acres to the mile, in most
cases, as well as later grants on their newly constructed roads; but the State
has not yet the lands to deed to them, except to a small amount, though
eventually it may have.
“Mr. Plant is a man of fine and commanding appearance, dignified and
quiet, yet genial in manners, and of the most genuine modesty and
gentleness in his intercourse with others. No judge of character could fail to
observe, however, that he is a man of remarkable executive ability and
sound judgment, or that he has a greater amount of reserve power than most
business men possess. His associates, and those with whom he is brought
into business relations, all speak of him in terms of the highest admiration
and esteem.”
The City Item for December 4, 1886, says:
“Mr. Henry B. Plant is a very admirable type of that class of successful
men of enterprise who owe their prosperity to broad business views, large
public spirit, and commanding integrity of character joined to solid
capacity. Born in Branford, Conn., his entrance upon active life was in
connection with transportation on the New Haven steamboat line, and his
subsequent career has been identified with similar enterprises. Ultimately
entering the service of Adams Express Company, he was instrumental in
extending its business throughout the Southern States, and finally, with
others, purchased its lines, and formed the Southern Express Company, of
which he became president. This position he still holds, having by his
energy and enterprise greatly enlarged and extended the business of the
company. In 1853, when the delightful climate, attractiveness and fertility
of Florida were as yet but poorly appreciated, Mr. Plant recognized the
possibilities which that State opened up, and an opportunity being presented
for the extention of transportation facilities by the sale of the Savannah and
Charleston Railway, and the Atlantic and Gulf Railway, those properties
were purchased and reconstructed by him, the name of the former being
changed to the Charleston and Savannah, and the latter to the Savannah,
Florida, and Western Railway. This last he extended to the Chattahoochee
River, to Jacksonville and Gainesville, in Florida. Subsequently he
constructed the road between Way Cross, Georgia, and Jacksonville, and
Live Oak and Gainesville, and also placed steamship lines on the
Chattahoochee and St. John’s Rivers, connecting the railroad at Jacksonville
with Sanford on Lake Monroe, and building the South Florida Railway
thence to Bartow and Tampa, establishing steamboat communication to the
Manatee River and other points on Tampa Bay. More recently he has
established a steamboat line between Tampa, Key West, and Havana. This
service was increased on the 1st inst. to tri-weekly trips, under special
contract with the Post-office Department. By this route, in connection with
the railroad from Tampa, the line from New York to Havana is only three
days, thus enabling the invalid or pleasure seeker of the metropolis to
exchange the rigors of our winter climate for the delicious temperature of
Cuba, with an ease and under conditions of travel which must make this
line increasingly popular with the lapse of years. The Mascotte, now
running on this route, is one of the most handsome and complete steamships
built, its appointments being in every respect really luxurious, while in
point of seaworthiness it is everything that the most expert mechanism
could make it. Its staterooms are dainty boudoirs, while its saloon is as
exquisitely fitted up as any drawing-room. A second vessel, now building
for the line, will be equally attractive in all its interior arrangements. Mr.
Plant, while a thorough man of business, and deeply immersed in material
pursuits, has never lost the courtliness of manner and genial whole-
heartedness which are Nature’s choicest gifts to her favorites; and among all
who know him he ranks as the loyal friend and elegant gentleman.”
Railroad Topics says:
 “In this day of vast individual fortunes, it is no special compliment to
say of a man that he is rich. If the public takes any interest in his wealth,
there is generally more concern manifested in the manner in which he made
his money, than in the mere fact that he has it. But conspicuous success and
marked prominence do, and will always, command attention and challenge
admiration. The spirit of the American people is to applaud achievement
and honor distinction wherever they are observed, and when found
combined in one man, they make him a popular object of praise and an
interesting subject for biographical sketch. Such a case we have in the
person of Mr. Henry B. Plant, whose record we attempt to outline in the
following brief story:
“Mr. Plant was born at Branford, Conn., in October, 1819, and is
consequently now in the seventieth year of his age. It is indeed a pleasure to
contemplate the record of a man who has fulfilled the sacred tradition of his
allotted time, and stamped that rounded life with innumerable evidences of
steadily growing strength, constantly increasing usefulness, continually
widening reputation, and vastly expanding possessions. The personal
history of H. B. Plant, if shorn of all details, would stand complete in that
one paragraph.
“He has thus far lived to excellent purpose, and in the run of that
existence has accomplished in fullest measure all that is comprehended in
the descriptive suggestion.
“If we wrote not another line, we would feel that we had made a
practical analysis of his life and set forth the salient truths of it. But when a
man has attained Mr. Plant’s prominence, and compassed achievements
such as his, people are interested in the details of his career, and naturally
inquire as to his distinguishing characteristics. In deference to that
reasonable curiosity, and likewise for the pleasure that there is in it to
ourselves, we gladly make this sketch of him.
“It is nothing remarkable to say that he was born poor. Most men who
have ever amounted to much were. Hence in that particular he is not
exceptional. Neither would we be satisfied simply to class him with that
great multitude, popularly termed, “self made men.” He does belong in that
catagory, but is so far above the average, that we incline to think of that
descriptive fact more as an accident than as a cardinal virtue.
 “The first account we have of him is only a meagre record of his school
days. He never went to college, but had to content his ambitious young
spirit with a good academic course, supplemented by a brief term of
finishing study under a thoroughly competent tutor. This, however, was
only a theoretical disadvantage, from the fact that the termination of his
school days was no interruption to his mental acquirements. He was born
with an ambition for knowledge, and does not to this day feel himself too
old, or too wise, to learn.
“Mr. Plant’s first experience in business, was when, a mere boy, he
secured employment on one of that line of steamboats, then running
between New Haven and New York. Although very young, he appreciated
even then that the only way to learn any business thoroughly was by
beginning at the bottom. Accordingly he took his first lessons in steamboat
life in a humble position. It was not long, however, before, by faithfulness
and efficiency, he lifted himself into higher and more responsible places.
That first and prompt promotion was the initial sign of what his life would
be, and from then till now, he has steadily marched onward and upward,
overcoming obstacles and mastering difficulties with heroic energy, and
winning success in the various lines of his broadening operations with
positive brilliancy.
“While employed by the New York and New Haven Steamboat
Company, one of the first express lines ever established in this country was
inaugurated between New Haven and New York, and the enterprise at once
fascinated young Plant. He bent every energy toward the acquirement of a
small interest in the new express company, and in reasonable time
accomplished his purpose. From that day to this, express business has been
his best love throughout the wide range of his material interests. His first
important connection in that line was with the Adams Express Company
about 1847. In that corporation he became a leading spirit and holds such
position to-day. His special pet, however, among the various express
systems with which he is identified is the Southern Express Company
which he established in 1862. This child of his wisdom has grown to be a
giant, and is to-day one of the richest, most influential, and ably managed
corporations in this country. It traverses all the Southern States, and is, for
all practical purposes, permanently established on nearly every important
railroad system in the South.
 “Of late years Mr. Plant has been giving much of his attention to the
acquisition of railroad properties, and in admirable continuance of his
previous record, he has crowned this undertaking with splendid success. He
is virtually master and largely owner of the Savannah, Florida, and Western
Railway, and likewise of the Charleston and Savannah Railway. This gives
him a direct and popular line from Charleston, South Carolina, to
Jacksonville, Florida. He has also made various branches from his main
line, penetrating the principal districts of Florida, and by this wise railroad
building has done far more than can be computed or told, toward that
marvellous development of Florida which has been accomplished within the
last ten years. Mr. Plant was truly a pioneer in this praiseworthy work, and
there is probably no man who deserves more than he does the grateful
acknowledgements of the Florida people, as well as the hearty gratitude of
the countless thousands who have gone from all other sections of the
country to enjoy the healing benefits of that curative climate, and the sweet
restfulness of that floral dreamland.
“The Plant Investment Co., of which Mr. H. B. Plant is the head, and in
which he has associated with him several sagacious millionaires, is a
powerful corporation which was organized for co-operative investment in
valuable southern railroad properties and advantageous control of the same.
This company is managed with exceptional ability, and by its vast
acquisitions and extensions, has become a great power in the railroad world,
and is rapidly accumulating for its stockholders untold wealth. This
Investment Company is practically controlled by Mr. Plant, and its entire
policy is shaped by his judgment. One of his latest enterprises, under the
auspices of the Investment Company, is the establishment of a fast line of
steamers from Tampa, Florida, to Cuba. At Tampa, Mr. Plant has extended
one of his railroads out to deep water, and thereby made it an excellent port
for even heavy draught ships. The whole of Florida bears the impress of his
energy, enterprise, and wisdom.
“Mr. Plant’s home is New York City, where he has a palatial residence
on Fifth avenue, and luxurious business quarters at No. 12 West 23d street.
Whenever a man amasses a fortune he naturally drifts into Wall Street, the
financial centre of America. Mr. Plant is a conspicuous exception to this
rule. He rarely treads the narrow golden street leading from Trinity Church
to East River. There is no speculative element in his nature. He is
conservative to the last degree, and works on no plan that is not founded on
reason and justified by a positive trend from cause to effect. He has all the
vigor and alertness usually to be found in a man of fifty years of age. He is
keenly alive to all the possibilities of affairs that come under his
observation, and quick to determine any question that is presented to him.
“He is a thoughtful man and extremely reserved. It is necessary to know
him well to appreciate the excellent fairness of his mind, and the kindness
of his heart. He is ostentatious in nothing, but under all circumstances
conducts himself with modest dignity and irresistible reserve force. He is
emphatically what might be called an extractive man. That is, he has an
inexplicable faculty for drawing any one out, without ever appearing
inquisitive, or leading on by talking much himself. If he has one
characteristic stronger than all others, it is his wonderful genius for keeping
his own counsel. He never lacks cordiality of manner, but is always
gracious and genial. Another forceful point of his character, is that
inexhaustible patience which has enabled him to live undisturbed in the
faith that ‘all things come to him who knows how to wait.’
“He thoroughly systematizes every department of his life, and keeps his
house in such perfect order that if he should shake the harness off and quit
work to-morrow, all those far-reaching plans which have had their
foundations laid under his wise direction, would by his faithful followers be
worked out to rounded completeness and finished perfection.
“And thus by the mighty working of his master brain he has achieved
success, won renown, accumulated an immense fortune, done great good,
and made for himself an undisputed place among the leaders of this day.
And besides all these victories, he has set on foot gigantic plans that may
not fully mature for many years to come, but in those very plans he has laid
the corner-stone of a great monument to his worthy memory, and those who
come after him, if faithful to their trust, will build on as wisely as he has
planned, until the capstone of his imperishable memorial is fitted in its
place, by the final accomplishment of each and every purpose of his well-
spent life.”
The Home Journal says:
“Henry B. Plant, president of the Plant System of hotels, railways, and
steamship lines, is one of the men of to-day, whose work will influence the
future. He controls twelve different railway corporations with a mileage of
1941, and 5506 employees; is president of the Southern and the Texas
Express Companies, employing 6808 men; president of steamship lines,
covering the coasts of the Gulf, going to Cuba and Jamaica, and skirting the
coasts of the North, running to Cape Breton and the maritime provinces;
founder of the most palatial winter resort in America, the Tampa Bay Hotel,
and owner of five other beautiful resorts within the State. To Mr. Plant may
be accredited the development, if not the real discovery, of the grand West
or Gulf Coast of Florida. He is an American, and is seventy-seven years old;
a man of tireless energy, wonderful ability, and remarkable industry. His
career is marked by honesty, uprightness, straightforwardness, and
business-like dealings. These qualities, together with a broad intelligence
and keen perception, have brought him success. Withal, he is modest and
unassuming, and has no pride but that which he takes in good works.”
From the Ocala Evening Star, June 22, 1896:
“H. B. Plant, the railroad king, has again stepped into our midst and
proposes to add to the new improvements of our city a large and elegant
passenger depot.
“Notwithstanding the fact that he has done much already to advance the
prosperity of the beautiful perpetual summer land of flowers and sunshine,
he is still, at the present time, losing no opportunity to add to the beauty and
upbuilding of the State of Florida.
“If every railroad running into our State would feel as much interest in
her welfare as does the Plant System, but a few years would elapse before
this section would be the most prosperous in the Union.
“Thousands upon thousands of dollars are spent every year by the
officials of this road in the improvement and erection of property within our
borders.
“H. B. Plant is indeed a friend to Florida, and if other roads would spend
as much money in our State as he does, there would not be such a cry for
free silver, as there would be plenty in circulation, and every one, from
laborer to governor, would have his share.
“While Mr. Plant is somewhat advanced in life, the Star hopes that his
years may yet be many and his love for the sunny peninsula as great in
coming years as in the past.”
From the Home Journal, New York, March 11, 1896:
“If, comparatively a few years ago, one had ventured the prophecy that
the time would arrive when we could leave New York at half-past nine one
morning, and wake up at daylight the next morning in Charleston, a court of
inquiry would have been called to pass upon his mental condition. Such,
however, are the facts to-day.
“You leave Jersey City in a sleeper, supplied with all of the latest
appointments for comfort; a courteous conductor takes your tickets, with
which you have no further concern until you reach Charleston, when they
are handed to you in an envelope. What a comfort not to have to be pulling
out the everlasting ticket just in the midst of conversation or while reading
an interesting magazine article!
“If the cars are not crowded, you feel a sort of proprietary right to roam
around at pleasure, change your seat as often as you desire, and wash your
face and your hands whenever they need it in the cosy little toilet-room.
What a change from the old-fashioned water-cooler, where a cupful of
water was wont to be poured over a pocket-handkerchief, and the face and
hands wiped with it, leaving arabesque designs in black and white wherever
it touched!
“Then, instead of rushing to a railroad eating-house in order to refresh
the inner man, having to put up with ‘railroad coffee,’ and experiencing a
nervous shock every time a whistle blows, your meals are taken at dainty
little tables, in your own compartments, where polite and efficient waiters
do your bidding.
“Instead of the tiresome, old-fashioned trip of two days and a night, the
trip now is twenty hours. Verily the twin powers of steam and electricity
have wrought wonders in the conditions of life.
“The Plant System, to which the Atlantic Coast Line is ‘a feeder,’ has
emphatically gridironed the South. To-day Mr. Henry B. Plant is the
president of a railroad system that embraces twelve different corporations,
and whose mileage extends to 1941, with a list of employees numbering
5506. He is also president of the Plant steamship and steamboat lines,
covering the coasts of the Gulf, Cuba, and Jamaica, and skirting the coasts
of the North, running from Boston along Nova Scotia to Cape Breton and
Prince Edward Island. In addition to these interests, Mr. Plant is president of
the Southern and Texas Express companies, which do a business as express
forwarders over 24,412 miles of railway, and have lines in fifteen States,
employing 6808 men and using 1463 horses and 886 wagons. Mr. Plant is
seventy-six years of age. He needs no eulogy; his works speak for him.
Although of Northern birth, he is as much beloved and respected at the
South as if native-born.
“Thirty-six years ago, President Jefferson Davis, of the Southern
Confederacy, demonstrated his confidence in, and admiration of Henry
Bradley Plant by giving him a pass entitling him to move hither and thither
at will through army headquarters, or wherever he pleased, in the interest of
the Adams Express Company, which he then represented, although Mr.
Plant declared that he did not sympathize with the political movement
which sought to rend the States.
“The Tampa Bay Hotel, Port Tampa Inn, and the Seminole, Winter Park,
Florida, are monuments of Mr. Plant’s enterprise and a portion of the
System. From one of these palatial hotels one can catch a fish on the back
porch and pluck a lemon to dress it with from the front porch. In Charleston
the name of Henry B. Plant is a synonym for success, and a name which
many a young man mentions with veneration, as one to which he owes a
lasting debt of gratitude.”
The May number of the Express Gazette, Cincinnati, Ohio, has this
appreciative paragraph:
“The editor of the Advertiser, Key West, Florida, pays the following
eloquent tribute of praise to Mr. H. B. Plant, President of the Plant System
of Railroads and the Southern Express Company:
“ ‘Mr. H. B. Plant, the president, the founder, and the controlling spirit of
the great Plant System, is held in high estimate by the citizens of this island.
He found it, years ago, isolated and remote from the great centres of
commerce, and his partiality to us soon changed a semi-occasional
connection with the mainland, by vessels of inferior character, into a tri-
weekly communication by the finest coastwise steamers in the Southern
waters. Brought in ready touch with the marts of trade, factories sprang into
existence, commerce grew, and a city with millions of revenue supplanted a
fishing hamlet. Through his enterprise we are enabled to write our history in
a line—a village, a city, a metropolis—and all this in a decade.
“ ‘The debt of gratitude which Key West owes to Mr. Plant is beyond
estimate. Indeed, so accustomed are we to the conveniences at hand, that we
are prone to fail in appreciation of what we have, in our greed for more.
That Mr. Plant has been and is still our best friend cannot be questioned in
the light of past experience; and while we cordially welcome and hail with
delight the coming of other transportation, our city should never be
forgetful of the man who was our friend when we had no other.’ ”
 CHAPTER XI.
Mr. Plant’s Close and Constant Contact with the Great System as Seen in the Following
Letters—Letter Written on Board the Steamer Comal—Letters on Trip to Jamaica, West
Indies, March 15, 1893, and Published in the Home Journal.

M R. PLANT keeps himself constantly informed of the workings of the

whole System over which he presides, by daily communication with
every part of it. The head of each department writes to the president
every day, or telegraphs, or does both if necessary, and in return, Mr. Plant,
through his secretary, replies daily to each communication received. So
close does he keep to the workings of the System that wherever he travels
in the country his mail is regularly delivered to him at points arranged for
the purpose, and it is as promptly answered from his private car as if he
were at his own office in New York City. Nor are all these letters which
pass between the president and his associates about hard business; they are
often social, familiar greetings, and interchanges of friendly intercourse.
The following extract from a letter, written by Mr. Plant when traveling to
Galveston, Texas, is an illustration of this:

NOTES OF THE VOYAGE.

“Left wharf on Steamer Comal, Saturday, July 22, 1893, 4 P.M., wind
southwest. Passed Sandy Hook about 5.30, found sea smooth; well off the
coast, shore houses vaguely seen in the distance.
“Sunday, 23d.—Had a still and comfortable moonlight night; smooth
seas; wind southwest; off Cape Charles, twelve o’clock. About one o’clock
wind all died away. The sea perfectly smooth until 2.30, when a light breeze
came in from the southeast, which lasted until sunset, then died away and
came out again from the west about six o’clock. Passed Body Island Light
with light breeze. No sea.
 “8.10 P.M.—Hatteras Light fairly abreast—ten sailing vessels and one
steamer in sight. Weather being fine, captain concluded to cross the Gulf
Stream and run down on the east side and along the Bahama Banks. We
have now been out twenty-eight hours, and I have felt very well. No
annoyance from the stomach so far in any particular.
“12 o’clock noon, Monday, 24th.—We are bowling along in the Gulf
Stream with a good breeze from the west—smooth sea. Had a fairly good
sleep. Room being on the port side and the wind from the west made it
rather warm. At noon to-day the temperature of the water is eighty degrees
and the air is eighty-two degrees, which is not so bad as might be. We are
now well off Charleston and about abreast of the Bermudas.
“Tuesday, 25th.—The wind continued from the west until about four
o’clock, when it ceased, and from that until nine we had a dead calm and a
smooth glassy sea. Now at ten o’clock a light breeze comes in from the
east, and we have prospect of a comfortable day.
“Yesterday P.M. we had crossed and were entirely east of the Gulf Stream
and there was no wind, of course, in still water. While in the Stream we had
a current of about three knots against us. Our course is now bringing us
again near the stream, which we shall cross in the course of the day and will
probably pass Jupiter before bedtime, say, nine o’clock. We are having a
delightful voyage so far, and I seem to be doing quite well.
“P.M.—The southwest wind has died out and we have a gentle breeze
from the east; this gives promise of the northeast trades for to-night, which
will be quite acceptable and will put me on the windward side of the ship;
have been on the lee side so far.
“5 P.M.—Have not seen a sail to-day, and am having a very restful time.
“9.30 P.M.—Have been with the captain since dinner, and for the last half
hour on the lookout for Jupiter Light. The lead informs us that we are too
far off the coast to enable us to see the Light just yet.
“9.50 P.M.—Now we just have a glimpse of the Light from the bridge,
and as ‘All’s well,’ I will to my couch for the night. The winds are favoring
those on the port side, having swung around to the northeast, giving a
promise of the southeast trades for to-morrow; so good-night.
“Wednesday A.M.—Had a splendid shower this A.M. just after daylight,
and right after the northeast wind died out and was soon followed by the
good southeast trade, and now (10.30) we are sailing along just outside the
reefs, having passed Cape Florida early this A.M. During the night we have
passed Palm Beach (Lake Worth).
“10.30 A.M.—We are now directly abreast of Carysfort Light, and a more
pleasant day to be at sea could not be desired. While at breakfast we passed
near the wreck of the English steamer Earl King. She went on the reef about
a year and a half ago; nothing now in sight but a portion of what looks to be
the bow—a good beacon to warn others from this dangerous reef. She is
reported to have been an old ship loaded with cement and other cheap
freight, bound for New Orleans, and well insured.
“The indications are that we shall arrive at Key West about seven
o’clock this P.M. and in time to meet the Mascotte on her return from
Havana. As we have but a small freight for Key West, we shall not be long
detained there, and shall expect to arrive in Galveston early Saturday night.
Temperature of air at one o’clock 81¾ degrees; water 83 degrees.
“Wednesday P.M.—Passed Aligator Light one o’clock; this will bring us
to Key West about eight o’clock, and enable me to place this on Mascotte
without much to spare, and probably place us ashore at Galveston Sunday
morning, and as you may not be in Darien Sunday, you will only receive the
message at office on Monday A.M. Send to Mrs. Plant at Branford on arrival,
so she may receive the information same day. Would like to have you make
at least a synopsis of the daily notes to Mr. O’B., that you may send to him
should he be absent. We are now well up with American Shoal Light; next
we shall have Sombrero, and then Sand Key and Key West. We are likely to
fall in with the Mascotte.
“We are jogging along very pleasantly with wind well on the port quarter
and temperature quite comfortable.”
The following letter from Mr. Plant, published in the Home Journal,
New York, March 15, 1893, speaks for itself. It shows its author to be at
home on shipboard, and as much at his ease as in his own parlor; while
carefully noting all points of interest and enjoying to the full all that was
enjoyable.
On Board S. S. “Halifax,”
Sunday, Feb. 26, ’93.
“We sailed from Port Tampa on Thursday, February 16th, and after a
delightfully smooth and pleasant trip arrived at Nassau, N. P., on Saturday
morning. A number of our party were entertained by the Honorable Sir
Ambrose Shea, governor of the island; others of us preferred to pass the few
hours in riding and driving, seeing something of the beauties of the place.
We returned to the steamer in the afternoon and got under way, passing out
of the harbor through the “Hole in the Wall,” as it is called. We steamed
down over the banks, passing along the eastern shore of the island, and
leaving Cape Mayce on our starboard, until away over to port were seen the
highlands of Hayti.
“All the way from Port Tampa to Jamaica, the weather was simply
delightful, and the sea as smooth as the waters of our Seneca Lake. We
arrived at the wharf at Kingston at seven o’clock Tuesday morning. Our
excursionists all went to the Myrtle Bank Hotel, where choice
accommodations were provided. We received a call from the Consul-
General of the United States, Mr. Dent, and also visits from other important
people of the city of Kingston. In the afternoon we received an invitation,
conveyed to the party through our conductor, Mr. A. E. Dick, a hotel man
well known in New York, to attend a garden party given by Lady Blake at
King’s House. Lady Blake is the wife of Sir Henry Blake, the governor of
the island. We found a large crowd of people, a gracious welcome, exquisite
music and bountiful refreshment. Only think of it—an out-of-door reception
on the twenty-first day of February!
“In the evening we were surprised to learn that a grand ball would be
given in our honor by the citizens of Kingston. It proved a very brilliant
affair. The beautiful costumes of the ladies formed a striking contrast to the
military costumes of the officers of the British West Indian Squadron; there
were eight ships in the harbor.
“We were called very early in the morning, coffee and fruit being served
in our rooms, and took carriages to the Western Railway station, whence we
started by rail for Bog Walk, on the Rio Cobre River. We arrived at half-past
ten. After leaving the train our attention was called to a group of negro men
and women who were engaged in loading bananas into a car for
transportation to the city of Kingston and thence to the United States.
“At Rio Cobre, we enjoyed one of the most beautiful drives that your
correspondent has ever experienced, down the valley of the Rio Cobre, a
most beautiful sheet of water, and after a ride of two hours, reaching
Spanish Town, one of the principal cities on the island of Jamaica. It was at
Spanish Town that a son of Christopher Columbus settled when he came to
the island of Jamaica. We were entertained by the proprietor of the Rio
Cobre Hotel, where we remained until the afternoon, when we again took
train for our headquarters at Myrtle Bank, in Kingston.
“Early the following morning we were called, fruit and coffee were
again served in our rooms, and we started at six o’clock for a drive of
twenty-five miles over and across the beautiful mountain ranges and
towards the north coast of the island. At ten o’clock we arrived at the
Castleton Gardens, a beautiful spot owned and sustained by the government
as a garden of acclimation. Here are found the grandest of all tropical
palms. At the hotel connected with the gardens we partook of a royal
breakfast, into which entered many different kinds of fruit. After a stop of
two hours we resumed our journey over the mountains, and in the distance
we obtained a good view of the lovely Annotta bay.
“En route, we visited a sugar estate where we saw the conversion of
sugar-cane into Jamaica rum of the first quality. Most of the labor is
performed by Malays, brought from the valley of the Ganges in India, who
while here are compelled to labor in competition with the negroes. The men
are paid at the rate of one shilling and six pence per day, while the women
receive only one shilling per day. I can assure you, from the manner in
which they work, it is evident that they earned every penny they received.
By the way, the coachman who drove us, informed me that his wages were
ten shillings per week of seven days’ continuous work and he has to board
himself out of that pittance.
“On the afternoon of this day, Friday, we were well off the coast of
Jamaica, homeward bound. Now as I write, Sunday morning, we are
approaching Egmont Key, which is situated at the entrance of Tampa Bay.
Soon we shall be docked, and soon thereafter at that haven which has been
so often described but to which no writer to my mind has done justice—the
Tampa Bay Hotel.”
 CHAPTER XII.
MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT PLANT SYSTEM WORTHY
OF ADMIRATION AND IMITATION.

There is perhaps no greater source of waste in our country than that of

labor strikes, which have become of frequent occurrence during the last two
decades. There is great waste of material from the destructive violence of
infuriated mobs. In 1877, the great railway strikes of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, and the Pennsylvania and Erie Systems, resulted in the
destruction of sixteen hundred cars, one hundred and twenty-six
locomotives, and five million dollars worth of property. A report made in
1895 by the United States Commissioner of Labor (covering a period of
twelve years and six months, that is, from January 1, 1881, to June 30,
1894) on strikes in the United States, gives the following suggestive
statistics. We read that the number of strikes was 14,390, affecting 69,167
establishments. The number of employees thrown out of work was
3,714,406. Loss of wages during this period to the striking workmen
amounted to $163,-807,866. From lockouts the loss was $26,685,516. The
losses to employers from the same cause were, from strikes $82,590,386,
and from lockouts $12,235,451. The losses to employees and employers
amount to the enormous sum of $285,319,219. And this is only a part of the
losses, for it does not take into account the cost of police, detectives, and
soldiers, required to protect persons and property. In one strike eight
thousand of the latter force alone were needed to subdue riots, and save life
and property. What estimate can be made of the damage to commerce, the
disorganization of labor, the demoralization of the laborers, the families
broken up and scattered, the hate and bitterness engendered? The
corporation, therefore, that can co-operate peacefully with its working force
adds much wealth and moral progress to the nation, as well as legitimate
profits to its own treasury, and comfort, well-being, and happiness to its
employees. There is mutual advantage on both sides, and far reaching and
beneficial influence on all sides. There must be justice and consideration for
the workman from the employer, and there must always be justice and
appreciation from the workman to the man who gives him work,—mutual
interest, benefit, and advantage. It is greatly to the credit of the Plant
System, that the public has never suffered inconvenience in travel from
strikes among its large working force, that the men have not suffered in
person or estate, and that the company has been saved losses and crosses
from this hydra-headed monster, “Conflict between labor and capital.” That
these evils have been avoided, is due to the head of this great System, due
to his sense of justice, to his personal knowledge of, and friendly interest in
such a large number of the employees, and to a large-hearted consideration
for the weaknesses of human nature. Mr. Plant was one day riding in a
baggage car, when he saw an expressman turn wrong side up a box that had
been marked “Glass.” He called attention to the fact. “That box,” said he to
the man, “is marked ‘Glass’ and should be kept ‘glass’ side up as marked.”
“Oh I know it is marked ‘Glass,’ but I never pay any attention to that,” said
the expressman. Mr. Plant said no more. When the man and the
superintendent of the express office were alone together, the superintendent
said to the man, “Do you know who that gentleman was who spoke to you
about the box marked ‘Glass’?”—“No.”—“Well, that was Mr. Plant, the
president of the express company.”—“Oh my! that means my dismissal
sure.”—“Yes, I think it does; I shall have to dismiss you”; and he said, later,
to Mr. Plant, “I shall dismiss that man of course.” “No,” said the president.
“Don’t discharge him; call him to your office and impress it upon him that
that is not the way this company does its business, and he won’t forget it.”
The man has been long a faithful and efficient employee of the company.
Mr. Plant’s name does not figure as often as do some others in lists of large
donations to churches and charities of deserving character, though they have
not been passed by without recognition, and kind and generous treatment of
the deserving men in his employ have never been wanting. While travelling
with Mr. Plant to Atlanta, one of the heads of a department reported to him
that an old gentleman who held an honored and important position in the
System was greatly broken down with nervous prostration. “Send him to his
home to remain until he is well, and remit his salary all the same.” It was
remarked by a bystander that he thought that that was very kind of the
president. “Oh,” was the answer, “that is only a regular occurrence to those
of us who have been with President Plant as long as I have.”
Those who have read the blood curdling accounts of some of the strikes
that have occurred within the past ten years, and have experienced some of
the inconveniences and dangers resulting from them, will contrast such
accounts with what was seen on “Plant Day” at the Atlanta Exposition, and
on all other days throughout the South as well, and will feel that the account
of that day was worthy of a place in the record of the noble life we are
endeavoring to preserve as an example to public men and as a lesson and
inspiration for coming generations. We let the associates and employees of
the Plant System tell their own story. It was printed in a beautiful pamphlet
as a souvenir of the day, and was specially designed for those whose
devotion to duty prevented them from sharing, in person, the pleasures of
that memorable day. With the exception of a few paragraphs of biographical
matter contained in other sections of the volume, or merely of temporary
interest, the account is published in full in a later chapter.
It is as creditable to the men who have stood around their president most
faithfully in his arduous labors, as it is honorable to him who has led them
on to noble achievement, and deserved success. Mr. Plant’s methods of
management are worthy of highest commendation, and would repay careful
study in like conditions. If any man were to discover a plan for
extinguishing fire that would to save the country $285,390,219, in the
course of a dozen years, the insurance companies would purchase his patent
for a large sum of money, and the country would raise monuments to his
honor. Mr. Plant’s method is even better; it is on the philosophical principle
of prevention. It prevents the kindling of the flames, and while it may not
be absolutely fire-proof, it has stood a long and severe test. We honor him
and his loyal associates and employees for the more than peaceful course
they have left on record. We say “more than peaceful” for it has been a
course of mutual concessions, personal interest, and friendly association, as
the following chapters will show. Nor is the view taken in these chapters
narrowed to special and individual cases. It is as broad as the South linked
to the North, and covers the whole United States; for no part of our country
can be advanced without every other part sharing in the uplift.
It would not be surprising if the best part of Mr. Plant’s work should fail
to be recognized. People see the material progress of a State, the things that
can be measured, weighed, and valued at a price; the subtle forces that
produce the material are often overlooked. The intellectual, moral, patriotic,
and philanthropic spirit that moves the man and diffuses itself throughout
the State or nation is not the first thing that arrests attention. Yet this
unrecognized force is the great uplifting power of a people in all that is best
and noblest in their onward march of progress. It is now an axiom that the
North and South did not know and understand each other previous to the
late war; that if they had understood each other, a war such as the revolt of
the Southern States would never have occurred, would, in fact, have been
impossible. The facilities afforded for travel and the superior hotel
accommodations which have been provided by, and have resulted from, the
Plant System, have brought North and South together in mutual interest and
friendly accord to such an extent that a war can never again take place, for
these two sections of our country are so interlaced, interdependent, and
identified in interest, and withal in such friendly association, that the
misunderstandings of the past can never again arise. It is a fact of history,
that in proportion as nations, races, and religions come closer to each other,
the causes of conflict are, to the same degree, lessened. A homely
illustration of this fact is contained in the story of the Irishman who was
walking along the Strand in London one morning, when through the fog he
discovered a monster from which, at first, he was going to run away; then,
grasping his shillelah, he came close up to the monster intending to kill the
“baste,” when “lo and behold,” said Pat, “it was me brother John!” So it
often comes to pass that the monster in the distance to be annihilated, in
closer proximity is a brother to be loved.
 CHAPTER XIII.
Plant Day at the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 at Atlanta, Georgia—
Preparations for its Celebration—Impressive Observance of Mr. Plant’s Birthday at the
Aragon Hotel—Mr. Plant’s Remarks in Acknowledging Presentation of Gifts.

T HE Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition was created

through the zeal and enterprise of a number of the patriotic citizens of
the city of Atlanta and of the State of Georgia, and, on the 18th day of
September, 1895, when its doors were opened to the world, naught but
words of admiration and praise could be spoken for the men, who, through
the devotion of their energies, time and money, had made it in every way a
success.
There are already extant records of the speeches of the prominent men
who, from the Auditorium platform in the Exposition grounds, addressed
the public on that day and proclaimed to the world the reasons which
actuated the creation of this Exposition, not only for the advancement of the
mercantile interests of the southern section of the country, but as well for
the education of its people.
While it is, therefore, futile to reproduce here the history of the
Exposition, it might be well to say that as far back as December, 1894, Mr.
H. B. Plant was called upon by a committee of gentlemen representing the
Cotton States and International Exposition Company and urged to make an
exhibit at the Exposition. In recognition of his acquiescence, and the
erection of a building by the Plant System of Railways and Steamship
Lines, in which was placed a most creditable exhibit from the sections of
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida traversed by the Plant
System of Railways, the Exposition Company determined that a day should
be set apart, to be known as “Plant System Day,” and as the founder and
president of the System, Mr. Henry B. Plant, was to celebrate the seventy-
sixth anniversary of his birth on October 27, 1895, it was decided that in his
honor the two events should be commemorated as a unit. This plan was
impracticable, as the 27th fell on Sunday, but that the celebration should be
as closely connected as possible, the day following, October 28th, was
named by the Committee and announced to the public as “Plant System
Day” at the Cotton States and International Exposition.
From the time of this announcement until the day of the festivities,
preparations were made to make the occasion in all ways enjoyable. Mr.
Plant, accompanied by his family, arrived in Atlanta on Saturday, and on the
succeeding morning, the seventy-sixth anniversary of his birth, was greeted
by the following article, written by Mr. Clark Howell, and published in the
Constitution. It served as an index to a time replete with pleasure, and as a
welcome to Mr. H. B. Plant, President, and to the Plant System in Atlanta,
Georgia, October 27 and 28, 1895.
From the Atlanta Constitution, October 27, 1895.
“No more important day will be celebrated during the present Cotton
States and International Exposition than to-morrow, which has been set
aside in honor of Mr. Henry B. Plant, the head of the great Plant railway
and steamship lines. The importance of the day will spring not only from
the successful life of which Mr. Plant is an example, but from the fact that
above any other man living he represents the great industrial revolution
which has come over the face of the Southern States, and which marks the
success of free over slave labor.

“To-day Mr. Plant might be called an international developer. Of this,

however, the story of his life will be the best witness. To-morrow he will
have completed his seventy-sixth year, forty-one of which have been spent
in the South, during which time the twin powers of steam and electricity
have wrought wonders in the conditions of life. To-day he is the president
of a railway system which embraces twelve different corporations, and
whose mileage extends to 1941, with a list of employees numbering 5506.
He is also president of the Plant steamship and steamboat lines, the one
covering the coasts of the Gulf and going to Cuba and Jamaica, the other
skirting the coasts of the North, running from Boston and along Nova
Scotia to Cape Breton and the maritime provinces of Canada. In addition to
these interests, he is still president of the Southern and the Texas Express
Companies, which do a business as express forwarders over 24,412 miles of
railway; have lines in fifteen States, employing 6,808 men, and using 1,463
horses and 886 wagons. As a complement to the handling of railroads, and
the sailing of ships, and the expressing of freightage, Mr. Plant has erected
four winter resort hotels in Florida, one of which, the great Tampa Bay
Hotel, is probably the largest winter resort hotel of its kind on the continent.
It will thus be seen that this great man, who is to be the toast at the
Exposition to-morrow, does service under three flags, those of America,
England, and Spain.
“Such developments as these are enough to make his life history of
interest to the old and of profit to the young, as showing the vast
possibilities which our country affords, and the immense rewards which
come to industry, tact, and intelligence.

“The coming of Mr. Plant to the Southern States really marked the
opening of Florida to the people of this country as a winter resort. It was in
1853, the year of Mr. Plant’s arrival, that he visited Florida for the sake of
his invalid wife, when access could only be had by steamboat, by the St.
John’s River. The mild climate of that State prolonged Mrs. Plant’s life for
years. He saw the necessity of railroads in the State, and it was in this way
that he began buying stock in various Florida and Georgia railroads, though
he did not engage in any railroad enterprise as a manager until 1879. In that
year Mr. Plant purchased the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad of Georgia, and
subsequently reorganized the company as the Savannah, Florida, and
Western Railway, of which he is still the head. The Savannah and
Charleston Railway was next purchased in 1880, and the story of the
completion of the Plant System—now extending to Charleston on the one
side, to Montgomery, Alabama, on the other, covering Florida and forming
a perfect network—would be to repeat the story of railroad development in
that entire section.
“In these enterprises it was the purpose of Mr. Plant and his associates to
extend and add to the various properties, and they believed this could best
be accomplished under a single organization with ample powers. With this
object in view, several of his associates being residents of Connecticut, the
birth-place of Mr. Plant, a charter was obtained in 1882 from the legislature
of that State, and the Plant Investment Company organized. Mr. Plant
became president, and remained such to the present time. Among his
associates were W. T. Walters and B. F. Newcomer, of Baltimore; E. B.
Haskell, of Boston; Henry M. Flagler and Morris K. Jessup, of New York,
and Lorenzo Blackstone, Henry Sanford, Lynde Harrison, H. P. Hoadley,
and G. H. Tilley, of Connecticut. Since the formation of the Plant
Investment Company, several properties have been acquired by purchase. In
1885, they bought the South Florida Railroad, at the time running only
between Sanford and Kissimmee, which was changed from narrow to broad
gauge, with an extension of the line to Port Tampa, Florida, which is the
port of entry for the West India fast mail steamers (Plant Steamship Line)
between Port Tampa and Havana, Cuba. Subsequently the line was
extended north from Lakeland to a connection with the Savannah, Florida,
and Western Railway (Gainsville division) at High Springs, thus completing
the line from Charleston, South Carolina, to Port Tampa, Florida. Thereafter
the company acquired, in 1887, the Brunswick and Western Railroad,
between Brunswick and Albany, Georgia, via. Waycross, which road was
rebuilt; in 1889, the Alabama Midland Railway, from Montgomery,
Alabama, to Bainbridge, Georgia; and in 1892, the Silver Springs, Ocala,
and Gulf Railroad, extending from Ocala to Homosassa and Inverness,
Florida. In 1893, the Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad was constructed,
from Tampa to Thonotosassa, and the Winston and Bone Valley Railroad
was purchased to accommodate the people of the phosphate mining
districts. In 1894, the Abbeville Southern Railway, from Abbeville,
Alabama, to a junction of the line of the Alabama Midland Railway, was
built. The system has been extended in 1895 by the purchase of the Florida
Southern Railway and the Sanford and St. Petersburg Railroad, both narrow
gauge roads, and preparations are now being made to change them to
standard gauge.
“In addition to the railway properties enumerated, Mr. Plant established
two lines of steamboats: one, in 1880, to run between Sanford and
Jacksonville, which was discontinued upon the completion of the railway
between these two points; the other on the Chattahoochie River, known as
the People’s Line, plying between Columbus and Bainbridge, Georgia, and
Apalachicola, Florida. In 1886, he established the Plant Steamship Line for
regular service between Port Tampa, Key West, and Havana, Cuba, under
contract with the United States Post Office Department, for the carriage of
the Key West and Havana mails, and for occasional service between Port
Tampa and the island of Jamaica, with regular service between Port Tampa
and Mobile, and Port Tampa and points on the Manatee River.
“Subsequently the line of the Atlantic, Canada, and Plant Steamship
Line, Limited, running between Boston and Halifax, was acquired by
purchase, and chartered under the Dominion Government as the Canada,
Atlantic, and Plant Steamship Company, Limited. In 1893, the North
Atlantic Line of steamers was added to the line through purchase, and the
route between Boston, Cape Breton, and Prince Edward Island is now
operated by the company of which he is at the head.
“The Plant Investment Company had widened the gauges of its various
roads to the standard measure, has organized the fast mail steamships
between Port Tampa and Havana, and has in many other ways developed
the country and revolutionized the face of nature in that section. A reading
of the names of the directors of the Plant Investment Company shows that
through Mr. Plant other men, such as Mr. Flagler, have been led to
investments in the Gulf States, which are of incalculable value, and which
will perpetually influence the destiny of the South.
“Without entering into the statistical and prosaic relation of railroad
names and technical details, it may be said Mr. Plant stands foremost as a
developer, and that while honor is due him for the creation of so much
wealth, for the integrity of his life, for the energy with which he has built up
the country, yet it is as a public benefactor and as one who has contributed
vastly to the possibility of such an Exposition being held in the South, that
he will be spoken of to-morrow. When he came here, in 1854, he found the
country wedded to a slave-labor system, which necessarily meant a purely
agricultural condition, and under which it would be impossible to develop
manufacturing and other corporative industries. Without having been
connected in any way with the war or with the politics which preceded it or
followed after it, yet he was the pioneer of that new business which the war
made possible, and which marks the end of the old and the beginning of the
new. His career is a remarkable example of what can be accomplished by
untiring industry and indomitable will. The people of Georgia, Florida,
South Carolina, and Alabama cheerfully acknowledge the great obligations
under which they have been placed by the labors of this energetic and
capable man.
 “In recent years he has made his home in New York City, spending each
summer in Branford, Connecticut. He is a member of the Union League
Club and of the New England Society of New York, a man of commanding
appearance, genial of nature, dignified and courteous of manner, and as
modest as he is competent.
“Such a man needs no eulogy. His works speak for him. Such a people
as those of the South need no incentive to recognize worth wherever they
see it. Mr. Plant will be royally received to-morrow, and in the closing years
of his life he may well rest satisfied that a people for whom he has done so
much will not easily forget it, and that his name will be remembered as one
of the men who have served their time and generation, and who deserve the
laurel wreath of immortality.
“Forty-one years of his eventful life have been spent in the South; and
his great fortune has been made in the South. How many important volumes
of history are crowded into those forty-one years! Within that period this
man of affairs has seen four million slaves emancipated; he has witnessed
the greatest war of modern times; he has practically witnessed the birth of
those twin powers—steam and electricity—whose combined forces have
created new conditions of life; he has been an eye-witness to the tearing
down and the upbuilding of States and the adjustment of the American
people to a new environment. And yet, amid all this kaleidoscopic change,
this quiet business man has gone on adding to his fortune in peace and in
panic, in storm and in sunshine, and his potential force in Southern
development will be fittingly recognized and crowned to-morrow, in a day
set apart among the great days of the Exposition in his honor.
“What superb judgment and business sagacity make up the background
of this picture! Mr. Plant has never sought or held office. His name is not on
the roster of military heroes, nor is it emblazoned on the roll of those who
have won renown in the evolution of statecraft. But in that great battle of
rebuilding States and industrial life in the South he stands to-day pre-
eminent. Behind him, and loyally supporting him, is a busy industrial army
of 12,639 men, and, counting their families, an army of 60,000 people.
“The lessons of Mr. Plant’s life are simple and should be an inspiration
to young men throughout America. He has avoided politics and speculation;
he has never bought nor built a railroad to sell; he has never wrecked a
property in order to purchase it. He lives, and his companies live, within
their income. He is scrupulously exact in keeping his engagements, and
always acts within the limits of that truth, which he often quotes, ‘It is
easier to promise than it is to perform.’
“The lesson of his life, which the occasion justifies in emphasizing, is
this: Faith in the South and her possibilities is the basis of his great fortune.
When others have faltered he has gone on investing the earnings of his
properties in the South. In his loyal friendship to the South, and his
unwavering faith in her greatness and her coming glory, he has proven his
faith by his work.
“Mr. Plant is one of those remarkable men who master all conditions and
create environment. He is a builder—a creator. A whole State blossoms at
the touch of his magic wand. Thousands and tens of thousands bless him
that he uses and does not bury his talents. Long may he live—an example to
all young men, an inspiration to investors, a true, a loyal, and a royal friend
of the South.”
Surrounded by many of his friends and associates, who had assembled to
pay their respects, Mr. Plant’s anniversary was most auspiciously ushered in
by the foregoing remarks of a representative of the Atlanta people. But it
yet needed the remembrance of the officers and employees of the Plant
System of Railway and Steamship Lines and of the Southern Express
Company to testify the admiration and esteem in which he was held by the
men who served under him. This tribute on the part of the officers and
employees was an unexpected pleasure to Mr. Plant. In referring to the
event, the Atlanta Constitution published the following account of the
presentations and of Mr. Plant’s response:
From the Atlanta Constitution, October 28, 1895.
“Mr. H. B. Plant, President of the Plant System of Railway and
Steamship Lines, was complimented yesterday as few great railroad kings
have ever been complimented by the men who compose the vast army of
workers under their direction.
“It was the seventy-sixth birthday of the well-known giant of the
Southern railway world, and he was presented with rich and rare tokens of
the love, honor and affection which his employees bear him.
“It was a happy day all round, and the Plant people fairly revelled in the
privilege of paying such becoming tribute to the man who has done so
much for the Southern States.
 “As for Mr. Plant himself, he declared that it was certainly one of the
happiest moments of his life, and the brightest, happiest birthday he ever
enjoyed.
“At a quarter to ten o’clock Mr. Plant was notified that a number of
prominent officials of his various systems of transportation lines were
waiting to see him at his private parlors at the Aragon.
“He met them, and was informed that they wanted to join with him in the
name of every employee of the lines to exchange the congratulations and
compliments of the season of his birthday. Mr. Plant at once summoned his
family and friends, who are with him here, and soon Mrs. Plant, Mrs. M. A.
Wood, Dr. G. Durrant, Rev. Dr. Smythe, and Vice-President M. F. Plant
were in the parlor. There were also present the following friends and
associates in the railway and express business:
“R. G. Erwin, Vice-President and General Counsel, Plant System; M. J.
O’Brien, Vice-President and General Manager, Southern Express Company;
D. F. Jack, Assistant to the President; B. Dunham, General Superintendent,
Plant System of Railways; J. W. Fitzgerald, Superintendent, Plant
Steamship Line; B. W. Wrenn, Passenger Traffic Manager, Plant System; F.
B. Papy, General Freight Agent, Plant System; Hon. F. G. duBignon,
General Counsel; T. W. Leary, Assistant General Manager, Southern
Express Company; G. H. Tilley, Secretary and Treasurer, Southern Express
Company; F. Q. Brown, President, Florida Southern Railway; Hon. S. G.
McLendon, Counsel, Plant System of Railways; O. M. Sadler,
Superintendent Southern Express Company, Piedmont Division; H. C.
Fisher, Superintendent Southern Division, Southern Express; C. T.
Campbell, Superintendent Southern Express Company, Central Division;
W. W. Hulbert, Superintendent Georgia Division, Southern Express
Company; Mark J. O’Brien, Assistant Superintendent Southern Express
Company, Central Division; F. DeC. Sullivan, New York; E. M. Williams,
New York; W. S. Chisholm, member of the firm of Erwin, DuBignon, &
Chisholm, Attorneys for the Plant System of Railroads, Savannah.
“The room was a scene of rare beauty, there being on every side a huge
bank of flowers, fragrantly speaking the affectionate salute of the
employees of Mr. Plant and members of his family. On one side was a
beautiful vase of American Beauty roses, sent from the main office of the
Plant System in New York, by the employees there.
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offering opportunities for learning, discovery, and personal growth.
That’s why we are dedicated to bringing you a diverse collection of
books, ranging from classic literature and specialized publications to
self-development guides and children's books.

More than just a book-buying platform, we strive to be a bridge

connecting you with timeless cultural and intellectual values. With an
elegant, user-friendly interface and a smart search system, you can
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and fully enjoy the joy of reading.

Join us on a journey of knowledge exploration, passion nurturing, and

personal growth every day!

ebookbell.com