. Philadelphia and popular Philadelphians . acquir-ing the art was slightly interrupted by the breaking out of the CivilWar, for the sounds of martial music were irresistible, and twice heran away and enlisted, but was taken out of the army by his fatherwho, though he contributed large sums to the Union cause andequipped at his own expense a company for the field, did not believethat boys were proper material for Union soldiers. At the expira-tion of his apprenticeship he took an active interest in the manage-ment of the business for several years, and in 1S7S was taken intopartnership by his
. Philadelphia and popular Philadelphians . acquir-ing the art was slightly interrupted by the breaking out of the CivilWar, for the sounds of martial music were irresistible, and twice heran away and enlisted, but was taken out of the army by his fatherwho, though he contributed large sums to the Union cause andequipped at his own expense a company for the field, did not believethat boys were proper material for Union soldiers. At the expira-tion of his apprenticeship he took an active interest in the manage-ment of the business for several years, and in 1S7S was taken intopartnership by his father. After his fathers decease the concernwas incorporated and he was made its President, a position he hasheld ever since. In 1S77, while on a pleasure tour to Florida, he was impressedwith the natural advantages of that State for raising the staples ofcommerce, and a few years afterward was induced to engage in anenterprise that has made him the largest land owner in the UnitedStates. Having organized the Florida Laud and Improvement. Company, he purchased from the State in June, 1SS1, four millionacres of land selected from the twelve million acres belonging to theState, and paid for it the sum of one million dollars in cash, whichrelieved the State from its indebtedness. This purchase of a realmlarger than some of the principalities of Europe attracted the atten-tion of English capitalists who also made large investments, led tothe formation of other land and railway companies, gave a greatimpulse to immigration, and set in motion undertakings that havevastly increased the population and wealth of Florida. Shortlyafter having made this purchase he engaged in another and stillmore important enterprise by contracting with the State Board ofInternal Improvement to drain, by means of navigable canals andditches, the swamp and overflowed land belonging to the State,on conditions of receiving a transfer deed of even- alternate sectionof all the land reclaimed. This led to the
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidphiladelphiapopu00phil
