Document text
July 17, 1v31.1.
t. .am0w. ,-oosta„
Former 41401011GAV1110
(Atli Commissioner, la
()harm, of Publio Parks,
133 at Bay-st.,
jacecionville, Aortas..
A4190 hOphara, Writer.
T. SLIM W. ACOSTA (.Additional)
Mr. Acosta, interviewod on maroh 27, 149, on Jaokson-
villo his tory and his ow* lifo history, sent word that he
believed he had emaltoil some imsertuut informu/iou in his
previous interview, and askoth: writer to cull again thaL he
milht supply this data.
Ni'. i.00sta had made an ap,ointment for 2 p. m. He hs41
oompleted his round of wholesale deliveries of speolal brands
of oanned -mods and "1,ettuoe Loaf Mayonnaise to tho looal aud
suburban httel trade. The 11Jtlo white, rod-lettlred truck,
which he drives himeelf, his oorpUlont body leaving small
space for a companion on the na..row seat, stood idle at the
+curb. The tall stuff, with kts iron windmill discs -1141 Parkinc.
Polio° Regulations"- had been removed from the yollow-painted
restrioted pavement front, usd routed behind the 4. -rent door
umtilogokktme tomorrow morning WE 6 a. m. busineus wus Ivor
for the day.
A shipment of standard brand canned peas *coupled the
centr of the tore, while new shelves reaching to the ceiling
lined the wulls it wore oompletely filled with othas articles
of morohandlioe ho carries regularly In stook.
"Looks like businoss is lretty good," I ventkred.
"Woll, yes, we have a muoh lsrgor stook Alan what) you
*ere in the store in maroh. That forty cast)* of peas just 4,r
rived this meruing. The oa.,neggmlftfied no thoir goods would
St. Anwo W. -eosta 2.
be advanced in priae after ,,ugust lot, as this has net been
a good season for peas drouth up the country, and they did
net fill out so that eaaners would not be putting up any
new stock this year' I have A good trade on this partiaular
brand, so I fell for their argument and stocked up with all I
eoulA afford.
"You knew L completely forgot to tell you before that
was president of the mouth Jaeksinville Association that
annexed that suburb to the city of Jacksonville. That was an
impertant post, as mouth Jacksonville was in the 'Maps'
so to speak a heavy municipal debt, as commareial gas, old
houses, poor streets, and many of the yellow -painted frame
buildings of 'Florida 4.,st Coast employees, aid a network of
tracks used for the P. 24. C. switching operations. There was
considerable enposition from Jaukeenville authorities and busi-
nessmen to taking us under their wing.
"But we talked, and we oampaigned, and we finally made
the 'powers that be' conscious of the advantages of including
us in tbm Grouter Jacksonville plan. low look at the mouth
side beautiful homes lino the riverfrAlt, v.ithtell-kopt
estates around the bona. of the St. Johns, a woll-paved road
tu the Jacknonvilla neauh section, so much traveled that now
there is another read tinier oonstruetion shortening the distaste*
to the ocean neauh Boulevard, traversing the old hiplom need
ri:Tht-of-way, to relieve traffic; gongostioa.. The improving
of the old farms and plantations which have been laid out into
:It. Sins W. -sista 3.
eity lots en which have been build magilifbeent modern homes
it is really almost unbelievable what has been aeoempliehed
on the south side oi the river in the past ten years, unless
you have lived there and seen it grow, like I have.
"While was a. member of the Jacksonville Citw Commission,
was the first one to advoaate the use of voting maohinee to
eembat illegal and eorrupt voting praetiees, and aetually
brought the first vatir.? mashies to Jaukeenville.
"Another thing, 1 tried for 'oars to put offieieney man
into the city Rev)rnmemt, a man who would Rot :rem department
to department, studying operations, and presenting his room-
mendations for improvement or economy' in administration of its
affair*, so that things would be on an offieieney basis.
"I tried for eight year* through two governors admin-
istrations to establish a state school fir police officers,
taking boys sixteen years of age or elder, who wished to bottoms
polieemen, givin-r them special and intensive training for Clio
work. I wished to have the school attached to the penal insti-
tution at Hullos*, where they oeul4 observe criminals first-hand.
The oeuree, as planned it, would eovar 4 period of six years.
If it was anticipated that Jacksonville woUld require ten ad-
ditional pelleemon4 then we would take ten young men from Jack-
sonville ant train them so that at the sad of six yours they
would be efficient law -enforcing oifieers, instead of reoeivits
appointments on short notion en aueount of Zanily eonneetion
with semi eity 'Metal or by political preferment; if Baldwin
nleded one, thou we would take one from that section, and se
on throughout the state, a new elase starting each year. It
..eosta 4.
would have developed into a strong, efficient, State-wide system
ef intelligent police proteetiell that would ha:ve been of untolt
benefit to the (Attunes of Ylorida La eoememy and protootioa.
piflu)no
"I tried also to i two gevernors to inmiet on throe
wisione a'day film the begini4ing if our State Logislature
convening ev11%; two years. They have three aeagions at the
end when bills have aoeumulated aad there is a rush of work
when ev)rybody is tired, at it in impoesible to aceemplish
anythinft intelligently, it timid probably have saved, the
tux -payers a let of memed, too, aa4 dens awu orovor with
the extra session idea. The 1939 session of the rlorida
Legislature was a fares they aceemplished nothing, but
spent about a half aillien dalars of the tax-1)ayerss messy,
puttiag all it *Mauls and public employes in a pantile*
basis after ere or less servife.
"nether thing 1 adveeated an a protection to the resi-
dents of Jacksonville and ethir large cities, was the ap-
pointment by the Uoverner of rlerida of six under-eover men
known only to him. These -Ion would work in ;:ennectien with
the rederaJ beard of Lnvestigatioe, gettim tha names of
dangerous criminals, murdorirs, eta.* at lur.re or headed fcr
Florida. They would simply leeate these desperadoes and
oommunioate with the usv,rner who would notify the sheriff of
the seetien ior ceenty where the enamel had been:leeated, and
he wouli be turned up on &hest netioe, while the informant
would remain unknown.
Ame 0. .costa
"As Park Uemmisaioner, i was tha first to advocate the
purchase of a partk for the nrantweed seuion 27 &ores
which later materialised and has developed into a fine city
park.
".A.s a drive showin7* the boaution of Duval County, I wanted
the eount;i to bug a 100 foot strip all the way around the county,
taking in the beaches, laavinT a oixty foot driveway in the
center and beautifying ttehty fast on ouch side ef the roadway
with different kinds of evergreens and floweriag shrubs, and
other native plants.
also wanted to establish a wide drive-
way frim the old seaport maypert to Jacksonville. This
is a beautiful drive.
"I was t tohe .iret take miseletto out of the trees in
the city ani 2uturbs, on acoeunt of the killing of ono man
by thie parasite.
".,Llso started a campaign against mites in rookeries, as
they sometimes cause fires.
"I wanted the city to provide a fund of *100,000 for
comfort stations at convenient locations a roes oueeessfhl
in getting one or two in public' parks, but the politicians
killed the measure, us *ell as another aPpropriatien A. asked
for a fund of 0100,000 to spend for entertainment and amuse-
ment of the tourists who same to Jaeksonvillo, and if proper
oak -operation was offered would spend oensideratly more then
that amount annually. Mow, they go to so th slorida and other
limo e. -oast& 6.
and other maim", where iniucements aro made to
the 'stranger ithin our gates'.
"I advocated the county taking over the Maakeher Drive
and making it a toil -free road to the sastpert seetioa. I
aloe wanted to establish a erry from tit. George to m#Aypiort,
eon tooting up w th the Neeisher read, whioh would have mate
another beautiful eirale-drive to the beach and return.
advireated the city acquiring the JPX right-of-way
roadbed, and making a read 1b0 feet A.de from t4fouth Jauksia-
villa to the beaches.
"I advooated a oity-owned two hundred foot circle ea the
retail section in az are* alvd. in bath Jaoksonville, wo
that 7eople might park their cars and shop without police
interferon*, Sr danger of their are being damaged by rushing
traffic in that section."
At this time a woman passing the store, stepped in to
inquire the ham* of a plant of unusual beauty on a tabla by
the front door.
"That s a saga palm, ma'am," explained vr. 4,costa, "1
planted the seed ig the tut lasyeew.her, unci it hue just
come up. Hare ure some of the seed," he said, taking up a
handba of hard yellow pods from a pasteboard earton, blaring
a sign, "three for lOv'."
"The sago is one of our most beautil palms. It takes the
seed six months to germinate, but the plant grows very slowly.
putting out only seven of the feathlry flvade a your.
thirty eight
sago giummina years old would be about aft feet tall. he cold
does not hurt this species, and it grows outside as e.1 AS la
greenhouses. They bloom la the fall of the year and the
t. Ame costa 7.
elude muturo in DeceTbor .L11 Junnury.
'It is quit° si,Tht le see the .Lurro spiders whioh
inf)et these eulms. -xhey art', their web Aurin., the dui,
A 11 wheel, 44‘!d thoL out it up uhd pin nother
the next duy. The viscid threud they spin is purt of their
necessury liot. rhey ure v.,ry formiduLle ulso, yhan they
uttruct fl.rinr rouch to t?'.eir yeb, uol foust on him,
epreud 1L.rl.e us suucer, 'P.ith their big
bodies, their len- loge t -,a robLeh.'
//leiter took thr:e of tlie 1ow saode, uha ufter
receiving SONO instructions us to the r plunting und tho
11011)..ix4alen of the soil for tha pot in which sho :10.1.A,od to
start the growth, vent t1', uftor irofusoly thuhking 1.1r. ucowtu
for hi trouble.
"wall, to !,e, buck to our etory," euid mr. oestu, "1
forgot in my other interviow to *144- Yue the first olio to
udvecute tit Duvul (;oulAy purchusa Purt of tha Rood
''a,rden truct ud.oining u40,mp rostor 380 'Auras, to ho exuut
coa,visih the site of the old uumr hospitui duri'l the orld
1r. It could huv4 boon bought lor 00,000. I vent mywolf
to public spiritod citizens ,4nd se:;ared ,,51o,000 in denutiens,
se that the ci% hve h.i to -aria only 1f64, 00. The
ity uoun4ilL won!
net u -Prove the ylAn, u.1 it lout by tie
vote the weveroment 11.1 Ulreudy s-oht utout ;!°,000 on the
site in imnro-orl-ets of li front ports.
"Jim thut Gump rostir hus blem' the site o• the roccntly
uppotioned Goversomel ,sir base for tho LIKE, of tho BuvY. if
Jtviii h -A tukon my plun throuidl t ort ,cure ugo, AOW
llaa w. ,sesta
a.
they oeuld have c;4shed in en their investment, as that property
is in demand.
"Do I ramemba-an D. Barnett in the hictory of Jackson-
ville No, there was old man e. B. Barnett, and hi u Pens,
B. N. and aarlew.
"There was an Arthur D. Bassett, however, oennectet
with the firm of Ambler, nteekten and bareett, that operated
a bank in the early 1880's where the Censeliduted Building new
stands. Bassett wee a Mew York men, was quite mart, akd had
a reepwasible position with .he firs. I believe he later wnet
int* busineos for himself as a kind of business broker; he was
a 1 wyer, also, anl handled A. V. Rest's to,fairs.
"The marnott bunk was first established en th4 oloruor
where turohgett's store new in. Mr. W. B. Barnett lied leas
years ago. The bunk was started in this locution in 1877.
"Ns, i nevrr knew any Henry K. Btahley, a newspaper re-
porter, of JaJksonville. There clay have titan a itMal,y, but
it watt not th, famous henry K. Stanley, Ills Mnglishman, who
wao seut wair r. Livimxstma, tho molerer in bouth
who wrote the famous 'In Darkest Afrioal published in the
1880's.
"You knew, peit)le of Juoksenville have forgetteL abet
things that old 'Ohio' thio niokname) have 6.ene for them, and
I have been tinging i„,11 a means of attracting attention to
my wheleoala ;rouari business, to run little advertivements
in thl reading columns ef the daily Lewspapers like, 'St. 41m0
N. Amesta, as Park Uemmiosiener, f rot advocated purchase of
6t. An* ff. -Gioia 9.
voting maohines. "41" Bny nottnne need mayonnaise.' or
Alm* W. Amteta originated a plan is 192b to train -polies
of the otate of alorida. 4,inff them a six -your njrio. in a
.otate owned relies ochool. BUy 1.ottioo Leaf nnYensaise•I
"Politics have bottoms so oarrupt ia Ylorida, and especial-
ly in Jaoksonville which is practioally machine -owned by °viola&
politioiano, that i have no desire for furthor service in this
eennoetion. noglootod my ow* business to such an extent
while I wae in polities that it ha gone down to nothing, and
my only desire new in to build up my greeery bueine s until
I uan make a liviwr at 1st, amd paymy taxes. I sold ono
house this last month, whieh helped me eoneiderably, as the
tenant owed,ms 000-01 rent, with no possibility of oollootien.
nut I had -t sell it to get him cut, which gave re 4 ides
down payment and an biome of o0. per moat for ten pwro.
Of (source, I may have tako it beek, if things A. net
break right for the TiOV owner, but at leset i pail a juloy
tax assessment en allitithar piece of -r party this morning,
together with 20.00 interest If I can, A am going to keep
en selling until I uut down my h ldings, und Just keep my estate
on the river on the south Ado, %Owe i hope to die in peace
if the roof don't full in on me."