WPBFD History

Trainees circa 1905.

became known as The Tropical Sun. In 1895, as the rail- road reached West Palm Beach, the newspaper followed. The newspaper had a huge circulation area, spanning from Melbourne to Miami, but few readers - the early settlements had but handfuls of pioneer souls. Metcalf's motto, which was proudly displayed in the page one banner, read: "Search for the Truth is the No- blest Occupation of Man, Its Publication a Duty." Often Metcalf's "duty" led him into a tangle with Henry Morrison Flagler. In 1901 the Florida legislature passed the infamous "Flagler Divorce Law," making in- curable insanity proper grounds for divorce. It was only used once before being repealed by the same legislature that had passed it. Flagler, of course, was the one who took advantage of the short lived law. Metcalf delighted in blasting Flagler in print for his manipulation of Florida politicians.

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