Daily American telegraph., 1852-04-17
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
kew Wsst Florida.

Key west Florida.
Washington correspondent of the Albany
Register, who hasrecently returned from Florida,
furnishes the following sketch of Key West and
the Key Westers.
Key West is an island at the southern point Of
the peninsula Of Florida, and belongs to the ar
ohipelago which beautify the Florida coast and
the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico 1t is the
southernmost settlement in the United States.
It's one of the most attractive "beauty
spots" resting upon the surface Of the ocean
with climate more salubrious, bealthful, and
remedial than any other spot upon this CONT
nent. This town has about 5,ooo
inhabitants $50 houses, 20 stores, ~ ware
houses churches, episcopal, Catholic Metho-
dist, and Baptist, courthouse, JAIL custom
house, marine hospital, military barracks, "a anu
fort being constructed on which $360,OOO has
been expended and requiring over million OF
dollars more to complete it. II has ~ wrecking,
coastinp and fishing vessels and harbor large,
safe and of easy access by different channels for
ships of % feet draught,
The island is four miles long by half mile to
a mile wide making an area of about 1000
acres 1t is composed of n formation Of coral
limestone and sea shells, with sandy and rocky
surface, and very little available soil The high
est elevation is not over twelve feet above the
level Of the sea, and the unoccupied parts of the
island are covered with low stunted trees and
bushes, the larger trees having been Frustrated
by the terrific gale of 1916. Prickly pears, ge-
raniums &C., grow luxurianty, and the wild
flowers never cease to unfold their petals: it is
an evergreen spot The cocoa-nut tree, the ba-
mana, plaintain, lime orange, lemon, fig, date,
tamarind, and other tropical trees, grow well
where there is earth enough to sustain them, and
are always to be seen in the yards and gardens,
adding greatly to the singular beauty and at
Effectiveness of the principal residences.
The production of culinary vegetables is in
creasng-such as sweet potatoes, cabbage, beets
lettuce, cucumbers, SC. They grow best in cinter,
it being the wet season. the want of "mother
earth,' however, renders gardening expensive,
and the vegetable productions are limited
Forty years ago this island was granted by the
Spanish crown to John p Salas, and in 1923
purchased by Col. Simonton, who still resides
there. In 1882 it was made military station,
and in 1916 the barracks were completed, con-
sisting of eight spacious buildings, placed on three
sides Of quadrangle, opening towards the sea,
each building having piazza entirely around it.
The first white female settler was Mrs Mallory,
the mother Of the present Senator. She is an
intelligent, energetic woman, of Irish descent,
and still keeps an excellent boarding house for
visiters, there being no tavern on the island.
The population consists of emigrants from all
the States and civilized nations. There are
about three hundred saves-well cared for, civil,
and joyous--and about one-half the residents are
natives of the Bahama islands. They are called
Conckmen, or Concks, from their skill at g deep
diving" They are generally uneducated and ig-
norant of the world but hardy, industrious,
and honest race, getting their living by wreck
ing, fishing, sponging, turtling, diving, &c. They
are employed in diving into the holds of sunken
49, lyaf o1t - lie
examine the bottom of vessels that have been in
jured upon the reefs--40 and so feet water being
regarded as good working depth. They are in
deed an amphibious race, capable of working
under water rising to the surface occasionally to
elbow off" and have been known to dive ninety
feet, and make fast to anchors, &c.
The principal business of Key West is derived
from the salyages, commissions, and perquistes
of wrecking. 1t is not, however, as many sup
pose, sort of piratical employment, but as le-
gtimate as any other occupation, and conducted
by established rules, mutually beneficial to the
wreckers, the wrecked, and underwriters. Those
engaged in it are mostly men Of character and
wealth, of generous sentiments and humane i'm
pulses.
There is annually brought into Key West about
s., 250, 900 of wrecked property, which leaves
behind some $500, 600 to be divided among cap.
tains, crews, wreckers, wharf-owners, lawyers,
auctioneers, shipwrights, &c.
The reefs abound in sponges, and about $50 600
worth is collected and shipped yearly, paying
from forty to fifty dollars per month to each
hand engaged. These sponges are cleansed,
dried, packed, pressed, and shipped to New York,
and then sold to the French, mostly, to make felt
for hats.
There are also about $4,000 bushels of salt
made on the island yearly.
Turtling is Irregular business" and large ex-
portations of this article" are made. Turtles
are taken in nets, but the sport is had in turning
and peggng them. They come upon the sandy
beach to deposit their eggs at night, and at such
times they are stealthily approached and quickly
turned before they can reach the water; this is
sport, but the most exciting is "pegging" turtles
An instrument is used not unlike and very little
longer and larger than the shoemaker's "peggine
awl;" this is rugged harpoon-like, and by pierre
ing his shell, it IS sticks fast; )" so that turtle
weighing 400 pounds may be safely hauled in and
secured with this little "pegging instrument
At Key West the seasons glide imperceptabl,
into each other, exhibiting less differences in tenn
perature, between the seasons and each month
than any other place in the United States. TIL,
climate is pre-eminently remedial in pulmonary
consumption, chronic bronchial affections, asthma
rheumatism, &C., and I have many useful ant
interesting facts in this connection, well ad
ditional items touching this "beauty spot" upor
the Florida coast, which l may use on another
occasion; this letter is already too long.
Hf L. G.. T.