Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-06
NOTES ABOUT KEY WEST.

1t was my intention, coming up to New
York from Key West on the steamer "George
w. Clyde, to compile at that time some facts
relative to the island of Key West. Crcum-
stances, however, have prevented, and trust
that even at this late hour, what l have to Of
fer will prove acceptable. So without further
preamble, l will plunge in medias res. Key
West is some five miles in length by one half
of mile in breadth, although at the widest
part it many be nearly a mile broad The
city of Key West is located on one portion,
and has population Of five thousand, accord
ing to the estimate of some of the old nhabi-
tants. The chief business is sponging, fishing
and cigar making There is, also, some
coast trade, also traffic with the neighboring
Keys, and the Bahamas, and the Isle of Mas
sau. In the early days Of its history, before
the erection of lighthouses along its coast,
the Florida seaboard, and that of the adjacent
Keys, wrecking was an important and profit
able employment. But the beacon lights of
science have dissipated, in a great measure,
the mishaps to the mariner in this as we'll as
in other localities, although it is still dam
gerous place to navigate. / understand that
the Havana market is principally supplied
with fish from the waters near these Keys.
owing either to the Incidence or inability of
the Cubans to supply themselves at home.
There has been q great number, and still
are many Cubans on the Key, engaged in the
profitable and romantic industry of cigar
making, and for the benefit of cigar smokers
will add, that many cigars are made here of
Florida tobacco, shipped to Havana and re.
shipped to New York, branded as "Cubanos.,
All this might do, if the cigars were cheap
in price and good, but they are far inferior in
both respects to the Mexican. I, with my
characteristic innocence and confidence in the
honesty of the human race at large, and the
Cubans in particular, invested to some extent
in what supplemented native of the Queen
of the Antilles assured me were the genuine
"Regalias.' l didn't open any of the boxes
until the steamer stood out to sea again.
do not stand up for the sanitary good CT
smoking as habit, and l thought then, that
the burning weed interfercd with the poetry
of motion on the water. In the generosity of
my heart, offered to treat the entire ship to
cigars, but noticed coolness on their part,
after their first trial of Them
The proximity of Cuba to Key West (some
so miles, has rendered this Key a ready and
desirable retreat for many Cubans, who either
occupy neutral position in the present war
with the mother country, or those who prefer
to go to a safe distance and wage fierce COM
bat with the hated Spaniard in wordy denun-
Citations and wrathy anathemas. The middle
and lower classes of the ever Faithful Isle,"
judging from what saw of them, are mon
grel, effete race, mentally and physically, and
the places that know them now could well af-
ford to know them no more, and the world
would be better of. So the apparently in
scrutable design of Providence in prolonping
their devastating struggle, might be easily
solved by study of the facts. On general
principles | sympathize as every American
should that has the history of his own country
in honored remembrance, with the down-trod-
den and oppressed in every land. But like
to see race make manly and vigorous ef-
fort for themselves. and not as many Cubans
have done, 60 away and leave a few of their
countrymen and the negroes to fight their
battles, while they in other portions of the
world indulge in verbose complaints relative
to the apathy of the United States and other
republics, as regards their cause. 'The Gods
help those that help themselves, and the say
ing is as true now as in the days when .Esop
wrote his fables, and the investigation of its
truth should not be confined to politicians,
who as a class seem to understand only too
we'll the latter clause of the proverb.
The island of Key West is undoubtedly
healthy per Sc, but its nearness to Cuba will
always render 1t liable to yellow fever, when
it prevails in the former place. They may
quarantine steamers and large vessels as
much as they like, but as long as there is such
an indiscrimnate communication by fishing |
crafts and other small boats between these |
Keys and Cuba. the dreaded epidemic will |
be liable to come among them. Indeed, the |
citizens Of Galveston have been for some time