Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-07-03

With eyes that have grown sad with cease
less tears,
The same glad beauty Of the long lost years,
And hesrs again the song Of summer brooks,
So If from troubled dreams I could awake
And feel thy warm soft kisses on my face,
think the sweetness of thy winsome grace
Would touch me-only for the old loves sake!
ADDIE DAY RALsToN.
A PARADISE FOR Lazy MEN.
Life in Key wsst-The One Spot In All the
United States Where Men Are Born
Tired.
From the New York Sun.
In many respects Key West, Florida,
is the most remarkable spot in Uncle
Sans domain. There must be a brill
liant future in store for Key West, as it
has no past and very little present.
While the rest Of the Union has been up
and doing, this coral key has slumbered
in the gulf, almost unknown to the
world and caring nothing about the
worlds manners or customs. It is alike
peculiar in climate situation, struct~
ure and population. It is the
furthest south Of the most south
erly State, and is indeed the very end
Of the United States When the sun
bas traced the highest point Of his spir-
al course on the 21st of June he is al
most directly over Key West, as it lies
in latitude "A degrees 80 minutes, and
the border of the tropics is only sixty
miles south. On the map you will no.
t1ce chain of little dots trailing south
southwest of the Florida peninsula.
They are keys, and at the end is Key
West. Speaking strictly, there are
several keys still further west and
south, but they are merely speck in
the water sufficient to hold lighthouse
with the exception of the Tortugas, on
which Jefferson Davis, when Secretary
Of War, built $4,000, 900 fort, now in
charge Of garrison of one ordinance
sergeant, and somewhat iii need of re-
pair.
The climate is essentially tropical.
This is the only city in the United States
where neither snow nor frost has ever
been. seen. The lowest temperature ev-
err recorded was Al degrees about thirty
years ago; the lowest in 1884 was 81 de-
grees. The average temperature for
January, 1886, was II degrees; for the
months of July and August it is about
81 degrees. The daily range Of tenn
perature is very small, rarely more than
10 degrees, and sometimes as low as 2
degrees; and the highest temperature
in summer seldom exceeds "a degrees.
During the northers Of the winter
months, a temperature Of 60 degrees is
low enough to shiver the entire comnu-
nifty, and overcoats with fur collars are
in great demand. During the recent
cold snap, when the Mount Washington
signal station reported SO degrees below
zero, the Key West station was 70 de-
grees above-a small matter Of 1872 de-
grees difference. Lying in the track Of
the northeast trades, with the Gulf
Stream dozen miles to the south, Key
West has, without exception, the finest
climate in the United States. There is
always q breeze and rarely gale, and
you may wear straw hat with propriety
every day in the year. It is solely due
to the monumental sluggishness Of the
population that Key West is almost
unknown to the tourist and health
seeker.
q Key West is reached by steamers from
New York, from New Orleans and by a
mail steamer from Tampa Bay. The
key has about as much shape as a camel,
but in a general way lies east and west,
and contains about six square miles.
1t is as fat as a pancake, the highest
point being sixteen feet above the mean
sea level. To the casual visitor it looks
as though the sea, particularly in a
storm, would subnaerge this insigniti-
cant rise; but it is a matter Of record
That it never has. The city
proper covers the western end OF the
key. It is densely settled, and about
AS un-American as possible, bearing 8
strong resemblance to West Indian
town. The houses are of wood, plainly
built, and, with few exceptions. paint
ed white. There are, T think, only
three brick buildings, certen]y not more
than six. Piazzas abound, and ocoa-
sionally some lattice work is seen, but
there is no attempt at decoration OF dis
play. Many OF the business houses
have no signs, and there is 3 general
air OF don t. care-whethe l-sell~or-not
about the shobs. The houses are of all
sizes, jumbled up in the oldest way,
and anywhere but on the line Of the
street. The interior Of each block is
filled up with one-story shanties, access
to which is had by going UP alleys,
through fences, or over somebody
else's yard. The population being A.
600, land is precious. Lots are divided
and subdivided, and houses built in yards
and gardens are wedged in here, there
and everywhere, facing sixteen ways for
Sunday Where there is DO room for
house, they build stable or a pig
pen, and sprinkle chickens around il
the corners. The richest people do
not disdain to thus add from 81 to SIS
q month to their income, although it
destroys their privacy and disdgares
their grounds.
This key is settled by Cubans, ne
groes, Couks and Americans. Placing
the population at $4,000, the proper
tons are about six, four, three and a
half. These proportions live in an
agreeable state of contempt and dis
cord. The Cubans hate the Conks
(natives Of the Bahamas are 50 called
by everybody except themselves), the