, 1885-05-02
rAg AZ MANS PARADISE.
TIE One spo In All tho UnItod states
Whore Men Are horn Tired.
IEAr Mnat nnr -. NnnE g.

$50 NhN HPcN III AL inc lmitou btANuA
whore Men Are born 1Ired.
Key West cor. Nav York SUM-
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. IL
Is as fiat as a pancake, The highest point
being sixteen feet above mean sea level.
To the casual visitor it looks as though
the sea, particularly in a storm, would
submerge this Insignificant rise; but it is
a matter Of record that it never
has. The city proper covers the
western end OF the key. II is
densely settled and about as I'M
American as possible, bearings strong
resemblance to a West Indian town.
The houses are of wood, plainly built,
and. with n few exceptions, painted
white. There are, l think, only three
brick buildings, certainly not more than
six. Piazzas abound, and occasionally
some lattice work is seen, but there is
no attempt at decoration or display.
Many Of the business houses have no
signs, and there is ageneral air Of don't
c~are-whether -I-sel -or-not about the
shops. 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, ac-
cess to which is had by going up alleys,
through fences, or over somebody else's
yard. The population being 1000,
land is precious. Lots are divided and
sub-dividel, and houses built in yards,
and gardens are wedged in here, there
AID everywhere. facing sixteen way
for Sunday. Where there is no room
for n house they build a stable or a big
pen, and sprinkle chickens around in
the corners. The richest people do not
disdain to thus add from So to SO a
month TO their income, although il de-
stroys their privacy and disfgures their
grounds.
The streets are Of good width, toler-
ably straight, and passably clean. The
roadway IS coral rock. There is no soil.
What passes for soil is merely triturated
coral, wonderfully rich in p~hosphates,
and making an excellent fertilizer,
but, by itself, deficient in fat. To gar
den, you must use a pick instead Of a
hoe. No vegetables are raised on the
key, and the vegetation is confined
mainly TO cocoanut trees. Here and
there you will find a pine or an oleander,
a star of India, or a royal poinciana;
but in the main there is n criminal lack
OF foliage. The nature of the popula-
ton is thus shown. The key has been
settled for fifty years; every tropical or
semi-tropical tree, shrub, or flower
known 10 man has but to be planted TO
grow, and the city is bare, hot, and
vordureless.
Tho urItfn haatr.a ..ffLart . .t... -.
climbing flower, the dazzling streets
without a tree, and with no sidewalks
dusty and glazing wherever you look
it Is enough TO make you wish for n
hurricane to stir the city's blood. Yet,
TO the student of sociology the explana-
ton is plain. Tho population is to
blame, and the climate makes the popu-
lation.
This key is settled by Cubans, ne
groes, Conks and Americans. Placing
the population at IA, 900, the proper
tions are about six, four, three and n
half, and n half. These proportions
live in an agreeable state of contempt
and discord. The Cubans hate the
Conks natives of the Bahamas are so
called by everybody except themselves),
the Conks cordially detest them Gu
bans, and both unite in despising the
''niggers." The little band of Americans
and English are generally employed in
scheming to get away from the island.
There is Conk Town, Niger Town, and
uban Village, with very ill-dehned
limits, however. Each has its own oc-
equations, amusements, and turmoils.
The Cubans are usually employed in
the cigar factories. which number over
100, and which turn out over / 200, 600
cigars a week. The men are understood,
weak, and efeminate, and given to
gambling, cock-fighting, and filibuster-
ing. Tho M are passably good
looking, given to obesity, high heels,
lace shawls, and face powder. Men and
wonen smoke necessarily and chatter
continually. They crowd together and
subsist on oil, coffee, pork and bananas.
The Conks are big, hardy, and phe-
nomenally ignorant. They have the
cockney sticking out all over them,
drop the III" wherever needed, and clap
il on where it is not needed, talk of
"yeeds,n ''vimmen' and vinegar
and live on fish and hominy. The
tonks are spongers, fishers and
wreckers-
The colored folk drive the drays and
hacks, act as porters and ~stevedores,
and do the bulk of the heavy sitting
around. Everybody takes a turn at the
latter work, however, and the
whole community offers to the
historian the most striking example
Of Leople born tired. 1t is an
edifying spectacle TO northern eyes TO
see a native OF Key West going on an
errand or doing a piece Of work. Usu-
ally he moves like II snail. If you are
not particular, you can live for 20 cents
a week. A stick of sugar-cane costs
only 3 cents, bananas and oranges can
lie hooked from the ~auctioneers, HON
my is cheap, and n string of fish can be
caught from any wharf. For a shelter
there is little need, save to keep oil the
rain, and it needs not a house to do
that. What a country for a trampl
What a climate for the poorl