The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-04

Where People Born Tired and Can Live
on S5 Cents q Week.

Correspondence New York sun.
Key West has, without exception, the finest
climate in the United States. There is always
a breeze and rarely a gale, and you may wear
straw hat with propriety every day in the year.
1t is solely due to the monumental sluggishness
of the population that Key West is almost nm
known to the tourist and health seeker. Key
West is reached by steamers from New York,
from New Orleans, and by mail steamer from
Tampa bay. The key has about as much shape
as camel, but in general way lies east and
west. and contains about six square miles. 1t is
as fat pancake. the highest point
being sixteen feet above mean sea level. TO
the casual visitor it looks as though the sea
particularly III storm would submerge this In
significant rise; but it is matter of record that
1T never has, The city proper covers the west
ern end Of tho key. 1t is 9enscly settled, and
about as un-American as possible, bearing
strong resemblance to West Indian town.
The houses are of wood, plainly built, and with
few exceptions, painted white. There are,
think, only three brick buildings, certainly not
more than six. Piazzas abound, and occasion
ally some lattice work is seen but there is no
attempt at decoration display. Many OF the
business houses have no signs and there is
general air of don't care whether-I SELL 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 ones story shanties,
access to which is had by going up alleys,
through fences or over somebody else's yard.
The population being 1900, land is precious
Lots divided and sub-divided, and houses
are built in yards and gardens weiged in here,
there and everywhere facing sixteen ways for
Sunday. Where there is room for house
they build stable or pig-pen, and sprinkle
chickens around in the corners. The richest
people do not disdan to thus add from So to 90 a
month to their income, although it destroys
their privacy and disfgures their grounds
The streets are of good width, tolerably
straight, and passably clean The roadway is
coral rock. There is no soil. What passes for
soil is merely triturated coral, wonderfully rich
in phosphates, aud making an excellent fertilizer,
but by itself, deficient in fat. To garden, you
Laust use a pick instead of hoe. No vegetables
are raised on the Key and the vegetation is con-
fined mainly to cocoanut trees. Here and there
you will find pine or an oleander, star of In
dia, royal poinciana, but, in the main, there
is criminal lack of foliage. The nature of the
population is thus shown. The Key has been
settled for fifty years. Every tropical or semi
tropical tree, or shrub or flower known to man
has but to be planted to grow, and the city is
bare, hot and verdureless.
The white houses, without vine or climbing
flower; the dazzling streets, without tree and
with no sidewalks-dusty and garing wherever
| you look-it is enough to make you wish for a
| hurricane to stir the city's blood. Yet, to the
| student of sociology, the explanation is plain
| The population is to blame, and the climate
makes the population.
The colored folk drive the drays and hacks, act
as porters and stevedores, and do the bulk of the
( heavy sitting around. Everybody takes q turo
| at the latter work, however, and the whole
community offers to the historian the most
| striking example of people born tired. 1t is an
| edifying spectacle to Northern eyes to see a
| native OF Key West going an errand or doing
piece of work Usually he moves like snail
| If you not particular, you can live for
| seventy-ive cents a week A stick of sugar
cane costs only three cents. bananas and Or
anges can be hooked from the auctioneers, hon.
of IA
| from any wharf For shelter there is little
need, save to keep off the rain, and it needs NOT
a house to do that. What a country for tramp
What climate for the poor!