The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-04-22
KEY WEST.
4 Place Where People are Born Tired.

Place Where People are Born Tired.
Key West is reached by steamers from
New York, from New Orleans, and by nail
steamer from Tampa Bay. The key has
about as much shape as camel, but in a
general way lies east and west, and contains
about six square miles. 1t is as as fat as 4
pancake, the highest point being sixteen
feet above mean sea level To the casual
visitor 1t looks as though the sea, particu.
larly in storm, would submerge this in.
significant RISE but il is matter of record
that it never has. The city proper covers
the western end of the key. 1t is densely
settled, and abou as un-American as posi-,
BILE, bearing a strong resemblance to West
Indian town. The houses are of wood.
plainly built, and, with few exceptions.
painted white. There are, I 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 general air of don't-care-whether-I -se,l.
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, access to which is had by
going up alleys, through fences, or over
somebody else's yard. The population be.
ing fourteen thousand, land is precious.
Lots are divided and sub-diyided, and
houses built in parks and gardens are
wedged in here, there, and everywhere, fac.
ing sixteen ways for Sunday. Where there
Ia no room for house they build table OF
pig pen, and sprinkle chickens around in
the corners. The richest people do not
disdain to thus add from three to six dol
lars month to their income, although il
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, and max
ing an excellent fertilizer, but, by itself, de-
ficient in fat. To garden, you must use q
pick instead of hoe. No vegetables are
raised on the key, and the vegetation is con.
tined mainly to cocoanut trees. Here and
there you will find pine or an oleander, O
star OF India, or 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 somi-tropical tree, shrub,
or flower known to man has but to be plant
cd to grow, and the city is bare, hot and
verdureless.
The white houses, without a vine OF
climbing flower, the dazzling streets without
! tree, and with no sidewalks dusty and
glaring wherever you look-it is enough To
make you wish for n hurricane to stir thu
city's blood. Yet, to the student of socio.
logy, the explanation is plain. The popu.
lation is to blame, and the climate makes
the population.
This key is settled by Cubans, negroes.
Conks, and Americans. Placing the popu.
lation at Il, 900, the proportions are about
nix, four, three and half, and a half
These proportions live in an agreeable state
of contempt and discord. The Cubans hate
the Conks (natiyes of the Bahamas are SO
called by everybody except themselves), the
Conks cordially detest "them Cubans, f" 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, Mig
ger Town, and Cuban Village, with very ill.
| defined limits, however. Each has its own
occupations, amusements, and turmoils.
The Cubans are usually employed in the
cigar factories, which number over 100, and
which turn out over O million cigars week.
The men are understood, weak, and effemi-
nate, and given TO gambling, cock fighting,
and flibustering. The women are passably
good-looking, given to obesity, high heels,
lace shawls, and face powder. Men and wo-
men smoke necessarily and chatter continu.
ally. They crowd together and subsist on
oil, coffee, pork, and bananas.
| The Conks are big, hardy, and phenom.
enally ignorant. They have the cockney
sticking out all over them, drop the oh 4"
where needed, talk of =" veeds,n" vimmen, +"
unu WAhcBhAt uuu uNo Ou ibll anu uOlu-
my. The Conks are spongers, fishers, and
wreckers.
| The colored folk drive the drays and
hacks, act rs porters and stevedores, and do
the bulk of the heavy sitting around Every
body takes turn at the latter work, how
ever, and the whole community offers to the
historian the most striking example of PEG.
pie born tired. 1t is an edifying spectacle
to Northern eyes to see native of Key
West going on an errand or doing piece OF
work. Usually he moves like q snail II
you are not particular, you can live for sew.
enty-fve cents a week. A stick of sugar
cane costs only three cents, bananas and
| oranges can be hooked from the auction.
GERS, hominy is cheap, and string Of fisl,
can be caught from any wharf. For shell.
ter there is little need, save to keep of the
rain, and it needs not house to do that
What q country for tramp What CHM.
ate for the poorl