The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-29
A PARADISE FOR LAZY MEN.

Life In Key wsst-Ths One spot In All the
United States Where Hen 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. 1t is the
furthest south of the most south
erly State, and is indeed the very end
Of the United States. When the u
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 mo-
tee a 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 a speck in
the water sufficient to hold q lighthouse
with the exception OF the Tortugas, on
which Jefferson Davis, when Secretary
of War, built a $14. 600. 900 fort, now in
charge ofa garrison of one ordinance
sergeant, and somewhat in need Of re-
pair.
The climate is essentially tropical.
This is the only city in the United States
where neither snow nor frost has wei
been seen. The lowest temperature ev-
er recorded was Al degrees about thirty
years ago; the lowest in 1884 was 81 de-
grees. The average temperature for
January, 1885, was 70 degrees; for the
months Of July and August IL is about
Adegrees. The daily range Of tenn
perature is very small, rarely more than
III degrees, and sometimes as low as 2
degrees; and the highest temperature
IN summer seldom exceeds 81 degrees.
During the northers of the winter
months, a temperature OF go degrees is
low enough to shivef the entire commu-
nifty, and overcoats with fur collars are
In great demand. During the recent
cold snap, when the Mount Washington
signal station reported 80 degrees below
zero, the Key West station was 70 de-
grees above-a small matter Of 122 de-
grees difference. Lying in the track of
the northeast trades, with the Gulf
otream . dozen miles to the south, Key
west has, without exception, the finest
climate In the United States. There is
always a breeze and rarely O. gale, and
you may wear q straw hat with propriety
every day in the year. 1t is solely due
70 the monumental sluggishness of the
population that Key West is almost
unknown to the tourist and health
seeker.
hey West is reached by steamers from
view York, from New Orleans and by o
naii steamer from Tampa Bay. The
10y mas about as much shape as o camel,
Dus In q general way lies east and west,
Snc contains about six square miles.
MS as fiat as a pancake, the highest
point being sixteen feet above the mean
yea ievel. To the casual visitor IL looks
y though the gsa, particularly in q
ssorin, would submerge this insigni6-
Wy rise; but it is q matter of record
suat 1t never has. The city
proper covers the western end of the
10y. 1t is densely settled, and about
sun-American as possible, bearing q
sslong resemblance to q West Indian
~wn. The houses are of wood, plainly
= ssls, and, with o few exceptions, paint
y white. There are, I think, only
, Naaee brick buildings, oertenly not Q
saau 81. Piazzas abound, and occa-
MNouaiiy some lattice work is seen, but
,1ere y no attempt at decoration or dis
10y. Many of the business houses
ave no signs, and there is q general
w Of don't. care-whetber-I -seIl-or-not
syout the shops. The houses are of all
ssss, lumbled up in the oldest way,
vsu anywhere but on the line of the
sgIa ,s. The interior Of each block is
r@ou up with one-story shanties, access