New-York tribune., 1891-05-15
FLORIDA.
"
A CUBAN CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.


To BECOME AMERICANS.
yRoMA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF the TRIBUNE.
Key West, Fla April s-NIany people wonder
what would happen II this country were to annex
Cuba The problem is already solved. Key West
is really Cuban city in the United States. with
a population OF about $4,000, IL has only hand
ful of Americans The rest are white Cuoans'
Cuban mulattoes, Cuban negroes, and "Conchs -
pronounced Con1s white and black Immigrants
from the Bahamas. The Stars and Stripes hoat
over the Government buildings. But ten words
of Spanish are spoken for of English, monte Is
played instead of poker the women are all swarthy
and black-eyed soap is economical. and on sunday
morning an excited throng packs an apandoneh
factory-building on the edge Of the town, amid
bramble and cactus, 10 see game chickens
claw each other into strings.
Key West is doomed. says pesslmist. ne
Cubans won't assimilate with rs. They are all
gamblers. They won't learn our language, ana
the saloon.keepers and monte-men control their
votes Is it any wonder we're hundred years
behind the rest of the country"
This is sweeping. but not quite just. Inc
Cubans began coming TO Key West in 1869, at the
time of their great revolution. and started cigar
making They are coming still. They live In
little frame cottages, filled with babies. rocking
chairs and mantel ornaments, and surrounded
with chickens, palmcttoes and bad smells Ihey
have clean "barberias," greasy and mosquito
ridden restaurants, Spanish newspaper, butcher
shops for the sale of the jerked beef from which
the buccaneers took their name, fruitstores, where
YOU can spoon custard-like meat from cocoanuts'
and groceries, where Yankee condensed milk sells
under Castilan name Even the newspaper
editor, like everybody else, rolls cigars for
living There are more than 200 factories. a
little Florida and Sumatra tobacco is used. but
principally Cuban. Clear Havana cigars that
bring $50 hundred in New-York are sold here
for So At night the Cubans gamble to kill
time, though you can saunter by whole rows OF
cottages where every rocker in the hall is occl-
pied Most Of them have declared their inten-
tions" on landing. Since the passage of tho
Mckinley bill, which bars out the Vuelta AbaJo
they have nearly all turned Democrat. They once
elected Mayor who had been here only three
months and couldn't read ballot in English
At another time the two representatives from thls
county in the Legislature were both Cubans
The most intelligent Cuban l have met came to
Key West when he was eight years old. and has
been here ever since. He is fully naturalized. and
speaks good English. Yet his first child he
christened Cuba, the second Guaimaro. after the
village where the Constitution Of the Cuban Re-
public was signed. and the third Hatuey. Hatuey
was an Indian burned by the Spaniards on the
bank of the river Yara.
Be baptized. said the priest, approaching him
at the stake with crucifix.
"Why?"
THAT you may become Christian. and 90 to
Heaven
Are the Spaniards going to IleavenP"
sYes"
That decided Hatuey. lie died heathen. To
this day his shade haunts the river margin. The
country people call it /" La Luz de Yara."
In the cigar factories sometimes 200 whites
and negroes sit packed together at tables in one
room rolling the tobacco leaves. The atmosphere
is close and sitting. On high platform in the
centre sits strong-lu -lunged compatriot with spec
tacles, who reads aloud in a chanting monotone
so that all may hear from @ bundle Of newspapers
Muttered carambas" occasionally accompany him.
and when the bell rings for him to rest violent
denuncation of Spain is sure to ensue. His papers
ore all Cuban" Ell Pals, " La Lucha," and La
Tribuna." Even the local journal, 4" Ell Yara,'
eschews American affairs, and treats principally
of the "ever-faithful isle" and its oppressors.
why don't you stand up for the United States p'
I asked the Cuban father before spoken of.
while am here" he replied, I want to do
my duty as an American citizen. But of course
my heart turns to my native land We were
driven out by the Spaniards, and if Cuba were
freed tomorrow we should flock back in body"
do you desire annexation?'
"No We believe if Cuba is fit for anything
she is fit for sef-government, and all the advan-
tages that could come to US through annexation
would come by treaty with the United States as a
foreign Power"
Some years ago an American resident was in
vted to meet on arrival the famous revolution
ary general MaceO, the companion of the great
Gomez At the wharf he saw a crowd of Cubans
hugging and squeezing and almost kissing big
negro. This was Maceo. The next night Maceo
spoke in San Carlos Hail. His voice was soft and
low, and his manner quiet, though sincere. lie
told Of the wrongs of Cuba, and spoke of Aguero.
who, when boy, had been compelled to see his
father and brother strangled by the public execu-
toner. "Now," he concluded, shall / return to
New-York or go on to Cuba? Which do you de.
sire? 1t is all question of means" The audi
ence Immediately went wild. The women tore on
their earrings and bracelets, like the women OF
Moscow at the casting of Kolokol, and flung them
into a hat, men emptied their pockets and threw
rings and watches on the pile. Maceo did not sc
back to New-York.
Northern writer says the Key West Cuban'
are treacherous and boodthirsty. This is moi
true. They quarrel only over gambling and never
molest Americans. Murder is rare and theft al
most as rare. There is less stealing than In any
other town of the size in the South Many belong
to benefit and building associations. Their Span
ish is queer and clipped, with the IS swallowed
But for previous experience l could not have un
derstood it, Havana theatrical companies come
here sometimes. but not often. In preparing {
fowl for combat Cuban plucks out the tai
feathers, ships of the red flesh under the beak
and then thrusts the bleeding head into his mouth
The salivated wound is afterward sprnkled Will
black pepper The Sunday battles begin witt
spurs and end with "gals"-wicked contrivance'
that will hook a living rooster and tear out hi
spine. There are never two survivors OF COCK
fight. Americans also affect the sport, and don
always draw the line at gahs. Some pubic