The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-19

| gion is closely guarded by the Spnniarde
| IL is a breeding place for the revolutions.
and the little instructions that constantly
! spring up in the ma jority of the cases orig
mate here--a desolate enough Dlace 100
MangrOve Sw0mps encompass the bay and
are infested with herons. The tide falling
discloses the black mud and oysters cling
ing to the roots of the trees. Alligators are
found i'll the depths, and during the rainy
season mosquitoes swarm by millions Eight
miles inland is a range of mountains very
thckly wooded.
AT the entrance to the bay crowning a
hill, are the remains of fort which is
rarely occupied. But ut the lower end of
the bay, squatting, as it may be- on the
edge of the swamp i'll the midst of buZZny
mosquitoes and squawkng herons, is !,
dock and shed where military can always
be seen. rive miles inland are some bar
racks where the officers live \ more dis
agreeable place To be sent to is hard To
imagine. The poor, ignorant people who
exc out an existence in the region seem
incapable of mischief No one would think
that this Is the most dangerous locality
IN all Cuba. In the riountaiIls whose out
line can be plainly seen, is many n rebel.
who Is perfectly secure from the authori-
ties. There is Il world of romance locked
Cubans look To the United States ror mid
lhey trust hat some time they will be in
position To offer themselves and the is
land To our nation. But the day is as vet
far of
Aside from the political character that
attends the Cuban majority in Key Yves,
there Is II mercantile phase to the question
Everybody knows about the excellence of
Key West cigars. Now this tobacco is SEM.
over from Cuba The only reason that the
Key West cigar has Claims To s,ipcrioritv
over New York productions is that better
tobacco is Obtained cheaper by the Kew
West manufacturers. This of course ap-
plies III Il general way, and Cubans assent
to the truth of il.
inferred from chance remark made to
me by IN American resident of Key West
that Cubans must have facilities for oh
tanning he tobacco in Key West that are
| not available farther north DESPITE the
watchiulncss Of the United States officials
| there Is an enormous amount of the weed
smuggled into Key West This is done in
various ways. by tricks well known to the
customs officers. | was instructed by n
stranger whom met ut Key West to 90
INTO coffee house to buy my cigarettes.
ana to be sure to ask for some "without
stamps" He told Inc that could obtain
| them at gu cents Il real, while the usual
price was 81 20. did as he suggested. |
entered dirty little shanty, asked for Gig
arettes without stamps" But unfortn
nately three companions greedily followed
me in, and the proprietor, II villainous look
ing scamp, assured me he had none of the
articles such as wanted
a comradc Of mine, however, later went
TO coffee house, and following the in
structions that | had received, soon DOS
sessed real of cigarettes On which there
was no government stamp. They were
| manufactured in Havana (the number and
street have escaped my memory andiwcre
| smuggled into America. Strangers. and
natives, too, are frequently approached on
the street bya negro or II Cuban, who has
his pockets stuffed full Of cigars. He offers
them to You at two for ncklc assure
you il You buy them you will never regret
1t. They are cqu,. to the best YOU can OBJ
tain NJ reputable. establishments.
Ed. j.. S'DIN.