The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-06

The word Key" is incorrect as aD-
piled to an island. 1t is a corruption
of the Spanish word ''cayo," meaning
a small island. key West" is wrong
too. Its true name is "Cayo Hueso.
or Bone Key; but we have anglicised'
and got it as far wrong as possible.
It is not even the western key of that
chain. Such distinctions belongs to the
Dry Tortugas, many miles further
west.
The Dry Tortugas is fortified and
was a naval post OF importance dur
ing the late war 1t was also the
prison of military conVicts. 1t IS a
small, low. sandy island, projecting
but a few feet at any point above hlSh
water.
To the east several small keys inter
vene before Key West is reached. me
latter is but a few hundred acres IN
extent: but on account of It's possess
ing a fairly good harbor, a commercial
city of about %, 600 population has been
built on its rocky face. From the
channel leading up from Florida
Straits il presents most plctur-
eSque appearance, with Its loW-IylhS
shore fringed with the long-armed
and high-tufted cocoanut palms out
lined against the sky, and its little
Scuatty dwellings,. It's aspect IS purely
oriental and tropical. and there is not
a port 10 America bearing the least
resemblance to il. OF late wears the
main town has assumed American airs.
and several large buildings have been
erect ed: but happily, the shore still
presents a vision of far Cathay. Here
is another stone fort now utterly use
less. except as a tomb FOR its gar
al lodi ord
nance would riddle it as though 1t
were pasteboard Yet, in case Of war,
with a naval power, Key West would
be an important strategic point
Sponging, nshing and cigar-maklnS
are the principal industries Of this
tropical city of ours. 1t is the head
quarters of the sponge trale of the
west hemisphere. The fishing indus
try is also an important one, and well
II may be, for the waters fairly TEEN
With fish of all descriptions, and
strangely enough Havana receives q
large part Of her fish supplies from
Key West. The run across the straits
is only so miles, about as far as from
New York to PoughkeeDsi6; and the
Cubans seem to prefer catching their
fish with a silver hook, to gathering
them from their own waters
THE CORAL BUILDERS.
From Key West the line of keys is
one unbroken chain for 15G miles north
ward. Some are large and some small.
Here is one 80 miles in length, and next
is one half a mile long. The interval
between is generally a fairly wide
channel, and the islands themselves are
long and narrow. The basis of the
whole chain IS coral rock In these
clear warm waters the coral insect
builds rapidly. He lives out his little
life. and dying, his petrified body is
Dc ora
the coral reef pushes its way I'D to a
point between low and high water.
Then begins the works OF land build
ing and the operation IS curiously IN
teresting. The shores Of the main
land ara heavily fringed with a tough.
bushy tree. called the mango, which
bears, Drolifically. a little pear-shaped
pod conta ming three germs of its own
life. These pods, when dropped into
the water, do not sink like other seeds
or nuts, but are buoyant, and feat on
in great quantities with the tide. They
come drifting along To where the coral
tips fproiect just above the surface OF
the water at half tide. and when they
come into contact with this obstruc-
ton they quickly strike down their
tiny. tentacles into the numerous Gre
vices OF the porous coral, ana firmly
fi.s themselves. The seed ripenS. and
bursts, and shoots down its roots into
he wet rocks Presently a little net
work OF obstruction has grown UP,
and this catches all sorts OF floating
substances. and gradually forms q mat.
All the While the mango has been
sending upward its tangled bushy
growth 1t sheds its leaves, and these
are added to the mold. Soon trees of
larger size begin to appear. their seeds
having also been foated to the spot
from some distant habitant The key
is a mass of tangled bush and trees,
and lit continues TO catch more and
more fOtsam until d sort of soil is
formed. Probably in no colder waters
could such q growth take place; but
the waters of the sea at this aoint are
SO very warm, summer and winter q
have seen It in july at IS degrees)
that animal and seed life are not only
never checked, but are stimulated 10
degree incredible TO those accus-
toned only TO colder seas. These keys
now exhibit every stage Of this prog
ress from tiny corae point just push
ing its head timidly above low water,
TO islands 80 miles long, two miles
wide, containing farms and planta-
lions.
BURNING UP \ FARM.
We went ashore on all the keys
worth visiting. on one an extensive
pineapple plantation was in thriving
condition, and We walked out TO in
spect the fields and talk to the plant
ers They were planting a pineapple
is propagated by means of its crown,
or its suckers Of which il has US
ualiy from four TO ten. When the fruit
is, shipped TO this market these suck
ers are usually either removed or else
Inutiiated with a knife, to destroy W
falling. Planting consists merely in
punching a hole six to ten inches deep
in the earth with a dibble such as
cabbage planters use, and dropping
either crown or sucker
into the hole and pressing the ground