Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-06-16
f. KEY WEST.
First Impressions Received by a
Visiting Stranger.
The People Are Principally Span
fards Who Favor Cuban lnde-
pendcnce-A Great Market
for Fruit.

A man who recently has returned
from Key West, Fla, says the first inn
preston a stranger gets of that place
at the present time is that the city has
gone on a perpetual holiday spree.
Bunting flies from almost every house
top, and the colors are about evenly di-
vided between "old glory" and the EN-
blem of the Cuban republic. People of
all classes and ages e pins or other
symbols bearing the motto Cuba
libre," and if Uncle Sam would only nod
consent or say nothing at all about it
the $4,000 patriotic inhabitants of this
seagirt isle would skip across the chan
mel and tack the queen of the Antilles
to the star spangled banner without
any more fuss. Castillo del Morro,''
or MORO castle. is only 81 miles from
the government Del at this point, and
our swift cruisers could cover the dis
tance in a little more than four hours.
The defenses of Havana are obsolete
and out of date. and a Cuban colonel.
a member of Gemez' staff, openly de-
clares that anyone of our armoreds ships
could pass the fort and take the city
without difficulty; that is, as far as the
land defenses are concerned.
This far southern city. lying almost
within the tropics, is the only town Of
importance below Mason and Dixon's
line that was never under the stars and
bars of the c~onfederacy. The popula-
ton is about evenly divided between
white Cubans, colored Cubans and
white Bahamians. There are not more
than a score of real American families
resident on the island, but notwith.
standing this fact the great mass of the
people are loyal to the union first and to
Cuba next. 1t is curious, though true
that of all the houses, dwellings. stores
hotels and other buildings hat dot the
island from one shore to the other, mol
one of them has a chimney or anything
that will answer the purpose of a chin
ney. Handsome residences and lowly
novels are alike in this respect, and
from an eminence, gazing out owe
acres of roofs ON all sides. one is at one.
struck with the want of something t.
complete the symmetry of the picture
Wood and coal or fuel of any kind are
unknown quantities, as the tropical at
mosphere furnishes at all times of the
| year all the heat required. and for cook.
ing purposes sticks of carbon are used
which are sold by peddlers. who hawk
their wares about the streets.
There are few stores, as we under
stand such things, and no markets
Signboards in Spanish will tell YOU
where a barber shop is located or wher,
to buy coral ornaments. There are not
more than half a dozen real stores con-
Quoted on the American plan in the
whole island.
auction near the government dock
where everything in the way of provis-
ions, furniture and fruit is knocked
down to the highest bidder. Bananas
alligator. pears and pineapples are the
commonest articles of purchase, and
here ships from Jamaica, Cuba and
Nassau, in the Bahamas. unload theiI
cargoes and dispose of them at ruinous
rates rather than risk a voyage Mt this
time of year to more northern ports
Quick sales and small profits seems to
be the prevailing idea with them. AS q
consequence Key West is. perhaps. the
greatest banana and pineapple market
in the world. On almost any day one
can ecu an enormous bunch oil
bananas, ripe or green. at from ten to
fifteen cents. IN a cart AVA all the
luscious pineapples he cares to purchase
at one, two or three cents each. Di.
rectly opposite to the harbor docks. OF
the farther side of the island. and fac.
ing Cuba, is a large dancing pavilion
called La Brisa. where Monday and Fri.
day nights and Saturday afternoons
public dances are held. 1t has large
broad ~verandas overlooking the sea,
which make ideal ~promenades. and q
commodious dancing hall within. where
those who desire can trip the light fan
tastic to their hearts content upon the
payment of a small fee. The very best
people attend these dances, and many
SO simply for the promenade or tt