The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-04-01
QUEER KEY WEST.
First Impressions Received by .
Visiting Stranger.

'En0 feORAe AE0 EEhachRauy SPoDe |
iards who Favor Cuban lnde-
pendence-A Great Market
fer 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 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 wear 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 dock at this point, and
our swift cruisers could cover the dis
tance in little more than four hours.
The defenses of Havana are obsolete
uAu ouL VI udtCs dltA u SuDdh COlouCls
a member of Gemez' staff. openly de-
clares that anyone of our armored 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 confederacy. 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 that dot the
island from one shore to the other. not
one of them has chimney or anything
that will answer the purpose of Chin
ney. Handsome residences and lowly.
novels are alike in this respect. and
from an eminence, gazing out over
acres of roofs on all sides, one is at once
struck with the want of something to
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 barber shop is located or where
to buy coral ornaments. There are not
more than half dozen real stores con.
Quoted on the American plan in the
whole island.
Instead of a market there is daily
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, ant
here ships from Jamaica. Cuba ant
Nassau. in the Bahamas. unload theil
cargoes and dispose of them at ruinou
rates rather than risk a voyage at thi
time of year to more northern ports
Quick sales and small profits seems Il
e be the prevailing idea with them. AS
: consequence Key West is, perhaps, tn
: greatest banana and pineapple marke
: in the world. On almost any day on
can secure an enormous bunch o
e bananas. ripe or green, at from ten t
fifteen cents. and can cart away all tn
luscious pineapples he cares to purchas
8 at one. two or three cents each. Di
y rectly opposite to the harbor docks. d
9 the farther side Of the island, and fac
g ing Cuba. is a large dancing paviliol
y called La Brisa, where Monday and FIR
r day nights and Saturday afternoon
o public dances are held. 1t has larg
!. broad verandas overlooking the ses
l. which make ideal promenades. and
3 commodious dancing hall within, wher
i those who desire can trip the light far
+ tastic to their hearts content upon tn
) payment of a small fee. The very bes
1 people attend these dances. and man
go simply for the promenade OF
smoke or chat with friends. but shoul
N anyone step even so much as toe upo
IS the dancing floor dark-skinned Cuba
l is Immediately at hand with pro
o fered hat into which a coin must b
y dropped.
10 There must be at least 5000 refugees
in Key West, noncombatants and exile
o from their homes, who dare not retur
!, under the present Spanish rule. an
u who must await the solution of the WI
y problem one way or the other befol
they can return and resume their peac
full ccupations.-Chicago Chronicle.
'e Marvellous Mechanism.
ir The human body is an epitome
r, nature of all mechanics, all hydraulic