The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-20
WONDERS or KEY WEST



OF the calendar rather than q climate
This IS the dry season. Last TUESDAY
was the fourth or EfLh consecutive day or
stsaJy rain. lost track of the downpo5ir
ard today is 50 perfect thar one would be
very ul-tempered 20 recall the misery of
the nor-her. The mercury was down % The
shfvering point. the cola rain was failing,
ard there was no place IN the city where
stranger could md stove o. fireplace 10
warm his hands or dry his clothes The
frha hftarts charge the trouble 70 the
norther, and promise that II shah not
occur again. Bat this does not explain
why the island suffered a four months
drought last summer through the rainy
season. with never drop OF water failing
in that time 20 rep.enish their falling
cisterns-
BY the tine few more weeks OF this
summer IN winter have passed l expect 10
be able 10 tell something of Key West
weather out OF personal experience and
observation. And the prospects are that
the things TO say VIII be good. But so far
the memory OF few DAYS OF brilliant sun
hight over a blue sea, white dust covering
everything, even 10 hiding the greenery OF
the palms: then the days OF rain. with the
steam Of blue Monday" washdRy or
muggy August morning in Chicago, rising
when the rain was interrupted for an hour
on the last day of the storm. and finally
have passed The sky is clear, there is
salt breeze blowing across the island, so
that one Is getting all the advantages ana
the appetite OF an ocean yoya age on shore.
The temperature in the shade must be
about o.. and In the sun none too warm
All the gray dust has washed from the
trees, so that they look wholesome again.
And every one on the island Is waiting
for the mail steamer.
Key West Is not only the most southerly
point OF the United States, except some
islets a few miles out into the gulf stream
from here. but * is also the most isolated
place of its size or anything approaching
its population. There are Western mining
camps and Alaskan towns that get mail
less frequently. but here Is a city OF near4y
2o.e09 Inhabitants, with fine government
buildings. great shipping interests, daily
newspapers and manifold business affairs.
the capital Of a Florida county, and with
mail from the United States but twice
week. The people do not rest content
under IL. All very wei IL might be, they
say, for an antipodean town, but not Tor
one within the limits or the United States.
one result Of the spasmodic mail service
is that all business and much social lie is
arranged in harmony with il. The mail
steamer is scheduled to arrive at p. m
every Tuesday and Friday. having sailed
from Port Tampa at 10 the evening before.
All Key West devotes its attention on
steamer day to waiting for the mail, be-
ginning thar task soon after noon by scan
ming the horizon for the first glimpse of
the expected craft Last Friday the boat
did not arrive until nearly midnight, haN-
ing been compelled TO so around by way
OF the Dry Tortugas on account OF the
storm, which made the regular channe!
unsafe, where the bars make IT shallow
and narrow But with the boat nine hours
Ia "a bA at ion
business virtually being interrupted for
that time.
After the steamer is in public interest
centers at the postofflce, where crowds
wait for the distribution of the heavy
semi-weekly mails. That occupies the re-
mainder of the afternoon. At night the
vessel sails for Havana, returning from
the Cuban capital the following evening.
Wednesday and SATURDAY are therefore
steadily devoted 20 the answering Of their
mail by the citizens of the island. In order
10 be ready for the north bound pouches,
and on those days it is said to be virtually
impossible 10 transact business on that ac-
count. An irreverent stranger suggests
that on Monday and Thursday the people
are preparing to receive the mails. and
recovering from the shock OF what they
have already received. but this seems to
be a SANDER unjustifed by the facts.
The voyage Of a night and day from
Tampa to Key West is a delightful one,
IL the weather be as pleasant as 1t usually
is. The steamers O.ivette and Mascotte
of the Plant system perform the service
satisfactorily, furnishing comfort and
safety 10 passengers, as well as speed
Unless q norther is driving. sea and sky
are propitious when the traveller wakens,
and the daylight ride is almost tropical
An hour before the boat reaches the dock
half dozen OF the little islands, the
IL fn eE4frf 10 al -
part of first land" always interesting
after however short a voyage
1t is not difficult to imagine a whole
month OF first impressions Of the place. all
10 be corrected or revised after further
acquaintance. The town is by no means
obvious Its stores are scattered ali
through the residence streets, so that there
is virtually no business district Al the
docks there gathers such a crowd Of
negroes to welcome the ship for the profit
in handling cargo or guiding passengers
that one might think the white population
non-existent. And with local pecuiiarities
Of society and climate and race. altogether
different from anything to be found else
where in the United States, it is not
strange that the casual visitor fails TO even
scratch the surface OF the interesting
things to he found here
The people you meet do not seem to
know much about their own home. and
an energetic VISITOR ought 10 De better IN
formed concerning the picturesque history
Of the island and its possibilities within
one month than most of the men who were
born here. Already I have told Old resi-
dents about places three miles away that
ley have never seen. But they would
visit the stock yards and the Auditorium
tower their first day in Chicago. and be
amazed TO find that so few people who live
there have ever seen either. Places OF in
terest are apt TO be like prophets In their
exemption from honor among their nearest
neighboTs.
A question OF nomenclature offers a pc
culiar Illustration. In little pamphlet de-
scriptive OF the island the author relates
that IL is named Key West because IL IS
the westernmost OF the Florida keys" or
small islands. The map would have told
him that this could not have been the
reason. for the Marquesas keys are twenty
miles west OF here. and the farthest OF the
Dry Tortugas three times that distance.
But If he had looked at the date line OF
the Spanish daily paper published here, or
any Spanish document or map, or listened
10 any Cuban on the street. he would have
found that the name for hundreds Of years
has been Cayo Hueso, Bone Key" and
Key West Is but a corruption.