The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-11
GAY AND WARLIKE KEY WEST
LIFE IN THE LITTLE SUNKISSED
ISLAND.
Swarthy Cigarmakers Spend Their
Evenings On the Wharve--Jack
Tar and His Frolics.

Key West, Fla, March S.-(Corres-
pondence OF the Associated Press.)-An
atmosphere of war has taken a firm
grip on this little sun-klssed island. al
day long a restless throng veers from
the main streets to the water front TO
see IL the big white warships are still
lying peacefully at anchor in the har-
Dor. When they md that the fleet has
not been ordered to Cuba or elsewhere
these restless beings pass on their way.
Others take their places. At night
swarthy cigarmakers, tired with their
incessant rolling through the day,
throw themselves lazily on legs that lie
on piers. They look out at the ships
and talk among themselves in that soft
Spanish tongue of the times when they
hope those black guns will belch forth
their lcaden visitation upon the enc
mics of Cuba Key West is essentially
Cuban in it's sympathies and greatly
so in its population. These groups on
the docks are merely types of other
groups that nightly gather on street
corners. in cafes and throughout the
struggling city. ali eagerly debating
when war will be declared.
AS the sun goes down ard the cigar
maker takes a last look at the glisten-
ing sides of the stately ships. reflected
in the dark blue waters by the setting
rays, and the men-o'-war's launch be-
gins to fit merriiy to and fro. Their
whistles Shrek noisily and the sailors
ashore. hearing this warning to get
aboard, come running down the quays
and tumble into their tiny craft. If
there is no officer with them you can
often hear the sailors singing shan
ties" until the twinkling lights of the
launch are lost in the glare of electric
Illumination that shimmers round the
ship to which the men belong.
Naval or newspaper" is the query
that always follows an Introduction
nowadays. With so many war" cor
respondents and naval officers in town
il is often hard for the stray tourist
or commercial man to find bed. One
can hardly walk block without meet
ing either q bluejacket. marine or off,
Ger. The piazza of the hotel, where
Admiral Sicard makes his headquarters.
simply bristles with dark blue uniforms
and white caps from early morning
till late at night At La Brisa. the
great pleasure resort of Key West,
where dances are held twice week
in a hall that looks directly out on the
gulf and its keys, and where. when the
music ceases, you can hear the waves
ripping up against the Brisas wooden
p:les-there is always a gallant galaxy
from the senior arm of the service.
Here dark-eyed senOritas and genuine
American girls trip Saily over the pol
ished floor with strapping young ca
diets or lieutenants who wear the much
coveted naval beard.
The army barracks furnishes its con-
tingent of officers. If war We're to be
declared suddenly. or if the fleet were
unexpectedly ordered away on one Of
the Brisa dance nights, there would en-
sue a scene very similar to that which
made the ball on the evening of the
battle Of Waterloo SO memorable.
With this influx of naval and news
paper element Cayo Hueso, as Key
West is called By most Of the resi-
dents. is reaping a harvest CT shelels
as well as of excitement.
When the boats from Havana come
in about half the population is on hand
to meet them. A sea of black and
white faces is upturned to the passen-
gers at the deck rail. What news2'' is
shouted in Spanish and English, from
a score of threats.
''-All is quiet" is the response which
has always come up to the time OF
writing. The sea of faces melts away
and people go to their homes. mutter-
ing: by the next boat we shall hear
of the riot
But the riot in Havana has not come
and the little c0lored boot5laciks are
SUN SHINING Ndiell SHCeS Win q peace
full laziness that bellies the fierce war
talk with which they regale their Gus
toners.
Since the days when northern SOL
diers built a road and fort here. and
then waited patiently for the engage
ment which never came, the people of
Key West have had no opportunity to
realize how essential their island is 10
the commencement or continued excite
ment of war. The martial conditions
which now prevail would excite many
larger city into state of ferment. and
il is safe TO say that even if the al
legged international difficulty dies
bornin', ii will be months before Cayo
Hueso resumes its normal peacef,--
ness.