The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-04
BUDGET OF KEY WEST GOSSIP
NO EARLY MOVEMENT AGAINST
HAVANA
Blockade Duty Is Dull Work-Cubans
Get Through the Spanish Lines
Jack Tar On Shore.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.)
Key West, Fla, June 29.-Naval officers
on ships in the harbor are not hopeful of
a speedily movement against Havana
The blockading fleet is to be strengthened.
by one or more monitors, which will coal
from the sollied Pompeii of Cardenas.
Two tugs will keep lookout about Car
denas, a revenue cutter will patrol the
shore between Bahia Honda and Port
Cabanas, one or more big ships will be off
Havana always and the others will move
along the coast between Havana and
MatanZas. Blockade duty is very dull
work and the officers have fancy names
for it, such as ''treading the cinder
path
An idea of the equipment of Gomez
army may be gained from looking at his
officers and men who were towed into
port the other day in a little boat by the
tug UncaS, who picked them up off
Cardenas. Their boat had been cap
tured from the Spaniards and converted
into dispatch boat. Some of the men
were barefOoted, some wore canvas
clothes that mad been patched with cloth
that did not match and all were hungry
looking, shaggy and unkempt.
Hardly DAY passes now without the
arrival of one or more messengers from
Cuba. The Cuban scouts go into Havana,
slip away from the most carefully
watched coast and now out to our ships.
a CUBAN IN Key WeS wished 10 send
parcel to his cousin, who is operating
with a small band of insurgents close to
Havana City. Today he gave the parcel
to Cuban officer who is going to row
ashore from one of our ships at a point
100 miles east of Havana and who will
pass it on to its destination. The mes
senger accepted the parcels as a post
man would have taken it. Probably mes
SageS could be sent into Havana City if
it were necessary.
Recently a Cuban lieutenant carrying
dispatches. after long waiting on a key
near Cardenas, sighted a small American
war vessel. rowed out to her and asked
to be taken to Commodore Watson, who
he said, would give him transportation to
Key West.
NO, sir, you can't come aboard How
do ! know that you are not a Spanish
spy?" the commander of the war ship
said.
The lieutenant, who spoke English
very well, expostulated and argued, but
all in vain, He was compelled TO row
another war ship hove in sight. Her
captain knew him and got him passage to
Key West.
The six ENJOYS from Gomez had stuffy
about Is feet long. They had a rude
cooking apparatus, in which they roasted
sweet potatoes. Their provisions were
a bag of sweet potatoes and large bottle
of fresh water, that must have got warm
on their voyage. They had few sticks
of wood to cook with. When they ar
>
the local junta and quartered in rooms
over Ell Polace restaurant. Here all the
CUBAN couriers and spies make their head
quarters while in Key West The rooms
are small and hot and the beds do not
look very inviting.
After man has been sleeping in the
bush a few months this place with white
sheets on the beds seems like the Waldorf
to US, one of the Cubans said to a re-
porter.
Cubans and sApse who have been in
there nlaPA in rha
that compares with Tampa and Key
West for heat.
I ne Christian commission of the Y. NJ.
c. a. has opened headquarters near the
naval stores for the express benefit of
the sailors and marines, and is giving
away tracts and testaments. The COM
signs, but are not thronged with men !
from the ships, who find entertainment |
elsewhere.
The well-known fondness of bIuejackets, |
except walking, crops out even here. /
where the coral roads are rough and !
dusty. Riding about in carriages driven /
by CubanS is inexpensive and amusing to |
Jack, and bicycle riding is also a favorite |
pursuit. There are no stables where |
horses are kept for hire, else the sailors
would undoubtedly turn equeStrianS and !
yallop about the little island. The coll |
bred bootblacks are well patronized by |
he man-o'-war s-men, who take great
in gruffiy instructing the
The saloons which bid for the sailors
patronage are as toughs and ill-smeiiing
is any on the New York Bowery, and get
good deal of money out of poor Jack.
some of the sailors who have shore leave
)ver night are either without means TO !
lire room when it is time to turn in or !
These gather about the base of the SOL
lierS monument in a triangle opposite
he naval stores and sleep on the grass.
t is the monument that draws them
Uyhi ic xxriTl
.oal dust.
The disorders in Key West last month
which gave so much pain to the English
were due to Colonel Hunt
ngton'S marines, who have just been
ghting so valiantly at Guantanamo. The
marines had been cooped up on the PAN
vent into hot camp ashore, were rest
eSS. When they had leave at night they
sed to go about shouting Remember
he Maine, and making Drofane and
busive remarks about Spain. They were /
razy to be let loose on the SDaniards.
nd they fought like heroes when the
ime came.
A pleasant characteristic of the man-o'-
var s-man is his invaria BILE willingness to
urnish news to inquiring reporters. If
he newSgather will only give him a tip
ponse will be prompt. Some exclusive
eportS of battles and bombardmentS
rinted in New York papers were OBJ
aimed by interviewing the sailors. The
iiOCAS VI 4lASOlIAiliS SHIPS SOIcIdily tell
ne reporters what has happened on the
ruise, but often the voyage has been too
neventful, in which case jealous re-
orter can get fake particulars from |
ne forecastle. The sailor is very happy
Then the paper comes out with his yarn
l it. and feels fully repaid for. his
-Oube in inventing it.
1t is doubtful if a single saloon would
nd it profitable to do business in Key
Vest if obliged to depend on the patron
&c of the Cubans. E-Mayor Monsalvago
no served two terms as mayor when the
ty was larger than it is now, having
len $4,000 inhabitants, says that during I
ne year only one Cuban was brought |
efore him as police magistrate to answer
II drunkenness. In the parts of the city
lhabited entirely by Cubans there are
0 saloons at all, and no policemen are
eeded in these parts of the town. The
ey West Cuban is the most peaceful,
-wabiding person imaginable.
Robbed the Grave.
A startling incident, of which Mr.
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