New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-04
TAMPA AND KEY WEST.
CITIES NOW PROMINENT THAT HAVE
MARKED INDIVIDUALITY.

THE PART THEY PLAY IN THE wAR-LARdE
CUBAN COLONIES IN EAcH-soME ALIEN
CHARACTERISTICS.
Tampa, Fla. June 3 (SpeciaD -Tampa' a. INC
most available port for embarking an army Oh
invasion, and Key West. the base OF haVAi
supplies, have been pushed into prominence
recently that they woul4 never have known out
for the war with Spain. 1t s likely that III INC
years to come they will maintain much OF their
present Importance. for after hosihities nave
ceased they will be centres OF communication
with Cuba, and whether the island becomes free
or 10 annexed its commercial intercourse Win
the United States must increase vastly. DOM
are places that have marked individually
aside from the interests Of the moment. hey
West Is in the United States. but IN many re-
spects not OF II: Tampa combines In curious
way a certain Southern shiftlessness with the
hustle and enterprise Of a Western boom Town.
The large Cuban population In each Is also
worthy OF study just now, as throwing hsh'
on q people with which this country IS no"
closely concerned These emigrants have 90 re-
Gently come to this country. in most cases. that
they may fairly be considered to have changed
little or not at all. They are exceedingly clan
nish and are brought into contact with the
native population to only slight extent. Both
separate communities. geographically and So
caally.
ALIEN ELEMENTS IN THE POPULATION
1t ID really q misnomer to speak OF the native
population Of Key West and Tampa There Is
none worth mentioning that Is OF United states
stock Tampa has a large number OF inhaoi-
tants born in this country. but most OF the
adults are from other States. A great many are
from tho South. but there Is sprinKling OF
Yankees from as far North as Maine. and OF
Westerners from various States. Key West Is
strangely foreign. The visitor who merely goes
UP and down the business streets and takes the
conventional drive to the barracks and the forts
cannot appreciate how insignificant In numbers
IL the population Of United States origin that
has been In Key West two generations One
well-informed man. who has made thorough
study Of the history Of the place for many years.
estimates that only I per cent OF the twenty
thousand permanent residents are OF United
States stock Most Of these were born else
where.
rASyoRANrs FROM THE BAHAMAS
It 10 difficult to believe even after stay OF
some weeks in Key West. how many OF its
people are Bahamas. One good authority CAL
culates that this element is as numerous as the
Cuban. 1t is. however. curiously In the back
ground. Its homes are grouped at the eastern
end Of the island. The men take no great share
in politics. and are seldom seen In the streets
where the principal shops are. For one thing
their occupations keep them away good part
Of the time. They chiefly sponge fishers,
Their boats range in size from small dories. with
q crew Of two or three. TO schooners, carrying a
dozen men and accustomed TO voyages Of sew
eral weeks duration They know the Florida
Keys as a New-York bicyclst knows the Boule-
ward The white men are inclined to be silent
There Is a touch Of dreaminess or gentle melan.
choly In their natures.
OF GEORGIA STOCK.
Some Of these Rahaman families have curious
histories There was an exodus Of them to Key
West half q century ago. when slavery was
abolished in the British West Indian Islands.
At that time, Of course 1t still existed In Flor
ida, and wealthy owners Of plantations went
there 80 that they might continue to have their
servants and workmen their personal property.
Still further back, some OF these famel!es were
Tories In Georgia and South Carolina, who.
rather than join In the Revolution. went to the
Bahamas with all their chattels There are still
mementos and memories Of baronial possessions
in Georgia and the Bahamas. but most OF the
Key West colony richer In contentrnent than
in the worlds goods. There are some shop
keepers among them. with whom their fellows
chiefly trade part raises pineapples and
other fruits on the long line Of keys that
stretches toward the mainland.
There are several thousand negro Bahannans
IN Key West. many Of them also sponge-hshers
The women are likely to be laundresses. This
10 a 1olier lot than the white men. musical and
- tkA hOxya W
papers and black shoes. or whiten them. for
canvas Is as comm IN a material for foot cover
ing as leather.
CUBAN EXrRAvAGANcE.
The Cubans at Key West are the delight Of the
retail merchants or would be II times were not
30 bad. There Is little doing in the cigar fac
tories now, and starvation would be imminent
were 1t not for Red Cross and other charity on
q large scale. But when employment was steady
the Cubans made ducks and brakes Of their
wages Cuba Libre received considerable
share OF their earnings; collectors OF the Junta
were on hand on pay day. and 1t was coin for
this fund to buy weapons. another to buy cloth
ing, a third for the hospital service. and 50 on.
They were charitable TO one another too: when
q death occurred In the family OF one OF the
ciearmakers his comrades insisted on paying the
funeral expenses. whether he was able to DO 1t
himself or not
A SUDDEN DEVELOPMENT.
Tampa has had a remarkable growth. Twelve
or thirteen years ago It was village, Its only
land connection being narrow-guage railroad
TO Sanford whence q boat ran to Jacksonville.
Now II pays the Government $l.OOOuOO year
In customs duties and internal revenue taxes.
cigar-making is It's great industry. In Yoor
-
:factoriea Here is Havana In little. The shops
have arcades; all the signs Spanish The
place Is named after a prominent manufacturer.
now dead whose partner Edward Manrara has
been its greatest benefactor. When there was
dissatisfaction among the owners OF factories In