Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-11
KEY VESTS EXCITEMENT.
The Old Town Has More Now to Stir 1t and
heep Its People in Ferment Than for
MANY Years

Inc old Town Has More Now TO Stir IL anu
| Keep Its People in Ferment Than for
| Many Years
| Key West, Fla. March 10.-An at
mosphere Of war has taken a firm grip
on this little kissed island All day
/ long a restless throng veers from the
main street to the water front to see If
the big white warships are still lying
peaeeably at anchor in the harbor.
| When they find 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 logs that
! lie on piers. They look out at the
SHIPS and talk among themselves in
! mat soft Spanish tongue Of the times
| when they hope those black guns will
! beleh forth their leaden visitation upon
| the enemies of Cuba. Key West is es-
sentlally Cuban in its 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, all eagerly de-
| batting when war will be declared.
| AS the sun goes down and the cigar
maker takes a last look at the glisten-
! ing sides of the stately ships, reflected
III the dark blue water by the setting
| rays, the man-o'-wars' launches begin
| to fit merrily to and fro. Their whis-
| ties shrek noisily and the sailors
| ashore, hearing this warning to get
| aboard, come
| RUNNING DOWN THE QUAYS
| and tumble into their yIny craft If
| there is no officer with them you can
often hear the sailors singing chan
| teys" 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. What with so many war
! correspondents and naval officers In
| town it is often hard for the stray
! tourist or commercial man to find a
| bed. One can hardly walk a block
| without meeting either a bluejacket.
! marine or officer. The piazza of the
| hotel where Admiral Sicard makes his
| headquarters simply bristles with dark
| blue uniforms and white caps from ear
| ly morning till late at night. At
| LaBrisa, the great pleasure resort of
| Key West, where dances are held twice
| a week. in 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 piles-there is always
| a gallant galaxy from the senior arm
| of the service. Here dark-eyes SEN
| oritas and genuine American girls trip
| gaily over the polished floor with
| strapping young cadets or lieutenants
| who wear the much coveted naval
/ beard. The army barracks also fur
nishes it's contingent of officers. If
war We're to be declared suddenly or if
| the feet were unexpectedly ordered
away on one of the Brisa dance nights
! there would ensue a scene very SINH
| lar to that which made the ball on the
eve of the battle of Waterloo so mem
| orable.
With this influx of naval and news