The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-11

Shortest Route as to Time Across
the United States and via New
York-Mr. Crews Writes of this
Trim
San Juan. p. r. Feb. q. 4


Editors Messenger:
1 left Havana February 1st at a m.
and reached here on the 21st at about
4 q m, by New York, making stops
of four days in Key West, 1--WE DAYS in
Tampa, two days in Wilmington and
two in New York, the time consumed
in travelling between points named in
Guided.
This Ions journey OF near 5000 miles
was made very pleasantly. except the
loss Of parts of three nights sleep. the
cold weather I ran into up north and
the awful four days storm passed
through from New York here.
The length Of time II would have ia
ken and the heavy expense Of the trip.
was the cause Of my coming by New
York to Porto Rico instead of going
from Santiago or Havana, as / expect
ed to do when I left North Carolina In
January.
This, my second day in the beautiful
city of San Juan. finds me comfortably
located for meals at the Bay View
hotel, No. 10 Tetuan street. Mr.. ". E.
Groff, proprietor. He and Mrs. Croft
are from Kentucky, are very pleasant
people and I feel much at home with
them. They have been here sometime,
but have only recently gone into the
hotel business. I room with Mr.. Allen,
who is also from the states, and who
with his son, runs a book store here.
L find him a very pleasant gentleman.
AS l write this / can look out from
the Bay View down on a part Of the
city, which is situated along the water
'front.', out onto and across the beauti-
full harbor n as far as the eve can
reach over the pretty hills and noun
tains-aI covered in green-of this, the
southernmost, of the Greater Antilles.
You may be 4 little surprised when
L tell you that Mrs. Allen, Of Whining
ton, wife of Mr.. Allen, who is in one
Of the Wilmington banks, is a sister
Of Mr.. w. E. Croft, the proprietor of
the Bay View hotel.
From Havana to Key West l came
on the steamship Olivette. The dis
tance is about ninety miles. a six
hours run and the fare SO. From Key
West to Tampa I was again on the
OHvette, the distance about 210 miles,
fare 5000 n the run some sixteen
hours. From Tampa to New York 1
was rapidly conveyed over three great
systems of railways-the Plant Sys-
tenn, the Atlantic Coast Line and the
Pennsylvania. Leaving Tampa at S:35
O.. 1l.y l. was III JdShSOl1fllIe at ABOUT
z p. m, 249 miles. Leaving Jackson
Vile at 7:45 a. m. / was in Wilmington
at midnight, about 500 miles. Leaving
wilmington at p. M, I should have
been in New York at near 2 a. m. the
next day, but reached there about Z
O'Clock, being delayed by a heavy train
and other causes, distance some 500
miles. Leaving New York at II O'Clock
Saturday, on the steamship Ponce, of
the New York and Porto Rico Steam
ship Company's line, we SHOULD have
reached here Thursday at about 2 a.
m, but did not get here till the next
evening, on account of. the storm-dis-
tance 1880 miles, fare $50.
The last tour of sightseeing before
leaving Havana on Saturday at 3 p. m.
on February 1st, was to take an eight
mile ride through a very pretty part
of the city along the sea front. Mr..
Thrower kindly saw me to the boat
which carried the passengers and bag
gage out to the Olivette, which was
anchored some distance out in the har-
Dor, right close to the wreck of the
battleShip Maine. AS we moved out D
the beautiful harbor, passing close tc
Moro Castle n La Cabana, and as
the shores of the never-to-be forgot
ten island Of Cuba IND the interesting
city of Havana grew dim in the dis
lance, my heart became sad, not
NAAo AAAS IAAN ~ "ooAu SNS1 k6ol oS
my privilege to see them again, but
thankful at the same time for the
pleasure of seeing them once under sc
many favorable circumstances.
I shall not forget the pretty sunse1
at sea between Havana and Key West
1t was a fair evening and the Olivette
was steaming smoothly along across
the pretty straits of Florida, through
which flows that strange body of waite
called the Gulf Stream. / was sitting
on the port side of the ship When thu
sun apparently first touched the water
and it was soon a third out of sight
then half and then disappeared alto
gether, as if it had gone right dow
into the water. This pretty seen,
seemed to add to the sadness I wa!
already experiencing on account o
leaving Cuba. u the thought forced
itself into my mind as to whether
would ever see that sun rise again. a!
/ do often think when 1 see the sun g
down behind the western horizon.
Reaching Key West at about z p. m.
I was soon settled at the Grippe hotel
For the next four days I saw mucl
of the pretty city, 1t being a part o
the United States I had longed. to Sc
on account of it being the extrem,
southern portion and SO pleasant
winter climate. My guide says tina
Key West is an island with 90, 900 in
o-Ao " no iiioii
ufactories Of cigars made with Ha
vana tobacco. 1t is situated upon tn,
island of the same name, off the south
ern extremity Of the peninsula, and ly
ing in the important part Of the Ike.
facing the Gulf of Mexico. The islam,
Is about six miles long by three mile
wide. and is eleven feet above the sc;
level. The temperature in the winte
Is delightful, the air is pure and tn
climate healthy; the thermometer a
mean temperature in the winter /
about 20 degrees and the summer sci
dom rises above 90 degrees. The pub
lie buildings are: the custom house
naval stores, marine hospital, count
court house. county jail, a Masoni
hall and opera house. A monument O
dark-gray granite. erected In 1866 I
the memory Of the sailors and soldier
who died in service at this station dur
ing the civil war, is near the nava
stores. Outside of the manufactur
ing of cigars. the principal industrie
| of Key West are turtling. diving 70
sponges and fishing for the Cuba
/ | market The drives are charming an