The daily sentinel., 1908-11-14

veins of every American soul She is
| justly proud of what she has done
and is going to do. Key West is
western.
This is not to say that the disad-
vantages to be encountered in any
continuously warm climate. the lack
of the bracing sting of northern frost
to give Zest to activity, shows no eff
| feet upon the rate of speed in doing
and thinking on the part of those who
live there. The place in general does
not present the neatly groomed ap-
/ pearance of some of the little sister
cities of other parts. People must
| move slowly. They must take time
to rest between tasks and sing and
chat. Yet the ultimate truth is that
in spite of obstacles the island city
| is pioneer city, and this in several
| important senses.
Key West is and always will be
frontier. In this she is unique
| nothing Just like her in all the world;
and yet day by day and mile by mile
she finds herself nearer the mainland
as though dragged thither by the
lines, ropes and cables that inventive
western genius has thrown out for
her. She was at first alone, save
perhaps for an occasional passing
ship that touched her shore BY and
by mails became regular. Then came
the telegraph under the sea and
brought instantly the world within
her view. Yet this was only partial
vision. The Marconigram must open
to her the doings of the sea as well
as the land and do its part in bring
ing about as a final feat of magic
the construction of n railroad over
the water, soon to enter the very
doors of Key West. The name of Mr..
| II. M. Flagler will be remembered
| in the annals of our land as the man
who could not rest until he had seen
"a wild dream" become a reality the
railroad which in times past had
gone under the earth's surface as
well as over it, through impossible
! mountains and across unbridgable
rivers, actually brave the sea to carry
the products. mail and people of
separated lands back and forth with
perfect ease. Although storm
beaten way. yet the road-bed of the
extended Florida East Coast Railway
is sure to be smooth and permanent;
for the foundation is laid deep. on
sea bottom made of coral reefs. and
built up with cement in strong arches
| The structure reminds one of the
| figure of huge caterpillar gradual
| ly creeping across the waves.
Then look ahead. 1t will take Just
forty-five miles more of ocean-rail-
road to make the connection COM
plete. Meantime Cuba beckons. and
the next step is to ferry the train
across to Havana, thence to the bord-
ers of the island by rail,-more fer
| ries to more islands. and so on and
on indefinitely All this means that
Key West is to be the key to Latin
America and the realm unlocked by
the coming Panama Canal. 1t is
nearer by several hundred miles to
this new gateway than any other
American seaport and hence becomes
the logical coaling station for a
squadron operating in the Gulf of
Mexico. The United States govern
ment as early as 1S45 saw this ad-
vantage, and then made the begin
ming of what is now the most import
ant naval station south of Norfolk.
But Key West could live happily
and long were none of these greater
| things in prospect, or already achiev-
ed. She is proud of her new rail-
road, her army barracks and naval
station, United States custom house
and wireless telegraph equipment;
but she as well has great deal to
say about sponge trade, cigar factor
les and several minor industries. She
caters to the luxurious, not to say
injurious. tastes of the tobacco users
of the world in producing the famous
Key West cigar. which industry in
recent years has constituted the
principal source of her wealth. Close
iy following comes the sponge bust.
ness. We are told that three hundred
vessels and three thousand men carr
a livlihood in sponge fishing. Next
, a smaller source of income is founc
in the catching and marketing of the
many varieties of edible fish tha
abound in the waters about the
green, mat-like keys.
Americans have grown exceedingly
familiar with things new and un
heard of. They have not however
, reached the point of safety in theil
catering to an apparently innate love
for the noises and endless surprise.
of modern progress. Although the
average observer looks elsewhere
than to the South for the most start
ling strides in advance. yet here is 9
spot and a section of the western
hemisphere that is not to be over
looked in the doings of the future
Key West is the key and Panama is
the lock; and together they will open
to the world new fields for industry
and commerce and all the good things
of progressive civilization.
BERNARD l.. RICE.
Edinburgh. Oct. 90. 1908.