The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-05-06
sunny SOUTH TRAVELS
Last InstalIment of the N.
e. A. Trip Letter
GREAT TIME AT OUTING
Across the Water to Cuba;
Natives Are Happy, Con-
tented People
I. N. TOMPKINS

N. TOMPKINS
Key West, Fla. Ahril 2S.-Thurs
day morning, Marc. -. we decided
to go on to Key 49, where oul
daughter, Mrs. D. VI. ioderick ano
family had been anNIcusiy awaiting
our arrival for more than TWO weeks
BY leaving then We missed the sharB
hunt, which was minu: a shark, anC
into the Everglades, but remember
we expect to return to Miami again
some day for longer time. We just
won't be able to stay away.
1t has been intended to officla"!
close the 1921 tour of the n. (: y
at Miami, but before this was done
representatives from Key West and
assisted by officials of the Florida
East Coast railway and the Peninsu
lar and Occidental Steamship Co
offered such low rates and attractive
inducements by way Of low hotel
rates and entertainment that about
two hundred members decided to &C
cept the pressing invitations extend
ed and go on to the most southern
city in the United States and to the
capital of the Cuban Republic. The
party were to reach Key West Fri
day afternoon and leave for Cuba that
night, so we laid our plans accord =
ingly, acting as an advance guard to
the main party.
We left Miami early Thursday
morning TO take the all daylight trip
20 Key West over that much talked
OF and most wonderful overseas rail
road which was seven years In the
building, cost twenty million dollars
and hundreds of human lives f1r the
construction of lao miles Of railroad
- I'D rs4 q
Everglades. to Key West.
Henry NJ. Flager may never have
attended a grand opera performance
or a base ball game, or never went
to Europe, but he certainly had q
vision and great faith in American
perseverance and engineering, when
West extension and kept advancing
money for it's construction agains:
the advice of most of his financial
associates, until he realized the goal
of his ambition, an all rail route to
Key West 1t is possible that most
visitors here from the great north
west, like myself. do not think SC
comfort in the fact that this marvel
Gus piece of railroad was built by
J. c. Meredith, who received his
training in the engineering depart.
ment of the Iowa State Agricultural
College at Ames. Mr.. Meredith died
in 1909 before his task was complet-
ed, but he had solved the final prob
lens in construction before his death
The distance from the mainland t.
Key West is 120 miles, but there Is
really only something like eighteen
miles Of concrete arch viaducts and
six miles of steel bridging resting or
hugh concrete piers. This distance
is by no means all OF the water, foi
there are miles on miles Of embank-
ment work protected by mari slopes
through shallow water.
The roadbed south from Home
stead to the Mainland is through the
swamps of the Everglades, partially
covered with shailow water uI
through which grows a tall grass
clump Of bushes and small trees. the
whole sesne resembling a vast, leve
prairie with small groves distributed
over its surface This section
abounds in water fowl Of every de,
scription And several times durine
the trip we saw alligators, rudely
awakened by the slowly passins
of the water along the track.
Leaving the mainland the scene II
one of wondrous beauty. The deer
blue ad many shades of vivid greer
OF the southern sea greets tho eye
from every side and Is source Of
never ending delight when in It.
grandeur during q storm. But al
trains are stopped from crossing the
open spaces. by automatically thV VIZ
switches, should the velocity of the
wind become too great for safety
Away to the south. at times, mar be
seen the dee3 blue water Of the gull
stream. and to the north the mostly
gulf. dotted evervwehre with the
x:+ta sells Of fishing boats, launches
ard paiatiai yachts or households
ar:l occasionally when the mair
nariretson channels are within view
one may see the great ocean liners
tankers, waTcraft or sailers passing
IN the distance.
mirror and-1opklng down from the
train windows we saw many fish Of
various size and colors, some Of
which from their size and motions
we took to be sharks: for be 1t re-
rnembered there are many varieties
OF these sea scayangers In the waters
about the Florida Keys. Since ar
opportunity OF watching these savage
the carcass of cow dumped into
fhe bay by the garbage boat.
The air. shores of the islands and
shoaie contributed their share TO ou1
oY.terfainment on this interestne
frip. Through the bays of Florida
and along the Keys, bird lire Is
plentiful Pelicans arc fn ayyiGance
s,,f occasionally ono sees mock oil
sL;ta naIicans which are by far the