The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-05-06

lantic entrance to the Panama canal.
The government has long recognized
Its strategic Importance and has
placed here a large naval station and
Is expanding vast sums in the i'm
provement OF the splendid natural
harbor. In addition to the naval base
the city Is an important military
base. 1t has barracks. Fort Taylor,
marine barracks and coast guard pa
troll base. There is a powerful wire
less station, having a radius of 1900
miles, and besides all this there is
located in Key West the headquarters
Of the seventh lighthouse district, a
marine hospital, custom service, i'm :
migration service. weather bureau
station, illogical station and many
other activities. representing every
department and bureau of the FEEDER
al government.
The chief commercial industry Is
cigars. OF which the output is over
| 150,000,000 annually. Here also the
sponge. gathers Of Florida waters
ling their sponges to be sold at auc
ton at the sponge market.
am told that the fury OF the trop-
ical storms which sometimes sweep
across the little key, has affected
the architecture of Key West; few
Of its buildings being more than one
or two stories. Fortunately these
severe storms come only during. the
three summer months, SO winter
narrow streets are all splendid paw.
ed and kept very clean, and the
street car system is fairly good, but
there is no water for drinking pur-
poses except what is distilled OIL
shipped in, and no city sewer system
A glance at the map Of the Florida
Keys will explain the difficulties OF
obtaining his i1s ,I these advantages since hne
a few feet above the sea level and
is 140 miles from possible fresh
water unless from rain or by d;stilla-
ton. During our stay in the city
the. contract was let for a complete
sewer system and for a waterpipe
cost $4,0000,000. Plans are also un-
line 14S miles from Homestead, to
automobile road from Miami This
contemplates two or three long fer
ries and the estimated cost lis $780,
100000. Some work has already been
done.
There are lots Of automobiles in
Key West and no locks or burglar in
surance is necessary for the farther
est punt oil dulo luiel couiu ESCAPE
to is six miles and that only in one
direction.
1t is a matter of wonder to me how
it was possible for a human being
to exist here before the days of the
ice plant and distilled water. but
thealth conditions now are very good
as evidence there is only one under
taker in Monroe county, and he must
do other work to make a living. We
have been in the city more than two
weeks and there has only been one
death here since we came.
| The most delicious fruits and fresh
vegetables are received from Home
stead daily and several of the Keys
grow oranges and grapefruit of SUI
perior quality. The "tangellos" are
certainly delicious and it will be hard
to go back to western fruit after this
experience.
Sure there are mosquitoes here in
Key West, every month in the year,
| for the temperature does not vary
more than ten degrees. But the bet
ter people are fast learning the use
of screens and there is SO much
breeze out of doors all the time that
| ly. / am told that these pests are
scarce compared with former days,
but it could be practically eliminated
by more careful attention to the
elimination Of stagnant rain water on
the island, and particularly in open
cisterns and barrels.
With the completion of the water
and sewerage systems and the pro-
posed auto road to the mainland, Key
West will become one Of the great
est winter resorts in the country.
The even temperature, which rarely
goes below seventy or above, eighty
degrees, and the fine bathing, boating
and fishing, make it a desirable and
months now: connected as it is with
| the mainland and northern points. by
! good rail service, and by airshtp and
boats with Havana, Miami, Tampa,
| Nassau and Bimini and by regular
steamship lines with New York and
Galveston.
It would be ungrateful indeed for
me t. end t,a this story Without ut Mr
Tompkns and myself for the splendid
organization and efforts of George e.
seh is Will wiiRi HsA MS. Lois <.
Mayes and the entire Florida com
mittee, which made the 1921 n. E. A.
meeting and trip such a pleasing sue
cess
The hero OF the trip was Jack
Senter of Columbus, Miss, who at
serious risk Of his own life, saved
the lives of two persons, father and
son, from drowning when caught by
the undertow off Daytona beach. The
association unanimously recommend
ed Mr.. Senter for a Carnegie medal.
It is with sorrow that must record
The deaths of two members of the
editorial party, Mrs. Thomas Levitt
Of Massachusetts,, died of pneumonia
at ST Augustine and Mrs G.. u.
ANNUAL MARKING DAY