Putnam patriot., 1924-05-23
March 31st-April ist

dock Was iudescribable. Passengers and ships officers, blacks and whites mingled in q mass of shrieking bu.
 manity all seeking missing trunks and
 bags Prohibition forced itself for.
 ward as dry America loomed over tha
 horizon. From boats by the s. S
 "Cuba" and at the stands on tho
 docks itself a lusty trade was carried on in braudies and WaIskIes and
 liquors in bottles that would lit into any pocket and thus possibly escape the ail-Watchful eye Of the customs iB- speetor at Key West We were off 0n time. drifting down through the 1 Nannows and past old Morro leaving the white and pink city behind us l filled with q week of pleasant and 1 happy memory.
 Again the crossing favored us and at o'clock in the most intense heat we were at Key West
 Why. on why, is it that the United States of America, famous over five continents for its marvels Of efliei- eney, makes the arrival on its shore of the traveller. whether native or for. eign, hide0us event of confusion. delay and discomfort?
 We crossed the dock at Key West into long bdrraek-like room with low ceilings and few windows and in the bowling, sweating mob of several hundred passengers. finally located trunks and bags. Then we waited as the thermometer seemed to climb to unbelievable heights. For three hundred passengers our great and opulent government had provided five inspectors. each intent upon making such an examination that not one drop of "red Iickker" should pass within our ard borders, though Key Y est runs With the distilier's output almost td the edge of the dock itself However. we waited and sweatsd and 70 did everyone else Lingerie from feminine trunks was tumbled and hanpled about The simple ofdcrf- ness of the male wardrobe became a mass of linen and w8oleHs in the senreh for the possible bottle. All the end of three quarters of an hour af such a Gehenna of heat as would have prostrnted a home=maker on the equator itaelf. we were freed, ticket ed and given bill of clearance that our luggage WAS found to be one hundred per cent free of alcohol.
 Five minutes later our taxi-driver oH the way to the hotel, remarked. Say. Mister. do you want Co 70 10 q good bootlegger2" 2" But at the mo ment all the liquid that We prayed for was the aqua. more or less pura. Of n bathtub
 \ night in Key West was only re= heved by our amusement and sym paihy for g poor old gentleman who had in charge a party of fussy ladies of certain aHe The Casa Marina the great new FlagIer hotel had elos ed that morning so that those uf ths voyarers who would remain over night were forced Io take refuge in smaller and less comfortable hotel. The ladies had n poor lime of if ana they saw fo il that their guide an mentor had worse one. The cli-H max came this morning at breakfast. when. having waited long for their bill the most Gorean of the eight dis covered charge for cigars on her breakfast cheque'
 Across the Keys Again
 At ten we began the long ride across the Keys on the Florida raii- road. hopping from key to key across the concrete eauseways and at noon we reached one Of the most unique places on the continent. the fishing club at Long Key Here we were in the tropics surely. A great blanket of glistening white sand with palms rising in regular rows to shelter d cluster of fishing cottages built on stilts and clustering about central dining room while to the south across the utterly blue ocean stretched the longest and most important of the railroad eauseWays
 Al five we were at Miami. modern city all hotels and skyscrapers and thence to Palm Beach we pussed for three hours through the new Florida. Ne doubt if any boom eity of early oil days or gold days or railroad days in the great period 0f American eX- pausion can compare with this mush- room growth of Florida. New towns spring up daily What was swamp yesterday is full hedged city with 1 banks and hotels and paved streets to- morrow Bungalows and stucea | pseudo Spanish houses rise like weeds from the sand and the swnmns The air hristies with activity and prosperity.
 At 7.30 our long. long train cross ed Che bridge which separated West Palm Beach from Palm Beach and in the dead blaekness of the night We two lone travellers were set down among the invisible splendors of that southern Newport. Palm Beach
 Deserted Palm Beach
 of course the season has ended and most of the travellers have gone North. The great Poinciana Hotel is closed and at The Breakers there are d scarce three hundred guests This, ! however, makes no difference ia the price per day. We shall not stay at | Palm Reach iong. not because We dc not like it but because there is a limit to what one is willing to pay for one very ordinary room. not too we'll
 furnished and three passably ap-
 petizing meals.
 When We came down Co dinner | rather late, of course, we discovered
 that because the dining room was i supposed to have closed an hour be-
 fore we were in danger of not haV. | ing a meal But we were saved by the Florida Hotel Association which was holding a banquet in the main dining room We wanted little but
 we received q great deal. lt was q question of taking the whole banquet
 or nothing And so we ate.