The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-05-11
CAYO HUESO---Key West


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Continued from last Thursday
backgrounds and bathing beach. II
is common thing, when working
for white man, to first do the
work and then say "for wat You
wants to give. In Key West
good treatment is the rule and il
is Give and let Live.
It is a very curious thing that
while in other parts Of the coun-
try, both north and south, negroes
have an unreasoning fear Of grave
yards, still in Key West it is not
uncommon for them to live close
by and facing the cemetery. No
such fear seems to exist.
The stranger, or visitor to Key
West, is certain to notice and won
der about the many queer, long
rows of stone which divide into
sections a large acreage of shallow
water on the southeastern part
of the island. AS the tides rise
these fill with ocean water. The
rows of stone were put in place to
form pans, or compartments, for
the manufacture of salt. This was
begun in the year 1880. It was
possible to control the ocean water
by means of gates and Of course
the salt crystals were precipitated
by evaporation. At that time
there was a firm known as The
American Salt Company. The
business was at various times own
ed by different companies and the
crop has run as high as seventy
five thousand bushels in Que year,
1t was one Of the first lines of
big business to be started in Key
West and there were years when
is was quite profitable. "The old
salt pans" for the manufacture of
salt by solar evaporation are one
of the interesting relics of bygone
times.
Numerous Wrecks
In the old, old days Of sail
ing ships, before the lighthouses
were built and before the chan
nels and reefs were properly mark
ed, there were many wrecks ships
driven upon the banks" or reefs.
In those days, a profession started
and grew; line of work full of
romance and danger, where des-
perate chances were taken as q
matter Of course. Sailing ships
from all parts of the world came
through the Florida Straits, be-
tween Cuba and Key West, and
many Of them went on the banks
and reefs. fTGse sfiTs r1rrfsr
rich cargoes Of every descriptiSh
and in those good old days, "rhe
Wreckers' were very busy. Many
weird stories have been told or
printed of false lights set to lure
innocent men to destruction upon
the coral reefs. These stories
represent THE Wreckers' as a
wild gang of devil-care cutthroats
who cared nothing for the lives or
property rights of others but the
real facts seem to be that the great
majority Of them were good, brave,
fearless men who dared reckless
deeds to help others who were
in distress and assist them in saw
ing their cargoes and ships. The
regular Wreckers were wen equip
ped for their work Strong, swift
boats that could weather a storm,
and these men who could swim and
dive like cells, were ready at all
times for instant action. In many
ways they were like the Life Saw
ing crews of the present day.
Strong laws covered all points of
salvage and their pay for this most
dangerous work was q certain pro-
portion Of what was saved from de-
struction. Since sailing ships
are almost thing Of the past, and
since danger spots have been care
fully marked by the government,
very few wrecks now occur along
the Florida coasts However,
any "old-timer' around the water
fronts OF Key West Is able to take
you out to where, on still days
when the water-glass way be used
to advantage, the remains of some
ancient wreck can be seen on the
bottom far below. There are
wrecks Of merchant ships and il
certain spots what may have beer
Spanish galleons or pirate craft
After e storm, when the back.
wash. has been stronger than US
uaI. cannon have sometimes beer
seen. II would be an interesting
thing 10 raise these old wrecks d
Is use modern diving methods. Il
would be 4 pleasure 20 tryans
Il n. n