The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-05-04
OVERWHELMINGLY
CAYO HUESO---Kev Vest
ee
CBy LA PLACE BosTWIcKo

ssoeeeoeeeeseeasseoeeeess
tinues on its way along the eastern
coast of the United States, crosses
the ocean TO Norway and there
dividing, part Of it sweeps south
to temper the climate of western
Europe. This marvellous ocean
river, the Gulf Stream, leaves the
southern shores of Key West. 1t
tempers the atmosphere and i'm
consequence frost is totally iun-
known. 1T makes bathing per-
feet thruout the year. 1t causes
Key West to be Tropical island
where at ANY time during the
year tropical fruits and flowers
may be picked at will. The or
binary weather is like the finest
days of q northern June. So,
after the most marvellous trip of
our lives we have arrived at Gayo
Hueso (Key Vest, the city of
pleasure, romance and adventure
Key West, where dreams come
true'.
Built Upon . Rock
Somewhere in the Bible it is
mentioned that it were not good
to build your house upon the sand.
The builders Of Key West were far
from foolish--they tbuilded upon
a rock" On a solid foundation
of coral rock the city basks in the
bright tropic sunshine amid flow
ers and waving palms. Entirely
surrounded by its Ocean and Gulf
and held safely in the arms Of
the mighty Gulf Stream, it is an
emerald isle in a turquoise sea. In
SEVERAL ways it is the ONLY
city of its kind in the whole wide
world.
The earliest inhabitants of
whom we have any real history,
discovered on the island queer
mounds of stone. In these mounds,
among other things, were found
skeletons about seven feet in
length. Evidently they belonged
to a race of tremendous men. The
skulls were large and heavy with
jaw bones of such size that they
could easily be fitted OVER the
lower part of an ordinary face of
today. According to the Smithson-
ian Institution, they have been
found in many mounds through
out the state of Florida. gNote-
The writer has helped in the ex-
cavatiOn of two of these skele-
tons.) These gigantic people
are said to have inhabited the
c0stal regions from what is now
called Virginia to the southern
most tip of Florida. Tt was prob
ably before the day of the ordin-
airy Indians. They occasionally
wandered far afield as their re-
mains have been found near 0ma-
ha, and also in "a cave at Anamosa,
Iowa. AT one time they inhabited
the island of Cayo Hueso.
After the discovery of America
by Columbus, there was a long per-
iOd of time when Buccaneers and
Pirates sailed their ships among
the tropic isles. The Bahamas
West Indies and the Florida Keys
were the Fairgrounds of Black
beard, Morgan, and many other
noted pirates. On account of its
commanding position at the en-
trance of the great Gulf of Mex
leo, and because of its wonderful
harbor, Oayo Hueso was a favoriteI
In the early days,
heavy timber covered the largest
and such trees as Gumbo-I
limbo, Sugar-apples, Sapodillos,l
Guavas, ETC., must have been a.
great attraction. Bananas and
cOcoa-nuts also had an appeal, es-
as cocoa-nuts are both
food and drink. CIT is said that
the Buccaneers made a curious
drink by removing the soft eye of
the cocoa-nut, inserting q spoon
full Of brown sugar. and then pres
sing o cork into the hole. In
about two weeks the result was 81
drink that might cause . cripple to
climb tree.1 However. for long
long time Cayo Hueso was known
TO few but the Indians and Pirates.
When the first white men came
they found the island strewn with
human bones. The oldest settler
on the west coast Of Florida said
that "He was told BY an old, old
Indian that many years before
labout I6S0l the mainland In
dams had gradually pushed the is
land tribe from key to key until
having heen driven to the farthestl
island Of any consequence tCayo
Huesol they were at last forced 70
make 4 stand. A frightful mas
saere occurred and al were killed
but a very few who escaped in cam
oes across the great Gulf Stream. :"
Mote Some Of the descendants
Of these fugitives have since been
found in Cuha.l
The Islama City
The island or Key West II about
mile and = hall In width and
four and 4 hall miles in length.