The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-03-03
FRED COLVIN WRITES INTERESTING
STORY OF VISIT TO ISLAND CITY

Fred H. Colvin, editor of The
American Machinist, and Mrs. Col
vim, visiting in Key West with
Judge and Mrs. Charles B. Bar
mes, writes Interestingly of the trip
south from Point Pleasant, and of
their stay in this city.
In the February Is issue of The
Citizen appeared an announcement
of the arrival of Mr.. and Mrs. Col
win, and a letter to Mrs. Colvin
from her brother, Herbert P. Lor-
ing, an engineer, who at one time
was in Key West and installed for
John Jay Philbrick the first cleo
trio light plant on the island.
The letter from Mr.. COlvin was
sent to the Ocean County Leader,
owned by L. P. Altman, owner
and publisher of The Citizen
which is published at Point Pleas
ant, N. j.. and is as follows:
Communicated
Ocean County Leader)
To the Editor:
Here re are, Mrs. Colvin and |,
in the southern end of the most
southern city in the U. S. A. The
Atlantic Ocean almost laps our
feet as we leave the house and
lust across the sea is Cuba-9O
miles away. Nearby huge peli-
can has mortgage on an aban-
doned pile in the water, from
which he spots fish in the water
and dives after them with amaZ-
ing speed for such a large bird
The water is a very clear green,
the sand bottom being visible for
several feet. There is no surf
owing to reefs off-shOre, such az
at famous Waikiki beach in Hon
olulu. This makes swimming
easy and the water today was
warmer than average summer
temperature at Point Pleasant.
After leaving Point Pleasant at
10 degrees above zero, crossing
the Delaware at Pennsville through
heavy ice floes and even using the
car heater last week at st. Peters
burg. a swim in the ocean here,
was most enjoyable. Then too,
we had a very stormy trip down,
driving over 1000 miles in rain,
and it can rain in this part of the
country. Driving long miles
through swamps on raised roads
without guard rails and nothing
but morass on each side, isn't ex-
&ctly pleasant in good weather.
add rain so hard that the wind
shield wiper makes little impress
sion on it, and it becomes a real
chore.
But we got through safely and
have a few pleasant memories be-
sides. One of these is an afternoon
spent with an army engineer on
the new Florida-Gulf canal pro-
ject, where 5000 men, are already
at work. 1 was particularly in
terested because 1 spent 10 days
at Panama during the digging of
that canal and was greatly sur
prised to learn that this Florida
canal will require the excavation
of 2 1-2 times as much material
as at Panama.
Key West is an interesting city,
which has changed in many ways
since 1911, when l first saw it.
The cigar business is gone and
federal development as a winter
resort is about the only industry
at present. The Florida East
Coast Railway no longer runs
ItiC VI 1881
September-and it is doubtful if
it is ever rebuilt. There is talk
of using the right of way for a
vehicle highway. which seems log
ical as it is rather isolated now.
It takes about 100 miles by road
and six hours by auto ferry to get
here now.
Here too, | called on Mr.. Art
man of the Kew West Citizen who
was most cordial. He was glad
to learn that Mrs. Colvin's broth
er, Herbert P. Loring. was the
electrical engineer who put the
first power and light plant on the
island, in 1892. Diesel engines
have now replaced the steam en-