The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-03-19
MARCH OF Time
RELEASES MOVIE
ABOUT KEY West
BRAIN TRUST ISLAND Is
NAME GIVEN TO LATEST
MOVIE REEL: TO BE SHOWN
AT MONROE THEATER

Awakened after years OF semi
tropical slumber, Key West, sleep
ing beauty of the u. s. resorts,
has today thrown off its rags, and
outfitted in new and revealing
garb swings on to the national
scene, escorted by her Prince
Charming. the attentive Uncle
Sam.
Briefly that is the story Of a
community's success March of
Time tells in its latest release,
Brain Trust Island. which opens
tonight at the Monroe Theater, in
this city.
When four years ago. Julius z.
Stone, Jr.. then 80 years old, was
assigned to Key West by the Fed
eral relief administration, to in
vestigate the island where pirate
ships once careened. he found al
most the entire population Of H.
900 without means Of support. and
dependent on relief. says March
of Time. -
Stone, who comes of an old CO.
lumbus family, has had. despite
his years, a varied career which
includes a Harvard Pm. D. n
chemistry, a fling at chain manu-
featuring. the brokerage business.
then relief administration in New
York State, and finally in Wash
ington, d. C.. where Harry Hop
kins urged him to accept the job
of administering relief to Florida.
There, Stone became especially
interested in Key Vests prob
lem
In the past, Key West had va
riously been an important center
for cigar manufacturing. in which
half the population engaged, had
carried on a prosperous sponge
trade, had been a busy port. had
boasted military and naval posts
whose payrolls helped its inhabit-
ants make a living.
But what was Kew West to do
now? How TO climb from the
Dauper's rut? Led by William R.
Porter. an island businessman. the
City Council determined to make
a last stab at restricting pros
.peEity and voted to turn over the
entire island 60 Brainfruster
Stone. The latter declared he sees
no reason why Key Vests glo-
ries should not be converted into
the magnetic attractions of a
pleasure resort
Stone and his FERk assistants
begin TO clean up the city, lay
plans to rehouse and to restore
old homes, and artists sing the
song of Key West with paint and
canvas.
Mostly with FERA funds and
the islands unemployed, partly
with the help of volunteers for
whom Stone sends out call Key
West is soon polishing itself up as
a showplace for the expected
tourists.
Then comes the hurricane of
1895. wrecking the immediate
hopes as well as the famous over
seas railroad built BY Flagler.
thirty years ago. to the mainland.
With So. SOC. 900 PwA money. Key
West purchases the railroad S
right-of-way. and on the aban-
doned railroad bed. March OF
Time shows the rapid construc-
ton of the latest type Of motor
highway.
But now a new worry wrinkles
the islands eager brow Viii Key
Vests charm be despolied by .
noisy inpouring of race-track and
honky-tonks? VIII Key West
achieve only the doubtful diStinc-
ton of being the Coney Island OF
the Florida KEYS. March Of Time
shows how Administrator Stone,
now taking up his studies as q
first-year student at the Harvard
Law School. leaves his New Deal
assignment with an anxious warn
ing to his Key West friends
against promoters and unbridled
commercialization: Its going 70
take a lot of CUTS to keep them
out".