The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-04-21
Article On Key West Written
By Local Weatherman'S Dad

You cross bridges end on end and
in the order named, come Big
Pine, Little Torch, Middle Torch,
Ramrod, Summerland, Cudjoe,
Sugar Loaf, Saddle Bunches, Bird,
Geiger, Boca Chica and Stock Is
land.
You enter the city on the COCO
nut bordered Roosevelt Boule-
ward, new $1,000,O00 WPA prof.
ect which almost encircleS the is
land. But modernity ceases upon
leaving the boulevard and enter
ing the city proper. 1t is hos
pitable and peaceful city. No
hustle, hustle or artificial beauty
of the standardized resorts to the
north. The population is evenly
divided between whites, CubanS
and Negroes, but Spanish seems
to be the prevailing tongue. The
stores and shops are nearly all
Cuban.
The island is only a few feet
above sea level. There is no surf,
the water is shallow for seven or
eight miles out where the oceans
mighty power is broken by the
coral reef surrounding the island
Key Vests insurance against
storms. A mighty good insurance
it is, for Key West, storm CEN
ter, has remained unscatched for
a century. 80
II would be hard to choose the
most beautiful CHARACTERISTIC OF
this island city, but flower Lovers
and botanists would very easily
decide the question. The streets,
the picturesque Cuban lanes and
even the vacant lots are mass OF
tropical vegetation as frost has
never been seen, in fact the ma
tives are under the impression
that frost is a sheet of ice. Bou-
gainvillaea, Frangipani, Geiger,
Spathodea, Royal Poinciana, giant
night-blooming cereus, erotons of
every variety and shape, give
the scene a color beyond COM
pare.
And fruit-every variety of
tropical fruit hangs in abundance.
Almonds are crushed beneath the
feet as one trudges along the side
walk. Sapodillas, sour sops and
coconuts are in every yard and
/ incidentally are the three favorite
ice creams. Ti-es's tasting like
baked sweet potatoes cover the
ground. The coconut palm, which
outnumbers every living thing on
the island, really is a menace in
the high winds and the initiated
walk in the middle of the street
on a windy day.
AS for tropical trees. you ca
hardly mention one in the entit
world that is not flourishing on
this island. There are seven va
rieties of palm. the mahogany,
gumbo limbo, banyan, cork, trav-
eler tree, lignum vitae, man
grove, sandbox, kapok, Indian
laurel, bunya bunya, but this
could go on forever
As for fish, they've $50 varie-
ties in the waters, and If you 60
to their aquarium and view them
in their glass tanks you'll think
they've underestimate. They
have the only open air aquarium
in the world. where they can be
seen in their true brilliant colors
which only the sunlight can give.
Key West is famous the world
over for her green turtle steaks
and soups These giant turtles are
not green but get their name
from the color of their fat. They
weigh about 500 pounds and are
brought in by yacht from Mica
ragua. in the Caribbean sea. and
placed in sea stockades until
butchered.
You'll drink rain water here
and like IL. The entire watef
supply is left to the mercy Of ].
Pluvius. but Key West has 40 an
nusl rainfall Of 1879 inches, pracr,
ticaIly all in the Summer months.
j II is caught on the roofs and stor-
ed in cement cisteTns under the
houses or in the back yards Of
the individual homes. automatic
pumps sustaining a pressure in
the hydrant.
Key West is only equaied by
Gibraltar as a strategic military
and naval location II controls the
waters Of the Gulf and the carib-
bean. II is a potential base for
submarines in case Of war with
specially designed basin. q naval
radio station known the world
over. lighthouse service head
quarters and our southeTum0Et
weather bureau Tts natural har-
Dor could shelter the entire U S
navy
The happiesi people In the
United States live here They are
poor. bat fine people. the Cubana
No crime Of rowdyisrn as IN the
foreign element q Cur mainland
cities
There ir % aana aa vse knaw n