The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-04-22
MISSOURI EDITOR
CONTINUED from Page One


ian were sent to City Manager
Dave King who passed them on
to me. And thereby hangs a tale,
and Dave Kings moustache. In the
third of the series Of stories. Naet-
er dug up picture Of King taken
in January 2 when King was chief
engineer out in Naeter's neck of
the woods. The mustache. as he
points out, Is not much the worse
for wear after so years.
Naeter walked into the city hall,
not knowing that Dave King was
his old acquaintance. He was just
curious about garbage collections.
King looked up and recognized
Naeter, although not by name, as
the newspaper editor and publish
er he knew years before.
Notes on life in Key West made
BY Naeter include the observation
that no one raises chickens ex.
cepting possibly some fighting
breeds. He also noted that there
we're only a few horses here and
no cows.
He collected statistics and ac-
curate figures on the population,
the water situation, taxation, the
shrimp industry and shops. "Ima.
CINE" he wrote after seeing that
kress was the only five and dime
retail store. "a city claiming IS
or 40 thousand population without
q Woolworth storei"
The list Of other peculiarities Of
Key West included the fact that
over so percent of the regular pop
ulation (not counting O,OO0 visit
ors) are of Spanish, Cuban or Mex.
lean extraction; that our sky Is
always filled with Navy craft Of
some kind, and that there are q.
bout 10000 Navy personnel in town.
His tour Of. the Navy base with
department included inspection Of
helicopters the Fleet Sonar School
and other points of activity. He
mentioned the Navy Charity Car
nival which was getting underway
story on Baby Jasper Walker who
was thought to have a tumor on
the brain until examined by the
Mayo clinic after the Key West
Shrine Club, neighbors, in fact the
whole community, had been arous-
ed TO help.
L seems that the people out in
Missouri took an interest too, and
after Naeter's scheduled six art.
icles had appeared in print, he re-
eeived so many requests for infor-
nation on the outcome as related
in series Of stories on little Jas.
per In The Citizen that he pub
fished long excerpts from them,
following the story through.
Touching on other subjects. Naet-
er had one word for Key lime pie:
''Maryelous!" OF course there
were some criticisms. too. He
stated that since there IS ! boon,
here and that the Navy training
base accounts for 10000 people.
normal population Of perhaps Is.
600 Is taxed beyond capacity. ssThe
town. or city, or whatever ii Is. Is
overly supplied with saloons and
night spot" and added sMunici-
pal conditions are chaotic. 10 say
The least He stressed the heavy
burden which falls on tie city
manager.
In ecaeiuxion. Naeter wrote so
far a. ne are concerned. after Be.
ing here nearly . month, Il that
We have never seen anywhere such
natural Lavish beauty. Flowers are
evegywhere, the two oceans meet
ing here present a picture fsr be
yrnd cur comprehension. Where
eser we 50 Ne are eoafrontsd With
mere eoiagfa beauS gnsa We car
hardy believe l. Ard al tie sane
time Ne are SIRE there Is less
pride. less sprgeefaEion e nasures
maryeaeaS gifk than ary rz1es we
lave ever seea
@ss-sa--s-a@ae-@..as
Red Kx2s8. new cnaxh fsx gle
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