Year: 1873

g.. ,-r;,,oJ hv tho Iast New. York steamer with
;,structions IN overhaul aud rehablitate the ma
china and repar shops at this point. He found the
sbops bult and occupied during the war, going 10
wreck from dsuse and neglect, while everything
movable had disappeared. With the limited iorce
at his command consisting of dozen or more me
chanics from the Philadelphia Navy-fard, ne went
right to work. and by a liberal use OF energy an"
money will soon have the shops and appointments
ready for the considerable amount of work which
thew must have to do. Once renovated, these shops
ought not TO be allowed to go down with the sub
sidence of the war fever. Even If not occupied
they ought to be preserved from destruction and
thievery.


The Pay Department is under the charge OF Pay
master Ambrose J. Clarke capable officer who
came out from New-York last week and has since
been busy night and day. Large quantities OF naval
stores are arriving by steamer and are beng
stored away rapidly as possible Tho large store
house is nearly full and tho Government wharf Is
crowded with high piles of barrels and boxes. Pay
master Clarke is assisted by Past Assistant Pay
master Bissel and o competent clerical force.


So much for naval matters. The army is repre-
sented up to this time by but single company OF ~
men of the st Artillery under Col c. l.. Best These
troops are in barracks. Fort Taylor. which Is
located on the southwestern extremity OF the
island and commands the harbor. has not yet been
garrisoned, but has 100 guns mounted and DIS
mounted, and can soon be placed on war basis IL
is thought that the island can accommodate at least
10000 troops while indefinite number can be pro-
yided for on transports in the harbor Supplies of
all kinds may be readily and expeditousy brought
from Galveston, Mobile, Savannah and New-Or-
leans and vegetables and fruits if nothing else,


may be brought with dispatch from the Florida
mainland. Key West itself could not support many
regiments for a week.


The town of Key West is larger and more prosper
GUS than one would suppose from reading gazetteers
and Biographies. For years its growth was slow


Settled in 1922 in 1850 its population did not exceed
1882 nor was it much larger in 1862 For long


period the inhabitants derived subsistence from
salvages and other perquistes of the wrecklng Dusi


ness and also drove toerable trade in spOnges


But with the lighting mp of the Florida coast and
the scattering of beacons along the reefs the wreck
ing business happily declined; and following the
troubles in Cuba. there came a tide of Immigration
which gave Key West new population, and led to
the establishment of more important industrial
and commercial interests. Now the Cuban
refugees constitute very large proper


ton if not majority of the inhabitants. Most of


them are the victims of political persecution. left
their native isle through fear of it, while others


came to Join friends or were tempted to emigration


by higher wages than they received in Cuba. Their
| new home seems in all respects cOngenial and the
| Key Westers give them welcome II not as thrifty
or as tidy as the German Scotch immigrant, the
Cuban has proved peaceable not idle easy to sat
sfy and withal he has observed the scrptural in
junction to increase and multiply" The numerous


white cottages not all as neat in exterior or interior


as they might be. which have been built dur


ing the past few years, show that the new
| c0mers have prospered to some extent aud


the fact that many have been legally natural


lied is evidence that they are satisfied. One


hears more Spanish than English spoken on
| the streets and West Indian manners and scenes
| combine with West Indian climate to tempt the
| visitor to believe that, despite the few busting
Americans now and then met. he is longer in the


United States The Cuban refugees are nearly all
engaged in the manufacture Of cigars from Havana


tobacco There are about IS factories, large and


small nosty SMALL. and they employ about 200
hands. The wages vary from SlS to Sij week, and
as not only men but women and children are EN-
ployed, many families have respectable income
| The cigar made may well be mistaken for genuine
Havana, and is intended to compete with it,
No pains are spared to make it first class
and Havana-like The Havana tobacco Is used


Havana hands manipulate it, and in some cases even


the water used the manufacture of the cigar is
imported from Havana. The result is an article
which proves p most acceptable substitute, and


would deceive 80 smokers out of 100. 1t is sold at
SO per cent less than the best Havana brands, and
! then proves remunerative. The average monthly
product of the factories is about 900 cigars.
The Cubans in Key West are unanimous for Free
Cuba, and always excitable are now more than ever
ready to flare up with enthusiasm or sink in de-
spondence, according to the nature of the cur
A tnttA


gerly conned. read aloud in the factories,
and its contents discussed in the family
and on the street: Cuban or New-York paper is
we'll thumbed and passed from hand to hand, and
the arrival of aship general rush of loungers
to the wharf. As far as have been able to gather
from conversation, these people regard free Cuban
Republic as the sum of all good, but would prefer
anything to the continued subsection of their be-
loyedisle to the domination of Spain. In case of the
annexation of Cuba to tho United States most of
them would pluck up stakes without delay and re-
turn to their old homes; and of course the cigar
manufacturing interest of Key West would receive
a severe if not fatal blow


The most prominent person on the island is Mr..
John Jay Philbrick, man full of public spirit and
energy and capable of conceiving and carrying out
the most important enterprises for the welfare and
improvement of the city and State. He is the Vice
Consul OF Great Britain and also the consular agent
Of several other European nations The officers of
the feet and garrison find in him IA most valuable
adviser and coadjutOr, and every visitor to Key
West finds him useful friend. Col. Wicker the
Collector of Customs, and Mr.. Merrill, the Deputy
Collector of Internal Revenue. are also public
spirited gentlemen and have a useful store of in.
formation as to the town and the island
The prospect of war has already induced not few
Northern gentlemen to visit Key West in search Of
opportunities to turn an honest penny. The Lelands
of New York have organized COMPANY for building