rhe highest §§ point in Key West FREE Vol . 1, No. 17 Key West, F l o r i d a May, 1976 c BICYCLES TOURS - RENTALS - ACCESSORIES See Key West close-up on Wheels. New, safe, 3-speed guys' and girls' bikes. Lightweight adjustable tandems, great for kids, too. SIGHTSEERS Wheels has personalized maps and guide folders. Ask about our packaged tour. THRILLSEEKERS Ride an old-time Big Wheel. SHOPPERS Wheels' bikes have luggage racks and locks. Whatever your thing, Wheels will help you do it. Call us. Wheels 1601 N. Roosevelt at Truman 294-6542 1 From the Editor Water plays an important role in this issue of Solares, Hil I. Writer? Bill Brunelle has put together an interesting piece on Jacques Cousteau and his mammoth and heroic committ- ment to the waters of the world. There is a possibility apparent- ly , that Key Vest could he considered as a port for Cousteau and his research staff. How wonderful this would he for Key West and, of course, how wonderful it would be for Jacques Cousteau. On a smaller but still signi- ficant saale we are rerunning the popular well-digging article written by Mike Prewitt and illustrated by Jerry Miller. The well-digging business is brisk these days and will probably get brisker. The constant water short- ages in the Keys promise a lot of work for the diggers. FKAA Director, Royal Newman, very wisely is pushing for the reuse of cisterns . Cistern cleaners ,• designers, and renovators will probably be busy also these days. . This is all to the good. Getting back to practical and natural ways of getting water is very healthy. Our cover this time is by Conrad Lamm. He has hopes of selling his T-shirts using this design. If you are interested in finding out more 'about them, drop a card to Solares Hill and we will see that he gets it. Speaking of covers, one of our favorites was by Peter Cosgrove a few years back. We are rerunningi it in the back of this issue. We hope that you enjoy it, also. Certain things are native to the tropics. Beautiful weather, of course, exotic fruits,- relaxed living,_ glorious views and, of course, music. Whether it is the sounds of the wind rattling through the palm fronds or whispering^ through the Australian Pine.a, or music coming from a home or music from a 'street musician, music has always been a part of the Ufa in the tropics and, especially, in Key West. Every year there seems to be an attempt to muzzle music locally. A dulcimer player was arrested at Mallory Square this past winter for performing without an occupational license. Surprisingly, and happily, he won his case when he proved that he was not soliciting money for hie music. Now, there is a local law pending that insists that two or more musicians playing together in public must be licensed. Worse, the county is trying to apply this law to the unincorporated parts of the county. Nothing could he more opontanious or more natural than a couple of musicians playing together. You shouldn't have to run for a license if you want to play with a friend at Sunset; it Juot isn't right. Perhaps the reason io that aome musicians get too loud when they play together. If this in ao, then they should be warned to play quieter and if this doesn't happen, then avi'e.at them for disturbing the peace. But, for every warranted arrest for a noiay jam session, there are 25 pleasant piak-up musical moments that are a pleasure both for the performers and the listeners. It is absurd and unneaeBinary to occupy officials with this licensing nonsense and it is totally wrong to clamp down on musicians like this a group of little, girla singing as they walk to ach.ool need to be licensed next? Bill liuakel THIS IS OUR SUBSCRIPTION FORM HERE IS $10.00 FOR MY SUBSCRIPTION TO 11 ISSUES OP SOLARES HILL. NAME ADDRESS_ CITY STATE ZIP Our mailing addrfit 821 Duval Street Key Wep,t, Florida. 3 30'10 Phone numbers are 291l-10l('l & 29*1-2*100 In Marathon call .872-2915 Solares Hill is a community newspaper published every month on the sloves of Solares Bill, Key West's highest point, by Solares Hill Company, 821 Duval Street, Key West, Florida 33040. Annual subscription rate (11 issues) is $10 00 EDITORIAL BILL HVCKEL ART DIRECTION TOM POPE COPY • EDITOR WENDY RVSS0 PHOTOGRAPHER NADAR With a little help from our friends Solares Hill Co. All rights re- served . "JIMMY" HYDE by Bill Huckel .The other day I was working at home when a lady came to the door looking for me. She wanted to talk about Solares Hill. Quite honestly I had been enjoying many favorable comments about the paper and was prepared to enjoy some more. Not this time. The lady, Mrs. Delphina Valenzuela, had been trying to catch me at home for days. She was angry. "Turn to page 2k in your paper," she asked - this was the page of the "Old Island Anecdote". "It's lies," she said, "all lies about my father." Mrs. Valenzuela's father was James "Jimmy" Hyde (we misspelled it Hide), a well-known and very respected barber in Key West for 65 years. Jimmy Hyde was one of the people we talked about in the anecdote. Incorrectly, It appears. I had the pleasure of speaking with two of Jimmy's daughters and they set the record straight. Let me give some facts on Jimmy Hyde's, life first. He was born in Key West on Oct. 2, 1888. His father had come to Key West in 1865 after being in the Civil War. His mother died when he was a very little boy and his half-sister, Amelia Torano Mathews, raised him. He had to work hard as a little boy - he was up delivering milk around Key West at dawn and would finish his route before ther-second bell rang at his school. As a youth he became an apprentice barber to Arthur "Kitty" Gomez, who later became famous as a Pla. senator. Jimmy was the only one of seven appren- tices to finish and become a full- fledged barber. At the age of 17 he became his own boss and bought a shop from Berlin Sawyer's father across from the Florida First National Bank where the parking lot is today. Later, he had a shop for a number of years at the famous old Jefferson Hotel. It was around this time that he became a customs official as well. He worked both jobs for awhile and then had the. golden opportunity of transferring to Port Tampa to be a customs official for life. But like many Conchs, Jimmy knew a good thing and refused to leave Key West. He used to say to his children then they were grown and would travel, "Why leave? Everything you need is here!" Later, he moved his shop to Division St. (now Truman Ave.). and was in where the Sausage Shop was for many years. He bought a house on White St. in '36 and moved there. Jimmy had a small stand by the side of his house which he used as a barber shop till 1939. At that point . he rented the stand to his half- brother, Peter Torano, who sold fish from it till the late "10 »s. After Peter Torano died several people had a bollo business from the stand including a man nicknamed"Haivita Linda", or pretty little crab. "Haivita", whose real name was Roman Menendez, was a small, stout, good-natured Spaniard who walked with a limp, spoke with a deep gravely voice, and sold bollos from a motorized scooter. Prior to renting the. stand from Jimmy, he had sold bollos from a baby carriage. It should be mentioned here that "Haivita" spoke almost no English and often Jimmy would be called from his shop to translate for tourists who would buy from the stand. Eventually "Haivita" left Key West and went to Tampa. Meanwhile, all this time, Jimmy was cutting hair -in the front room shop of his house. He kept cutting hair almost up to the time he died at age 82, after being a barber for 65 years. Mrs. Valenzuela emphasized the peaceful loving nature of her father, and another sister, Mrs. Amelia Gonzalez, said beautifully, "We will always remember him as father, mother and best friend." Let me point out here that Jimmy's first two wives died young, leaving him four young children to raise. In addition to Mrs. Valenzuela and Mrs. Gonzalez, children of his first marriage,. Jimmy had twins from his second marriage, a son, Jimmy H. Hyde, who lives here (and who is the fourth generation James Hyde to live here), and a daughter, Emily Hyde who lives with Mrs. Gonzalez. He married a third time to Mrs. Ethel "Hattie" Parkes Roberts with whom he stayed happily married for 35 years till her death in 1964. So we were wrong on a lot of things. Jimmy didn't sell fish, didn't have a side kick named Poncho, didn't spell his name Hide, wouldn't have been ' angry with Poncho had there been a Poncho and had Poncho been Roman Menendez, he wouldn't have spoken any English anyway. Let us apologize here for the misrepresentations and untruths that appeared in the article. We hope that this corrected version will set the record straight. We want to continue running anec- dotes on some of the fabulous charac - ters in Key West history. Also, obviously, we want to be doubly sure that we are correct in the future. I want to emphasize that we are not poking fun at or being mean to anyone. Historically, islands attract a number 'of odd people whose antics enrich the lives of those around them. I think that the free and easy, relaxed tropical flavor of Key West has brought out the zaniness in a lot of people and, I stress, in Np_ way, are we saying that only some of the Conchs have been characters. Far from it. Our anecdote this time is ab.out a wonderful rogue from Philadelphia named Winthrop Biddle. A few nice things came out of that anecdote, however. One was meeting Mrs. Valenzuela (I'd known her daughter for years) and meeting Mrs. Gonzalez (I had seen her on her front porch often and wondered who she was). Another was finding out and talking about a fine human, Jimmy Hyde. And one more thing. When Mrs. Valenzuela was putting . me right about the article, she men- tioned that she'd voted for me years ago when I'd run for City Commissioner. She said that she was so mad at me after reading the article that it reminded her of the story of the little girl who was being punished by her grandmother for using a bad word. The grandmother told the little girl, who was feeding a cracker to her pet parrakeet, that she would have to go to her room. The little girl asked, "Who told you?" The grandmottier re- plied, "A little bird told me." Where- upon the little girl exploded and said, "And to think I've been feeding crackers to that S.O.B. all this time I" And that was how Mrs. Valenzuela felt about having voted for me after reading the article. I hope she doesn't still feel that way.. r Stylfcjod JHairadttog riBT 6utja am! BcHa "topical Cufoix) Lawj Guide Captain Gris Bettle special jadio equipped shallow draft boat back country & shallow water fishing 61B FLEMING STREET KEY WEST. FLORIDA (305) 294-5396 spin' • fly plug • • snorkeling Lunch ||- *> pinner 6-|2 6fiven Cfciys « WeaK some remarks An interesting program for the community is scheduled for the evening of May 10 at 7:00 at City Hall. The program will provide the people of Key West with a unique opportunity to express what they feel are their great- est concerns and needs"at this time. This program is sponsored by the Key West Community Involvement Council and it will be known as the National Congress of Volunteerism and Citizenship. It is open to the public and is really a public forum. This is how it works. Here in Key West the major econ- omic concerns remain the closing of the Naval Air Station and the opening of the Naval Base to city use and development. How do you react to this? What do you want to see done with the Navy base? Disney World? Jacques Cousteau head- quarters? A U.S. Steel plant? A beautiful beach? _What? Here is an Opportunity to get total input from the community on these issues. The first step then is to dis- cuss both our local problems and prcb- able solutions to them. Then the agenda developed from these local forums will be the basis of the Congressional District Forums, which are being scheduled this summer in each of the nations 435 U.S. Con- gressional districts and Washington,D.C. Next, representatives from these District Forums will be elected to attend the National Congress in Nov. in Wash. D.C. to discuss an agenda based on the findings and recommenda- tions of the Local and District Forums. Delegates to this National Congress will formulate final resolutions and recommendations for action. Finally, State Conventions will follow in 1977, offering the oppor- tunity to relate the findings of the National Congress to the specific needs of each state and its commun- ities. This is an expansion of the Amer- ican way of action through town meet- ings 3 concerned citizens, action groups, etc. going as it does from the local to the state to the national levels and then back down again from the national to the state, then to the local. An excellent local man named Isadore "Izzie" Weintraub is in charge of the program. Please remember that it is scheduled May 10 at 7:00 at City Hall. Open to the public. Please come. I was very upset when the photo of Sam didn't come out clearly. It was a good shot but something went wrong when we were preparing it for the news- paper. I promised Sam and I promised myself especially that I would get another photo of Sam and put it in the paper. The other photos that I did get didn't please me quite so much as the first one did so I've decided to re-run it. Hopefully, -this time Solares Hill will have a good photo reproduction in the paper of our friend Sam1. • • *% ARTISTS UNLIMITED ity eort worit c5o Sett jet Jt TiKALTMDINQ COMPAMY CENTRAL AMERICAN ue uxat t e h * n d ftonu ( Djdfo oiler ol WAT fWi 0 g 400 rest beach editorial continued The townhouse development on the ocean front at Rest Beach in Key West has continued unabated in spite of written protests to the Mayor of Key West and to the Director of the Build- ing Service Department of the city. The editorial and feature article in our April edition of Solares Hill have likewise had little effect on our public officials. There has been citizen response to our editorial and Solares Hill hopes to move more posi- tively in the next few weeks to cause the city officials, to take some action on the development. There appear to be four major areas, of possible violations. One is townhouse violations; the second, coastal set-back violation; the third, water hook-up violations; and the fourth is dredge and fill violations. TOWNHOUSES With the issuance of the third and fourth building permits and commence- ment of construction on the first, three connecting lots, any doubts that these are townhouses, as defined by the city's Building and Zoning Ordinance 69-29, seem to be dispelled. The city ordin- ance describes townhouses as a group of three or more one-family dwelling units with adjoining (side) fire walls, constructed upon separate lots with sep- arate utility services. At press time the first unit at 1334 Atlantic Blvd., had progressed to nearly full height with two elevated living-area floors and a roof patio area topped with a seven-foot parapet wall. It is thirty feet wide and appears to have reached the planned height of 37 feet, which is itself a violation of the building code which limits the height of townhouses to 30 feet. Next door, the second unit at 1332 Atlantic, had reached one story and the third unit at 1330 Atlantic had its foundations in place. Each of these houses is 30 feet wide on a 30 foot wide lot. By law, any townhouse develop- ment requires a Special Exception from the Board of Adjustment and this has not been attained. COASTAL CONSTRUCTION SETBACK LINES The State of Florida's Coastal Construction Setback Law, Florida Statute 161.052, requires a 50- foot setback from the high water line on sand beaches. The developer is appar- ently attempting to squeeze his build- ings into_the jjarrow strip of ocean- front land to conform to this law. His initial plans called for buildings 30 feet wide and 56 feet deep. The footings at -1334 and 1332 Atlantic followed these plans giving coastal setbacks of only about 36 feet and 33 feet respectively. After complaints were filed with the State of Florida on February 15th, the developer appar- antly switched building plans in favor of buildings only 40 feet deep, cutting 16 feet off the rear of the buildings When Solares Hill asked the city for copies of the plans on about Feb- ruary 23rd, it was forced to wait a week, and then on March 1st it was furnished plans for buildings only 40 feet deep. The original plans on file with the city on February 2nd depicted two-story buildings, 30 feet wide by 56 feet deep containing 3360 square feet of floor space. The substitute plans only account for 2400 square feet of living space, although the last two building permits continue to call for 3360 square feet. However, reducing the building depth to 40 feet allows the first unit at 1334 Atlantic to barely fit within a 50-foot ooastal setback. But, since the building lots diminish in depth by about 3 feet per lot as the water line meanders inshore, the second unit would appear to violate the 50-foot coastal setback requirement, as would all the rest of the planned units. The Florida Division of Beaches and Shores had promised to investigate the alleged Rest Beach violation. As of this writing, its director William Carlton has not yet done so. WATER CONNECTIONS The developer had apparently secured two water connection permits from the Florida Keys. Aqueduct Author- ity for his first two units at 1334 and 1332 Atlantic before the latest water moratorium became effective. SUPERMARKET FOR ALL TOUR HAIR WEED! HOES SHOP «electric raior repair e men's cosmetics .whotesalesuDplies "|ke lowest price ondenvrrt and imported .goo^s in rear A water connection has already been partially made, it appears, as evidenced by the ditch the contractor has cut across Atlantic Boulevard. FKAA finan- cial records, however, as of April 15th, indicated that the $1000 system develop- ment fees had not yet been paid. FKAA Executive Director Royal Newman has stated that no more permits will be issued unless the water moratorium is lifted. The propriety of issuing even the first two permits has been ques- tioned in representations to Newman, to FKAA Attorney Feldman, and to members of the Authority, In February. The Authority, in a split vote, decided to authorize the permits on the basis that the city had issued building per- mits as single residences and that It wasn't the Authority's perogative to decide the propriety of building per- mits issued by the city . However, in administering water permits for construction in the county, the FKAA had, by resolution, limited such permits to RU-1 zones, detached single family residences. The equival- ent to this zone in Key West is R-1A and R'lB, detached single family dwelling units, and the townhouses being built on Rest Beach are certainly not detached dwelling units. DREDGE AND PILL The.legal description of the Rest Beach townhouse development on file at the County Courthouse, describes the tract as long (831.5 feet) and narrow (72 feet 'to 160 feet deep). However the tract includes about 15 feet of ocean bottom at the east end. Thus over 25 percent of the land is under water at high tide. The developer has stated to Solares Hill that he intends to exercise his riparian rights in accordance with state and federal 1aw. e o nt. on page 8 SHOE REPAIRING TRUMAN AVENUE SHOE REPAIR 1024 TRUMAN AVENUE, KEY WEST (across from Big Daddy i) TELEPHONE 294-1388 Under New Ownership Only Repair FU>*-\<4« Keys , FAST SERVICE! -the (xLcrWh KEY WEST SHELL WUIOIOUSE A facinating world of Sea Shells located in Key West's old [Tiff's Ice House in Mallorytf Square. Truly a great attraction. | JACQUES COUSTEAU take ouloide 13& Duval st open-noon, to ben pm closed iSundau 4 wednesdau J KJ Research; education and action are the watchwords of the Cousteau Society. The organization was founded in 197^ by Philippe and Jacques . Cousteau of undersea fame. Concerned about the growing need to preserve the water systems of the world and to reverse the present course of their destruction, the father and son team set up their non-profit society to broaden the base of activities needed to achieve these goals. The Cousteaus remind us that the earth's vital water supply is limited. Water is not a self-renewing natural resource but part of a continuous cycle. The oceans are our main source of water and'once they are fouled, we have nowhere else to turn for clean water. The-oceans can cleanse them- selves if given enough time-, and then only from the degradable pollutants. Man is polluting the oceans faster than their slow and partial processes can correct. Action must be taken to avoid pollution at the source instead of trying to clean the rivers and the sea after they have been damaged. We must soon organize the manage- ment of the sea instead of its plunder. This is the message the Cousteau Society carries to the people of the world. According to Jacques Cousteau, human ignorance about the sea is a major reason for the deteriorating condition of our oceans . With this in mind he has dedicated 1976 to be a year of in- volvement for the 1^5,000 member- strong Cousteau Society. He forsees a year of more intimate participation of society members in developing activ- ities. Jacques and Philippe have inaug- urated a series of "Involvement Day". programs. The first "Involvement Day" was held in Lakeland, Florida, on March 28, 1976'. 7000 people from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama attended the one day conference. Local businessman, Dexter Spring- stead, was one of them. He had attended as a representative of the Greater Key West Citizens Association in the cap- acity of vice-president. Because "of limited space, Solares Hill is only re- porting a small selection of the material Dexter brought back with him. Many topics were covered by twenty speakers throughout the fourteen hour day. According to Dr. Betts of the U. of Florida, Florida could become a desert just like the great wheat fields of Africa had become the Sahara Desert 1500 years ago. Look at a world atlas and you will see that Florida, the Sahara Desert, and the dry regions of Mexico all lay within the same lati- HOUSE, PATIO & GARDEN FERNS, BROMELIADS & BASKETS Phone 294-7688 1102 White St. Key West, Fl. 33040 fOJ? tudes. Florida is tropical only be- cause of the Gulf Stream. Dr. Betts showed through scientific measurments that Floridians in 1975 consumed as much water as fell from the clouds - our only source of water. Except for the panhandle, the rest of Florida, including the Keys, have no underground rivers, no artesian wells, no underground flowing water at al l . There are underground holes, called aquifers, that trap rain water. We tap the aquifers with our wells. With our population and the number of water-using enterprises (industry and farms) increasing each year, we slowly deplete our water supply. As in econ- omics, if we spend more than we take in, we go broke. Carl Keeler, professor of Biology at Manatee College suggests, for one thing, that we use another type of toilet . Conventional toi lets waste too much water and pollute our water as well. He states that Florida's rivers are already severely damaged from deadly asphalts and are further polluted by.this raw or partially treated sewage. Our estuaries are over-fertilized and out of balance. This causes de- ficiencies of oxygen which causes massive fish k i l l s . Our waters are LJUNCH ANP PIMM&P, THE mm teRo ON OV(\ opeH 512 CLAM5 AND CH HALF I and KEY WEST by Bill Brunelle more fragile than other areas because of higher temperatures. He states, "Water holds less oxygen the higher the water temperature." Quick tidbits: Mr. Keeler noted that damming causes an increase of salinity. He said channelization of rivers causes bays to silt up. World-wide, Keeler predicted that 5,000,000 tons of oil will flow into our envlornment in 1976. 85$ of the oil flow will be from normal operation, i.e., all the wasted oil that gushes from a well before it is capped'. One thousand tons will be spilled daily by ships on the oceans. Mr. Keeler had noted that a nuclear power plant planned for Florida will use 500,000 gal. of water per minute to cool the reactors. The water temp, change will kill billions of micro- scopic organisms which are the basis of the food chain with man being on top. (Fish eat organisms, large fish eat'smaller f±sh, we eat the fish.) Keeler closed his talk by suggest- ing that we ask congress and industry questions about what is being dumped into our oceans and why. Dr. Henry Kendall, professor of nuclear physics, M.I.T. stated that nuclear power plants were once thought to be the answer to all energy needs of the world. He said there are too many catastrophes possible and there- fore, nuclear plants are an unaccept- able risk. Dr. Kendall reminded the assembly that floating the nuclear plants out to sea should be out of the question. An accident could dump tons of material so dangerous., that a parti- cle the size of a grain of pollen could cause cancer in a person. Ja.cques Cousteau spoke on this next topic: On the ocean floor three miles off the coast of the resort and fishing town of Otranto, Italy, rests a rammed and sunken ship holding 900 drums of tetraethyl and tetramethyl lead. These compounds are used as anti-knock additive's in gasoline and are the pollutants present in auto- mobile exhaust. Both the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization and the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. have ranked these compounds among the most lethal of chemical poisons. When dispersed in seawater and metabolized in the fish we eat, the lead compounds can cause Insomnia, emotional instability, and hallucinations. Should a drum leak in the hands of a. diver of should children-play close to a barrel washed up on the beach, convulsions, insanity, coma, and death coald follow. The life expectency of the drums' is eight more years and the compounds are in- soluble in water. No nation is taking responsibility for the recovery. For more information on this last topic, read "Time Bomb - in the Med- iterranean", by Jacques Cousteau in the 4/3/76 issue of Saturday Review at the library. For more information on the Cousteau Society, stop in and chat with Dexter at his Royal Standard Pub on Duval. During the Involvement Day pro- gram. Key Wester Bob Deans viewed Cousteau's most recent production, ' " " S ' S & . - S ' -•:5£>T«t.-r-2s!P̂ ^ People who come to s- the Sea Crest come back and come back.. EA CREST motel ON THE BEST BEACH IN KEY WEST EFFICIENCIES • TV • AIR COND: Moderate daily - weekly rates a 1423 Simonton St. Phone 294-3707 BankAmerlcard M as terCharge 425 GOURMET COISJN& DINNER* €>-W Standard cPuhofcKeyWest An English Pub in the Olde Tradition 615 Duval St. Key West, Fl. 294-7234 Whitbread Brewmaster Draught Harp Lager Bass Ale Guinness Stout Michelob on Tap Fine Wines Hot 8s Cold Sandwiches Island DepartmenV Store ~ FORM ITUrRE TOYS ~FM3&S^~ONE OF •PU\5T1C5 328 SIMONTON, KEY TDEST.FL.33040 LOUIES f/CKYA DRINNN6 AND DIN1N6 ON THE OC&H \H LUNCH (2noor\h4Fm DINNER 7pm h> 305- 2ft- 2235 306 FRONT STREET TEL. 294-4044 ON PIRATES ALLEY IN OLD TOWN. ® ENAMELS JEWELRY 0 "Voyage to the Edge of the World',' which was set in Antarctica. Bob writes, "It was while watching this film that I fully realized the depth of Capt. Cousteau. The man has blended scien- tific genius, spartan-like courage and unsatiable curiosity with an artist's sensitivity. It is from this rare fountain of qualities Chat gushes forth a man having the wisdom to understand the oceans, the perception to know they're in trouble and the fortitude to do something about it. I couldn't help but sense that I was in some small way a part of a very significant event." Dateline - Nov. 4, 1974: "Calypso" docks in Key West. On hand to greet the crew and Madame Cousteau, (Jacques and Philippe were not aboard), were Dr. William Keefer, vice-president (now president), Greater Key West Citizens Association, who made the arrangements for the berthing of the ship; Dr. Arthur Weiner, president, Florida Keys Coalition; and Jerome "Jerry" Shipley, president, Monroe County Audubon Society, ("Jerry" is now county commissioner). Weeks before the arrival, Dr. Keefer and commissioner-elect Shipley hosted Thomas Horton, Director of Special Projects of the Cousteau Society. The director was given a tour of the Navy Base by auto and by boat. Mr, Horton was quite impressed with the possible potential use of a small portion of the soon to be vacated Navy property. This portion could house a non-polluting, self-sufficient facility combining a research center, and the National, and world-wide head- quarters for the Cousteau Society. The facility would generate its own energy through wind-driven tech- nique, solar collectors, thermal dif- ferences in ocean current, or a com- bination thereof , which would be totally devoid of any hydro-carbon petroleum generation of electricity. All the facility's waste and used water would be recycled and reused, perhaps even as potable water. (The sewage treatment plant at Lake Tahoe in California now does this.) Any residue would be used to improve the soil. For example, Key Westers could grow their own vegetables year-round or at least have several large commun- ity vegetable gardens. The Cousteau Society wants to develop a non-polluting research ship which properly scaled could become the prototype ship for all merchant, ships with the goal towards the re- du'ctlon of the need for fuel oil. Mr. Horton stated at Bill Keefer's house in Oct., 197^, that the Cousteau Society does, "not want to be invol- ved in a half-way quick measure to solve the problem of what to do with "Key West's only Nite Club" South Roosevelt Blvd. the Navy Base. We've got to stand back and have an objective overview of the whole program - one that i s a total package . . . a total commitment package, too important and too long term a goal to do so quickly.11 On Get 29, Mayor "Sonny1' MeCoy addressed a let ter to Mr. Horton stating in part, "Should the Society conclude that Key West with i t s deep water harbour and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Gulf Stream is the logical port of oper- ations, the- city would like to a s s i s t you with berthing and other required faci l i t ies ." However, the Cits' o f Key West has nor, yet met with anyone from the Cousteau Society. Within the past year and a half, other c i t i e s in Florida have generated much in te res t in acquiring a home for the Cousteau Society. If the citizens of Key West would like to see the Cousteau Society e s - tablish their world headquarters here or at least establish a home port for the "Calypso", their PBY airplane, their hot air balloon, and other support apparatus, Key West should make a r e - sponsible bid via city government. Civic and business groups should f i n - ance a thorough feasibili ty study of this project. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, given Free rein, could turn Key West into the f i r s t prototype non-polluting, se l f - suf f ic ien t city in the world, visited by represent - atives of industries and of governments from around the world. This would gen- erate quite a boost to out' tour i s t i n d u s - try and provide countless jobs for loca l citizens. Greene Street Gardens Greene Str&efc GREENE STREET GARDENS welcomes you to the beautiful shops and eating, places you will find in our lovely tropical setting. ALL BREED HOT DOGS Let us relish your buns in our tropical garden, and also, please try our new Cuban Reuben. THE LEATHER SOUL Key West's oldest leather shop ilii i cont. from page 5 However, federal law requires a dredge and f i l l permit from the Army Corps of Engineers for any f i l l ing In navigable waters of the ocean. On April 18th, the developer was-observed - to have placed f i l l and concrete r i p - rap in the ocean at the rear of 1334 Atlantic. The Corps of Engineers has been alerted to this apparent violation of ocean dredge and f i l l regulations. It appears to Solares Hill that there is much to be investigated on the Rest Beach townhouse develop- ment. Many public agencies and o f f i c i a l s have been alerted to these seeming vio- lations. But s t i l l nothing has been done. We ask that registered voters and/or_property owners continue to send post cards to us advising us of their stand. We hope to take some action in the next few weeks. p g the finest quality handmade leather goods invites you to stop by any day between noon and 5 PM to browse around and watch our craftspeople at work. SWEET SUZl'S SWEETS Sliced cakes, cheese- cakes and other home baked goodies. Special orders with advance notice. 296-2326 "Sweet to eat!" BAHAMA MAMA'S has it all, from bikinis to straw. Carribean imports, han.d craft- ed jewelry - pottery from our studio. Featuring the work of Vaughn Cochran. Treat yourself to the only tropical open-air shop in Key West. OPEN: noon to 8 P.M. CAPT.TONTS Sss GREENE THE OLDEST r "ACTIVE BAR w IN FLORIDA! ESQUIRE MAGA7INE... 'ONE OF THE TOP TEN GREAT BARS IN THE NATION" CAPT.TONXS GIFTS F d * DSCRBWNAT1NG oenseas ihirTTnarkeb jruits and vegetables DISTINCTIVE GIFTS FROM SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA HANDCRAFTEO JEWELRY 430 Greene Street fgmsjjtoii 1924 Plagler Avenue 409 Greene Street 294-7557 Csustom Framing RUnttngs 1 1 10 GOOD PEOPL Sartc ryu. '? experience of having their house Alfred "S the veri'ible Tlie fira de stroyed all their posses sions as well the 22nd of Marhh was the date this' happened. At first it was felt that the building mi ah y ° •<• i + I j nad burn d.oun. !"o nday , c vavtiaZly the damage was total.salvaged but wr-e.cka.ge:. was hauled "Scot-tie" and his wife, loa, ere bark loc born and raised ksve. BP'S worked for h.B.C. wcoclp. arid is nov retired. Being turned out i any r-zme but when you 're getting up in years his ?0's) it can be worse'. Buz- some beautiful wheels began to turn. peop i-e j end the Spotts- s bad. enough at (Sacttic is in "he "AACF held raised over heir, a 3 did May ion v i a n c . A n a t h. e r I a Than a a dance, that Sunday night to aid the Saotis ana 57 000 for them. The Trujil1c. Grocery raised money to Stevens, who also donated, furniture and a donated the furniture from her house when she moved, refrigerator and o. stove were given. This form of generous giving is thankfully, a fairly frequent occurrence these days. But at. the same time these good people were opening their pursp.s and hearts to the Scotta, a group of volunteers assemb- led and began to rebuild the Scott's house for them. Literally from the ashes of the 22nd of March, a fully framed-out, wired, and plumbed house now stands - and all this in Isss than a month from the fire! People passing by have seen dozens of different people pitching in and helving; along with professionals for elec- tricity, plumbing and carpentry, many people just came to help whereever they were needed. An incomplete list of the volunteers includes some ver:; well known names in the community. For example there is Wm. "Bill" Butler, Tom Major, James "Steelhead" Allen, Clarence Skeens, Robsrt "Booster" Barnett, Carl "Poxie" Allen, Philip Allen, Joseph "Mullet" Allen, 'Leonard "Uncle" Allen, Lea "Joe" Whyms, Kenny "Barr'oso" Rahming, Bob Ritzier, Otis "Blank" Rahming, Oscar Fabel, Manuel Fernandez, Bif Soldado, Alfred. "Podudo " Hall, Francisco Johnson Sr. and Jr., Gregory Lopes, Frank' "Rudy" Leggett, Al Curry, Randolph Johnson. & FRONT ROW: William "Gum" Allen, Harry "Sugar" Allen, Hnnnoth "Barroso" Rahming, Alfred Scott, Sylvester Murphy, Sr. ., Hhct'ttu Davis; 'BACK ROW: Bobby Brown, "Joe" Whyms, Hy Ivcts ter> Murphy, Jr., Carl Allen, Bob Kitzler, Cisco Johnson, Alfred Hull. Let's take a brea.thev here and put in the names of none of the women vho have kept the. men eating on the job. There i r Annette Barnett, Joan Leggett, Vera Butler, Leona William:-;, Barbara Whyms, Myvtia Tunes, etc. Again some more names of the men who pitch in; Hay Bias, Peter "Mr. Fits." Lopez, Ralph Eatenez, Willie Ward, Sulve.ster"Big Mac" Murphy, Sr., Sylvester "Little Mao" Murph < , Jr., Ray Allen, Pepe Allen, Danny Garcia, "Louie" Carahallo,' James Curry, Soloman "Buster" Scott, George Alburi/, Mario •Davzla, Jack Knowl.es, Raymond LeClaire. CeoII Oao'ila, r.onlr- Tunas, William Curvy, Henry Roberts, Howard Cook Phil'r "Bo, " Allen, Charles "Bookie" Allen, Charles "Pcom-Foo>v" rlOr,'-'.. LeRoi; "Butch" Alley., Harry "Syrup" Allen, Melvin "Uil'lie'" Ball, 0 so civ "Shampoo" Base and overall job eupeivi no r<\ A l»-:.n "Grasshopper" Scott, son of "Soottie". The list goes en. "Grasshopper" expects the job to be completed ir. juv.t another ten days. When asked how they were able to rebuild the nr.pec'iali'st and u/'ilipainf hrf 4 #f ca ll ^ 12 13 Old Island Anecdote by Bud Jacobson There is probably some myster- ious magnetic force at work that seems to cast a spell over all the islands on the earth, especially island communities like Key West, that seem to attract and hold for years the oddballs and eccentrics among the two-legged human species. Beachcombers and sun worship- pers are a breed apart. So many have landed in Key West and never left. One of them, now gone to his own eternal beachcombing paradise, was a scion of one of America's oldest, most distinguished and wealthiest families—the Biddies of Philadelphia— the family that playwright Philip' Barry immortalized in his humorous show, The Philadelphia Story, some years back. Winthrop Biddle was the pro- verbial black sheep, one of the most colorful of the old rascals that came down the pike—and most of the stories about Win Biddle and his mad escapades were told by him. His Key West adventures were a source of grief and headaches to the local authorities with whom, after a short time, he was on a first-name basis because they saw so much of him. But -he was on a first name basis with most everyone, and one of his staunchest friends from his "old life", as he called it, was the late U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, of Maine, whose kindly heart managed to come to the aid and comfort of Win Biddle in many of his erratic scrapes with the local law. Biddle had been a commander in the Navy in WW II and cut a fine figure of a man for his age, although an old back injury caused "a stoop as he walked. He sported a bristling mustache, trimmed neatly, looking very like a British general slogging across the sand on South Beach. Tanned face, mischievous blue eyes, wavy silver hair and a muscular physique made him a hit with a gaggle of the older ladies on the beach. Being from that fine Philadelphia family, Biddle was born and bred an Episcopalian out of the old Peter Arno mold. Sunday evenings in Key West, some years ago, used to be given over to church services and all the bars had to shut down between six and nine P.M. St. Paul's then held Sunday evening services and among the few but steady parishoners who were there Sunday evening was Win Biddle. Now being down on his luck, as Biddle was most of the time, he'd murmur, "the Lord provides", and as the collection plate passed him it would go on down the pew just a bit lighter than when it arrived. In his day he'd figured out near- ly every freebie around town—how to run a tab at Pepe's Cafe, how to get a free shower and shave (and do a little laundry) at the old Standard Oil docks, how to mail his letters without using a stamp—he'd simply scrawl his name where the stamp should go, a franking privilege he figured he had coming—how to bum a buck from tourists on the waterfront who loved his weird 'tales of strange local happenings. After that, he'd sip a little wine on Caroline with his pals like Joe Plummer., Harry (the engraver) Golden, Kitty Gray, K.K., and others. One of the most remarkable facets of Win Biddle's personality, something that ranked him in the forefront of those individuals tagged as "characters", mignt have been his amazing brass when it came to pulling the stunts he did— and getting clean away, usually with a laugh from the victim or some derog- atory observation about "Old man Biddle',' and his latest escapade. ' ' One of his last forays into the devilish tricks he would get up to was his impersonation as a newspaperman, one late night in Key West. Biddle had been visiting with his friend, the newspaper reporter, and was gi-ven a ride back to his digs. While in the car, Biddle apparently spotted the newsman's PRESS card attached to the sun visor inside the car, and later that night, with the car parked in front of the reporter's home, Biddle came past. Cool as he usually was, Biddle opened the car door, sat in the passen- ger's seat and rifled the glove compart- ment, "borrowing", as he later admitted sheepishly to the news reporter, a handful of heavy black copy pencils and the reporter's notebook. To back him up, Biddle also lifted the PRESS card. Prom there, he hiked his way through town to the open-all-night Royal Castle •hamburger stand at the corner of White- - head and Southard and in his marvelous i fashion, sat himself down at one of the outside tables and immediately began "taking notes," just like any journalist bent on a color story about the night , people in Key West. He filled that notebook with un- reprintables and little drawings and, according to a person who was there and knew Biddle and who recognized the PRESS card from the reporter's card, ' regaled the drunken sailors and their 4 .sleepy companions with lively "reports" \ about politics in Key West, the courts, the jails, the police and whoever. It was another evening on the town for Wip Biddle and part of the act, of course, was bacon and eggs at the expense of somebody in the crowd of admirers. No one was ever too sure' how he managed to crumple a couple dollar bills in his sun-bleached britches to pay his "rent" at 111 William Street, or in a room on Kelsey Lane. Most of the time, he slept out on the beach and loved it. He was no shrinking violet when it came to telling stories about his checkered.career in high society up north and one of his favorites was about his final break with the family. MPHNE BETTLE'5 NURSERY It-was the day of his daughter's wedding, he used to say. Win Biddle was all decked out in swallowtail coat, striped trousers, pearl-gray waistcoat, and a rich silk tie held by a pearl stick pin, when he was "taken with a terrible thirst", an hour before the ehurch bells tolled the wedding march. He slipped away for a dr.am or two, he'd say, and that was the last he was seen in Philly for some time to come. It put the cork in the bottle, so to speak, and Biddle was on his way to Key West . Win Biddle had a lot to say about many subjects and loved to write his friends but it would cost you a six-' cent stamp if you wanted to read his deathless prose or poetry—the post office took offense at his franking privileges. If he was in a generous mood about the postal service, he'd sometimes glue a canceled stamp on his communique . Biddle's sentiments about Key West politics, persons or places were often inflammatory and, 'at times, even obscene. He was a man of his word, he'd say . When things got tough, he'd appear at the front door of whatever friend lived near his digs, looking healthy as a horse, and in exchange for a little libelous gossip he'd bum a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk— "but if you've got anything' stronger, I won't object", he would add quickly with a charming smile. One of his many friends and aquaintances in those, years was the late John M.. Spottsweed who was sheriff when Biddle was in his heyday on the beach. His frequent stopevers in the old county jail caused John some pain- ful headaches . Win Biddle would demand attention. He knew most everybody in the calaboose and could wrangle phone calls to his pals on the outside for cigarettes and stationery. Then one year the locals grew so weary of his disruptions along the waterfront, they pointed out the way out and said: Go. Well, he was in a financial trough, anyway, so he packed up his few glad-rags, as he called them, and set out walking for New Orleans to visit with an aging but wealthy relative. Some months later the word filtered back to Key West that Win Biddle had outlasted his welcome in New Orleans and the relative bought him a bicycle for his return journey to Key West. A few miles out of the Crescent City, biking along the highway with his pack on his back, a fast-moving truc-k sideswiped Biddle and, according to the story he later told his friends, he was hurled head-first into a near- by tree. When he woke from that little trauma, lo and behold, Win Biddle was in a hospital and the blow had joggled his mind into a quiet phase. Win came back to Key West, after that, took to wearing glasses, clean clothes, lived quietly in a trailer home, read a great deal and in general calmed down from his old raucous days. He outgrew it, though, and when he left Key West back in the mid-601s for a trip to up north he packed all his worldly gear, this time in a; supermarket shopping basket on wheels and marched along the highways and by ways. On the New Jersey turnpike, in the darkness of night, Win Biddle was hit and killed by a passing car that never stopped. Something of the amazing force and effect of Win Biddle's personality may have come through from the next world. Jessie Watkins, the lovely lady who managed General Delivery for the local Post Office—Biddle was one of her favorite customers when he'd appear for his mail, or a check from home— told Solares Hill that one day she was working in her garden when she "heard Mr. Biddle's voice" speaking to her. Mrs. Watkins looked around but there was no one there. Tho following day, she said, she learned of Biddle's death on the New Jersey highway. Months later Miss Watkins received a letter from an Episcopal minister in the Virgin Islands. It read as follows: . . . a gift shop a fine jewelry store, an art gallery. 400 FRONT STREET KEY WEST. FL. MOW (305) 29S4324 Did you notice i n a recent Time the account of t he death of Winthrop Biddle, one of the Philadelphia mainliners who traded his family's wealth for a drifter's life? We had him around here for some time recently sleeping back of the church and pushing around a grocery cart with all his possessions in i t . He was twice at worship - Th and in shorts, bearded, clean, and steady-eyed. He -ate at our table, played the p iano , picked our flowers and then gave the bouquet to Jan as a g i f t . I got his Social Securi ty check for him from the mainland and once got him out'of the Fort (the ja i l ) . About the day he was killed by a car as he pushed another grocery ca r t on a country road in Jersey, I had. a call from an airline, asking about him. He had given a cheque and said he was associated with me. His Chase Manhattan account was closed out, the a i rp lane discover- ed. If my name helped for one of his. last free a i r l i f t s , I'm not sorry. He was d.aft, full of wonderful demolishing tales of the Biddies loaded with in- credible stories of h is World War I and II experiences in the Navy from which he emerged a com- mander. And he wanted a copy of the first sermon he heard me preach. There are more incredible people per square f e e t here than any other place I ' v e been - he was one of the more incredible. After the things he did here and lived through, I was sure he was immortal. His angel must have cat napped in sheer exhaustion that day in Jersey, and we mourn his inattention. THE ART OF WELL DIGGING written by Michael Prewitt illustrated by Jerry Miller Oh, the man that invented that steam drill, Thought he was mighty fine John Benry made his fourteen feet The steam drill only made nine, Lord* Lord, The steam drill only made nine. - The Ballad of John Henry This is the story of a giant of a man and his craft, a crafty inventor and his machine, and a blistered reporter af ter hi: day digging wells. Well-digging has always been a vital enterprise in Key West. Although slightly optimistic about the depth needed t o reach sweet water, John Lee Williams, in. 1837 reported in, The Territory of Florida: "Wells of fresh water may be obtained in any part of the island by cutting through the limestone rock from six to ten feet." If Mr. Williams were around today he would have to dig as far as 32 fee t on top of• Solares Hill to reach sweet water*. But there is fresh water under almost any part of the island. With only cisterns for the storage of rain water for drinking, the well became a vital s.ource of water from the f i r s t days of this island's settlement. Today this vital trade is pursued by only four Key Westers. This reporter ventured out to re-discover the art of well-digging from two of these noted craftsmen. With only minor wounds on his hands, upper arms and back, the novice well-digger takes pen in blistered hand to f i l l you, dear reader, in on this long forgotten ar t . As with any craft which is sharpened to a fever pitch of ski l l and acumen, the art of well-digging has proponents of differing techniques. ' Henry Poole is well-diggings t ech- nician, the old calculating inventor- digger who.is about to revolutionize well- digging on this island with the machine which is partially pictured in the adjacent drawing. Henry, or Father a s he is called by most Conchs and many Key Westers, has been digging wells for over thirty years. He has dug hundreds and he claims he would be the favorite in any contest of well-digging because he i s experienced. Father explained many o f the ms and outs (ups and downs) of digging to me in an afternoon dig back of B i l l Geyser's place on Slmonton Street . His machine, s t i l l in the works, Father was relying on his hand tools (also h i s inventions). The dril l bit is a steel b i t , sh like a canoe paddle blade, about f o u r inches wide. This bit is "connected t o an eight foot pipe shaft; to ta l weight of this assembly - approximately twenty pounds. On top of the shaft are threads to attach another eight foot shaft _ b l t H ^ i f S °V h e t w o P ^ sections and bit 35 pounds. For the 32 foot-deep w e l l he dug on Solares Hill, Father used I S ° ? f P± b 60 P That's why Father has done a lot of scheming and come up with his digging machine. Driven by a lawnmower engine commandered from the Stock Island used parts department (City Dump), the digging machine will l i f t the bit and then drop it into the hole. Father will stand to the right of the machine, smoke cigarettes and grin a lo t . ' * But so much for dreaming. At Bill Geyser's. Father explained the full process: "Now th is island is a rock, so you've got to break up.that rock to get to the water. I use my dr i l l bit and when the hole is a few inches deep, ,1 start pouring water into the hole. This water helps break down the rock. Now see this tube. This tube is my pump. I've'got a l i t t l e piece of leather hinge on the bottom which makes a flap. This flap opens when water and the rock comes in and then closes by force of the-tube's contents. You know, i t ' s a trap. Now when I've broken up quite a lot of this rock into fine sand, I put down this pump and drain the hole." By this time Father had the pump f i l led with creamy white liquid which he poured out on the ground like he was pouring pancake batter on a sk i l l e t . "This here is l ike cement. Holds t ight . I use i t when I put in my casings. Holds them in the hole just like cement." Father's stroke is as practiced and as consistent as Arnold Palmer's or Ted William's. Pull up on the. shaft, hold it over the head, let the bit drop giving it a final force with a slight flex of the knee. When he's humming, Father wprks the bit twenty times a minute. "One time I was working for Roberts' Plumbing and I had to do this well around back of Olivia Street. There used to be an old grocery there. I got off work at 5:30, I remember. And I told them I'd have that well in by dark." Father is taking a cigarette break; Geyser's well is four feet deep; Father's s h i r t . i s soaked through. "Of course they didn't believe me, so I set out with a l l the power I had. Now that well was 16 feet deep and I had sweet water by nightfa l l . Even had time to hook up the pump. Now that - couldn't have been more than an hour. Sixteen feet. Probably less than an hour. Got dark early then; I remember." Father is back now pouring water down Geyser's hole. The stroke is slower in the late July heat. "Maybe I ' l l spend some time on that machine tonight." He sat oh his front porch and told me that he didn' t want publicity. "What'11 that do for me? I don't want any publici ty. I got enough business now. Publicity will just mean more people knocking on my door, getting me up from the table ." An hour la te r we were s t i l l on the porch. He loves to talk about well-digging but he doesn't want any publicity. Call him John Henry. He's 6*3-1/^". He's got those biceps that keep going right down to the forearm. He'll be 60 years old in August. "I've been digging wells for 41 years. Over 400 wells in Key West, quite natural- ly." John Henry, although from Key West, speaks with the Bahamian l i l t of his parents and grandparents. "Bahamian wells are those open wells. Open and wide. You dig them with a crow- bar and i t takes six months to do. But . the Bahamians didn't know any better when they came, so they dug those open artesian wells. Now my gadget is a handy one quite naturally. I carry i t on my bicycle. My gadget is handy and can go in among the dwellings, you know. Quite handy. The city has a big gadget, but i t can't dig where I can." John Henry sees the city as his competition. John Henry vs. the Aqueduct Commission. His business comes from word of mouth. Undercover. But John Henry knows the island and i t s water. He's a great believer in the strength of God and nature. "Look at me now. I've been drinking that sweet water for a l l my life and I'm strong now. That's water from the ground now. God Almighty gave you these springs to use - quite naturally, they're the best water. With the Aqueduct water, you don't know what you get. Chlorine, other chemi- cals, they're bad for the stomach now. That well water is the sweetest. "Sweeeeeet water!!" Father just struck water. From Fausto's to City Electric pedestrians are wondering at the bellow coming from 412 Simonton Street. The digging is over. Now comes the delicate part. We see a flaw in the cold, scheming inventor. "These waters will flow and flow. You can't pump them dry. But I've got to bless this one before I hook up the pump. The blessing is the most important part. Honey is what I use. God says in the Bible that honey's the sweetest thing. So I use honey to keep the well sweet. Stick with God and His way. His water is good. His water is sweet. Good for the kidneys. I've never had a stomach ailment.". Father packs up his bit and his pump. He's got to get home. There's a machine out back which will transform the art of well-digging for evermore. 16 OLIVIA Seemingly frustrated in her flow between Gulf and Sea, Olivia Street begins as a dusty dead-end, unnaturally truncated by the chain link and barbed wire of the Key West Naval Station. Exotic looking pyra- mids, vine choked and in ruin, rise up between the fence and the longed- for Atlantic. At their summits, swaybacked, weathered constructions of indeterminate usage falter under a tropical sun. Still pondering the mystery of these unapproachable and, yet, appar- ently forgotten mounds, one turns to face a more familiar Key West. A small black man with neatly combed- back greying hair sits on a little packing crate on his front porch, almost in the shadow of these alien structures. J eye the "beware of dog" sign on the picket fence, and, after spotting said dog unconscious in a patch of shade, strike up a conver- sation. The little man rises politely, almost with pleasure, to explain about the huge cranes and the dredging oper- ation 'which worked a long time connect- ing the island where Civil War Fort Taylor was built to the island of Key West and about the "big guns" which used to occupy those strange hills. "They been gone a long time," he told me. ''They took 'em out in '45, I think it was, just after the war. The ground used to shake all around here when they fired 'em. But times change, you know, now they got bigger guns and someplace else." I can see that this end of Olivia used to be quite an exciting place. Now it seems impos- sibly peaceful. My friend introduces himself as Omego Green (Omego from the Bible). Then he begins calling for Mamie to come meet me, and I prepare to greet his wife or, perhaps, daughter. Instead, the old dog in the shade stretches, and without the least ferocity, slouches up on the porch. As I take my leave, Omego is again seated on his crate, watching life go by on Olivia, with Mamie's serene head in his lap. Olivia is a street of people, not of tropical vistas, nor even of buildings of great historical interest. Some of her residents have been famous, most are simply Key West characters. I wat.eh an old woman in clean white bandana walkins; with great delibera- by J o a n 13 ore 1 tion toward a tiny, faded neighborhood grocery. A colorfully painted open- air van displays oranges and the big- toothed smile of its owner. Everywhere doors and windows are thrown open to the breeze. Through the door of a dilapidated cottage I see two freaks searching frantically for something. A woman of indiscernible age sings as she hangs out the clothes. The streets are a riot of childern. Time has pretty much ignored this section of town. These people remain as they must have been for years unaffected by such things as the comings and goings cf the huge Naval Base with its memorable noises. Dirt lanes lead off Olivia. Small unpainted Conch cottages with packed earth yards collapse under extravagant burdens of bougainvilla, and rusty cans sprout crotons on the porches. In the back yards chickens make contented little noises as they scratch after roaches. I stop to wonder by a once grace- ful two-story house in complete dis- repair. The -roof is a mere lattice. Swallowtails are visiting the bright forgotten flowers, and I am Joined in my delight by a young boy with a balloon tied to the handle bars of his bicycle. A modest old church just off Olivia stretches a rusted spire toward Heaven; a good sized tree grows directly in front of its door. Kittycorner from the low cost housing project oh Whitehead and Olivia is the elegant, airy house where Ernest Hemingway spent his years in Key West. The old brick wall along Olivia St. presents tantilizing glimpses in to & separate world. A visit is I r r e s ± s t - able . , . Green soon becomes one's f a v o r l i ' color—not a like, a passion: the incredible shade of green radiated o f I a healthy banyan tree in full s u n l ^ S " ^ or the bright chartreuse of a newly unrolled banana leaf. One can feel . the living energy of the plants as strain visibly toward the sun. T h e r e is the wonderful sharp contrast be tween the blinding light and the deep s h a d e that seems to enter the consciousness through every sense. The cats are everywhere, and, along with the lizards, are the only c r e a t u r e s about. A white cat lounges at the end of a nearly horizontal coconut palm . A black cat with feet tucked up u n d e r 1 him, hunches fast asleep on a shade — mottled- brick patio. Big leaved v i n e s drip into the silence of a summer n o o n , and even the sun seems motionless o v e r - head, Somehow being in Hemingway's surroundings does not bring him any- closer. He remains, not human, but; a larger than life character like one of his own fictional creations . I can see him rising early to try t o begin writing, walking these very grounds to uncloud his mind. I imagine him in the shady afternoon with a cool drink under one of those? immense trees, rewarding himself f or* a good days work or consoling h i i a s e l f for an unsuccessful one, and'yet, somehow, i s t i l l do not have the man . Olivia makes a brief acquaintance with the world of fashionable shops and art galleries as i t passes by Gingerbread Square at Duval St. T h e Square Deal Market one block up i s a spectacular two-and-a-half story building of weathered wood and r u s t eel shingle. On an early Sunday morning _, one might find derelicts s t i l l s l e e p i n g it off on the l i t t l e side porch. T h e building is crumbling with a r u s t i c charm, and one cannot help but a d m i r e it for i ts beautifully classic l i n e s and details, not to mention the straightforward name of i t s business establishment. Once again Olivia becomes a r e - sidential street. Some of the old homes have been restored yankee s t y l e , some Cuban style, but most, not at a l l , I pass by a haphazard l i t t l e co t t age wjth chipping paint and a black wooden mask over the front door, and smile to see on the sunny porch, a man with a big cigar in his mouth reading a mag- azine entitled in bold red letters, Money. Sometimes Key West is just too perfect to be r e a l . On a skinny tree next door, bright mustard colored papayas" swell in the sun, and I look up to find half a dozen kids staring silently at me from the wrap-around balcony of an ancient house. Mornings on Olivia often find Lyder Prederickson out in his back yard, transforming an old tree trunk into a work of ar t . Lyder came to this country in the 1920's. Through several generations of art ists , critics and movements, he and Rene, his French wife, have been closely involved in the New York art world . In past winters they opened a modern art gallery in Key West. Now, while Lyder seems to accept his somewhat frustrating place on the fringe of fame, he remains prolific in •his painting and experimentation with new art forms . Those who stop to chat might-be invited into the modest cot- tage f i l led with the treasures and mem- orablia of two eclectic lifetimes. There Lyder would take pleasure in relating stories of a long-ago boyhood in Norway, years spent in Europe, the bohemian l i fe of New York City, and now of an ever more urgent desire to visit his only son and grandchildren in far away Australia. The Fredericksons live in Key West's f i r s t compound. Since its creation many more have sprung up. One of the most interesting, although unofficial, ones l ies coincidently just down Olivia from the original.' Known to some as "hippie row", this area boasts .some of Key West's most colorful homes. Uninhibited imagina- tions have come up with new decorat- ing treatments which either fail miserably or turn out to be surpris- ingly successful. I pause to look at one l i t t l e house with a fresh coat of white paint, the doors and windows outlined in red and a garland of bright flowers around the entrance. On the porch is a s t i l l life of fish- ing traps, boots, ropes and potted plants . The next house has irregu- larly shaped windows cut through the walls in strategic places, and the next one is painted to look like part of a rainbow. Across the s t ree t , backed up against the cemetery fence, is an unusual museum. The place might at first strike one as a junk yard, but it is more than that. It also contains remarkable, tangible bits and pieces of Key West's history of loss. Its curator, Red Beceaise, is an old town hauler who has for years .selected un- usual treasures from the things others would throw away. Down the, street lives Coffee Butler, one of Key West's most talented entertainers who pre- fers going fishing and living on Olivia to the dubious benefits of show biz fame and fortune elsewhere. All these people share a view of one of Key West's most intriguing areas, the city cemetery. Key West's cemetery (or grave- yard, as old Key Westers t e l l me I must call i t ) is contorted into a jagged space, now completely surrounded by small conch houses. At one time it lay on the edge of the Angela St. City line. But when Simonton and his •partner, Wall, subdivided an addition naming the first two streets Petronia and Olivia after Mr. Wall's wife and daughter, the cemetery grew along with the town. Today a walk down Olivia carries one past fragments of i t . first swelling up against the street, then pushed back behind groups of houses. A detour into the cemetery presents rare, spacious vistas of above ground crypts, cement madonnas, an:-, faded plastic flowers. The un- relieved sunlight bounces back from a stark, bleached scene. Space is ^ 17 tight. Sometimes the crypts are too close for a person to pass between. Everywhere there are broken statues and cracked, overturned pots filled with dry, dead plants. Walking is difficult for the ground is bumpy with what seem to be mounds on top of mounds. Many of the names are familiar. They belong to a number of the town's present day citizens as well as to these tangible remains of the adven- turers who created Key West's amazing history and left behind their endless- ly interesting buildings. A city's cemetery says a lot about its population. Key West's most dramatically expresses its variety. It is a patchwork of differing tastes. One might find a bright green land- scaped square conspicuous among the dry weeds. A little wrought-lron seat is placed next to an untended grave in order to deceive the dead or, perhaps, the living. There are the Cuban places of mourning with covered, carpeted cement terraces displaying old photographs or momentos. A crooked stone over a cracking slab relates in Spanish the.major events of a young man's life and of his death in a 1922 ferry boat explosion. Here, is a simple grave marked by a small roughly molded clay tablet, scratched in a childish hand, "my darling daughter", the right bottom corner broken off, obscuring the year of death. Perhaps the most poignant of all is the anonymous little mound of SWIFT'S 423 Duval St. Key West, Fl. 33040 Phone 296-8576 KroDneor 100A the mm lomn choke Kenwood* KR 2400 ractinr $219.95 Garnrdi 440M Changer 114.85 Ultnlinears Fantastic 100A/S 240.00 Regular price $574.80 The Magicians Price 397.90 SAVE $176.90 Can you believe power, sensitivity response anl cUxs for under $400.00. Well, we didn't believe it either until the Magician of Swift's opened our eyei!! Hk'i put the widely acclaimed Ken- wood KR 2400 receiver, a full sire receiver de- livering 32 watti (RMS) into an eight ohm load, including the Kenwood quality and depend- ability together with Garrardt record breaking 440M record changer and Ultralinean 3-way 100 A/Speaker systems. The 100-A's incorpor- ate a complete circuit protection system which will cut the ipeaker off if anything goes wrong before damaging the ipeaker which lets ultralin- ear feel at ease when they offer a 5-year war- ranty on all parti and labor. The Kenwood re- otiver givei you 2 yean parts and labor and of com*, the expletive, clear distinction o r qual- ity nundi when theie 3 components are play- ed together. Look at the price. After listening to Hi-Fi systems such as this you'd expect to pay way over this $397.90. The Magician of Swift's prices this at $397.90. But then what is be there for?? He gets you Hi fidelity, qual- ity components, fantastic sounds and a price you c m afford! Unbelievable !!! If single play turntables are what you want; don't worry — The Magician has thought of you for only $21 extra. The Sony PS 110 belt rtrive sinfrfe olftv svitem is for v o u . . . . We'd like to thank those people who made this ad necessary. The past five years have been enjoyable ones for us at the Rooftop Gallery so it seems fit- ting to thank those who have made it possible. From both the o!d location and our new quarters in Harbor House to the artists, people of Key West and visitors from throughout the U.S. and Canada. . .our sincere thanks. The Rooftop Gallery First Floor-Harbor House, 423 Front Street 294-6863 Professional paintings/graphics, Guidetii Rugs, jewelry, stoneware pottery, gifts 18 BOB YELLOW BUTTERED SBM3 fiSfiai& naked earth remembered only with a single plastic flower. Others are al- together forgotten. Spiders spin bright webs between the cracked stones tilting sideways among -the weeds. Some living trees usurp the holes dug for the dead in the unyielding coral rock.. Pie Fernandez used to have a little wood working shop downtown. Now he has retired to the house across Olivia St. from the cemetery where he has lived for 32 years. There have been shattering changes to Key West in the last 32 years, but things somehow look pretty much the same from his vantage point. Pie, a Conch} who cometimes leaves to visit his son or daughter, both traveling evangelists, is always relieved to return to his little workshop and to the contempla- tive rhythm of working with his hands. Think while you work, but don't work too hard or too fast or the end gets lost and forgotten'is the rhythm of the work itself. The block of Olivia from Francis to White St. used to be the site of the Polanski Village, a huge cigar factory and the surrounding cottages of its employees. It was all destroy- ed by fire around 1915. Now the area is a conglomeration of Conch houses, garage apartments and modern struc- tures of no definable style. The little house on the corner •of Francis has a lovely patina to the weathered wood and a large leafless tree in the front yard displays striking flowers of the same rusty red as the old roof. Tiny Fernandez cleaners looks as if it might have survived the fire unchanged. In the step-in shop, a little white haired man stands behind a worn counter, smile ready to greet his neighborhood customers. In her'last few blocks, Olivia seems finally to reach a certain peace and prosperity. There the elegant old houses built after the fire of 1886 have retained their Victorian dignity in the carefully maintained details and the dainty gardens. Leaded glass windows give on to wide shady porches filled with geraniums and begonias. The bright sun which gives all Key West her life brings out the reds and yellows of the foliage and accentuates the smells of damp earth and gardenias. Unlike the rest of Olivia, the streets are virtually empty of people and even of animals. Occassionally, a distinguished-looking man in shorts might be seen watering his yard in the late afternoon. A woman weeds a flower garden beside her tiny but noisy poodle. One might happen upon an artist with easel and canvas, stool doing a watercolor of the houses. The privacy of the seldom glimpsed people seems secure behind the wide lawns, the trellised vines and.the well- Las Palmas del Mundo seafood natvtul SDp. Hard-Cover £.nd Paperback. Specialising in Subjects of Local and Gonoral Florid') Interest ., Fleming Street 096-9089 by Richard Marsh sharing knowledge and customs . When Rod left Key West early the next morn- ing, he awakened his new-found colleague with a telepathic farewell. Rod returned to his people and the mountains to undergo a further initia- tion, the dragging of the buffalo skull, one of the most demanding and rewarding of the Blackfoot initiations . This, he says, will prepare him for what he plans to do. Rod's age is probably over thirty and under forty. His long black hair is parted in the middle to flow over broad shoulders. His neck is stiff, his carriage erect, his stride that of a foot-traveler with a purpose. He has the poise of an eagle. You might see him somewhere, some day, as he goes about his greater ml at? Ion of preach- ing the Red religion in fulfillment of ancient prophecies. Rod and many other Native Americans are offering their culture, their relig- ion of Creation, to those from whom their ancestors had to guard It from destruction. They are teaching the white heirs of the Industrial Revolu- tion how to understand and care for the earth and live In harmony with all members of the Creator's family. In the words of the Oglala Sioux, Black Elk: "The earth Is our mother, the r.ky our father, and all livings their children." When Rod left Key West, he left behind a poem of his own making, which he recited from memory, as an illustration of the Indian religion and philosophy. The poem ia transcrib- ed from a tape recording and printed here with his permission. WHAT THE BOOK IS ALL ABOUT by Rod Skenandore As I looked up toward the mountains A man was kneeling there, A robe around his shoulders, A feather in his hair. There was something safe about him From his feet up to his head. The robe he wore was buffalo hide; His coloring was red. And then it seemed I saw him move, He turned his face my way And gazed into the rising sun, Then rose to greet the day. Although he was a young man There was something in his eyes, As though he'd lived a million years And had seen a million skies-: , And as he rose I watched him, Not knowing what I'd see. 0 m Floor Covering Co Oldest floor \n -(fie, g 6>21 Flemin!3 Floor Tile TcTflineJ <̂ t-pd 1 •Floor ^aryJtnci stood high above the mountain And stronger than a tree, raised his hand to greet the sun, Then knelt upon the ground, ' I then a tear rol led down his cheekbone As silence fe l l around. ?He stayed that way unmoving ', Until I thought he'd froze. • From nowhere then an eagle came; Upon the wind he rose. i'He flew like he had purpose, I Then headed toward the sun, fThen suddenly i t happened— Both man and b i rd were one. jit seems they went away then— There was too much light to see—' Open \ j i p FRONT 7 Days •As though they both had purpose now", As though they both were free. And then.they reached an apex. And at that point they stopped, And colors like the rainbow Leapt from the thing he dropped. I couldn't make it out, though, Til it came nearer to the ground, Then to all of my amazement I saw that it was. round. It fell like nothing else I'd seen; It was spinning as it came.- It was like a hoop of silver. It was like a hoop of rain. It stopped above the mountain, Turning in a sway, And then I heard a whistle A thousand years away. Like nothing else I'd heard before The man began to sing.. The eagle matched his. rhythm By turning wing to wing. The song was more than powerful, And I too was borne in flight, And all around was sacred. And all around was night. I looked upon Creation Where light and darkness meet, My mind and heart suspended, No need to plant my feet. The moon became the grandmother, The father was the sun; They all moved, in a circle, They all were made as one. They all had cause to be there, Turning as they do. And then I was descending, But yet it wasn't through. It was like I'd lived a miracle; As doubt escaped"'I knew: The whistle hê IS an answer, And it had purpose too. And now the man was back alone. The eagle had gone on, Heading for the whistle, Climbing on the song. Well, like a child I watched them. What more could I have done? For I had seen reality, And all of us are one. I can see a different picture That's unfolding in my mind, And it's not the same old story You and I have known. It's made of different colors, Not simply black and white. It has a different movement; It has a different light.. It takes me on a journey That breaks the bond of time. I can smell the buffalo snorting. I can see the wind unwind. I can hear the grey clouds moving. I can taste the dewdrops form. I can feel the Mother's breathing, And her heart is growing warm. I believe the rainbow's realness. I walk the ocean spray. The circled sun is rising; it brings a better way. I pray the light to darkness. I know what love can do, I am going to the mountains— They have purpose- too. J LIGHT &KEAKFWST AND EVENING SNACKS SANDWICHES 8 a m . p Six Days a We&K v CU««*r Wednesdays ON THE WATERFRONT ALAND'S BWP VILLA6& fOOf Op fe C HALF SHELL RAW BAR ICE COLD BEER clams ̂ oysters lobster* shrimp stone crab conch choiuder conch fritters smoked fish & shrimp and more Lands End Village Foot of Margaret St. Key West, Florida Near the Turtle Kraals Phone Z34-700D IMPORTED ©I©ARETTE3 PIPES BEHIND TXGO STAMO 20 & DUVAL on 1-4 gets backed up and stalled as much a? 25 r-.ilep, even thoup-h I-l) ir not the only road available. Keep in mind that there is only one road ir. and out of Key West . Just picture a solid stream of traffic at holiday time, pouring clown from the mainland into the narrow, already busy streets of Key Wept to become hopelessly jammed. Key We?t would probably become world famous for having- the first totally insoluble traffic jar.. Cottage Industry - Could be a very pood item. A classic example exists in the rresf-nt Shell Market at V.'hitehead Stre'et and the ocean. Local people with intelligence', skill and irr:a~ination prepare and market a completely indigenous pro- duct that can be proudly offered as a souvenir item, not bearing a Taiwan, or Prooklyn manufacturer':' r not set up an area restric- ted to the sale of native products, in a strictly tropical island atmosphere. Have a place Tor the Conch Tour Train to turn around and park while the nassena-ers browse and purchase various local items, eat sarodilla ice cream, drink coconut ir.ilk, devour home-made Key Lime pie, try on palm frond hats, have photos taken with a tropical background. Why not, ir. this manner, encourare the establishment of small •businesses - one-man stands and/or family affairs - wccursre free en— terprise at a realistic and understand- able level? Aside from taxes, every cent these businesses earn would go into the local economy - a definite asset . Petter beaches, - Part of the waterfront could be made into a swim- mi np beach and public park. Key West does not have a rood public swimming beach. Just try wadinp out to swimming depth from either Smathers or the County beach. After you've torn your feet up on the broken coral and rouph marl, you'll understand why so many tourists stay r,o short a time. People from harsher climates don't want tc just look at the beautiful tropical water - they want to wallow in it, day after day. Tourists, will definitely stay lonp-er and spend more if Key West ever develops an adequate swimming beach - any place! many other possi- nuprested in the so. Some are feas- but in any case water, at the moment The above and bilities .have been last four years or ible, some are not the lack of fresh Ho.ng" Kontr. label. Wh;, in the foreseeable future, defin- itely shortens the list of useful ideas. Of the sup-pest ions outlined here, there are probably only four that could be implemented with the present water supply: the yacht marina, cottage industries, ship repair fac- ility "(possibly), and public beach. All the optimism and positive thinking, and talking in the world will not produce an ounce of water or rebuild the sewer system, but. a small service tax, commonly known as a tourist tax, might just do the job. •Everyone involved must eventu- ally learn that the submarine base facilities cannot be considered as a separate entity in a different, world,'but must be considered as a part of the whole - not only of the whole of Key West but of the entire Florida Keys connected by the highway and the aqueduct. The pioneer days are long gone and they will not return. Adequate supplies of water and power must be available, constantly and positively, before anything much can be done on the base - or anywhere else. Residents of Key West must be ever wary of the inadvertent creation of an industrial slum - a cancer that would spread rapidly and utterly destroy what Is now a beautiful tronical island paradise. Come, Sample, Enjoy! 528 Hxmt Street 540 Greene Street Key West, Florida 33040 Over 100 Unique Fragrances - beautifully packaged! Fine Cosmetics, Sun, and After-Sun Products — Made frotn high concentrations of Aloe extract in our own laborotc-y in Key West...where the Aloe grows. you AM wricoME ro WATCH OU» maitAioin AI WORK.' Also: Milcmarker 82. Ulamoroda. OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. BAKED FRESH DAILY » FIVE KINDS OF BREAD (With only the finest Ingredients no artificial preservatives) A 20 KINDS OF DELICIOUS PASTRIES AND COOKIES • JBUTTERCREME CAKES READY MADE OR FOR YOUR SPECIAL ORDER • FRESH SANDWICHES • ©OFFEE AND BEVERAGES TO GO. Adjacent To Conch Tour Train Station 627 DUVAL STREET • DOWNTOWN PHONE 294-2450 turn of the GertLunj JfeehLons traported from, T>pe and the^fe for the new took,! Ouva l I3ACK PY P<=PUL-AFV SAT AT THE- S THEATKE "WORLD OF LENNY BRUCE8 6 FRANK SPQSBP, IN ApvAwce. The Tape Ape "M-M-M Who's Got It Now ?" The Tape Ape Got It TAPES AND RECORDS 918 KENNEDY DRIVE SHOPPING CENTER 296-6655 26 A f&tzr Greene Corner of Greene & Duval Sts. Next to Key West Citizen For reservations and information, call 294-5001 A Division of Key West Society for the Performing Arts, Inc. 27 iil PICTURE A MCTICN PICTURE SUN 2 Johnttbon Wlnttrt THE LOVED ONE American 9 Malcomh McDowell 0 LUCKY MAN British 16 Mick Jagoer In PERFORMANCE British 7131 Tennessee Williams' THE ROSE TATTOO American 3C WALKABOUT Australian M€N 31 Johnathon Winters THE LOVED ONE American •1C Malcomb McDowell 0 LUCKY MAN British n MlckJajeerln PERFORMANCE British 24 Tennesiee Wllllami' THE ROSE TATTOO American 311 WALKABOUT Australian TUE 4 11 118 25 §IH€W m ALTERNATIVE fCR KEY WED Malcomb McDowell 0 LUCKY MAN British 171 • Nick Jigger In PERFORMANCE British 19 Tsnneisee Wllllami1 THE ROSE TATTOO Amerlcln 26 WALKABOUT Australian TIME 8:CC PJH. TMJ12 6 Mllcomb McDiwel 0 LUCKY MAN BrHIIh 1131 Mick Jigger in PERFORMANCE British 2€ TonnesSH Wmlims' THE ROSE TAHOO American 711 WALKABOUT Australian fici 1 Mifcjmb McDowell 0 LUCKY MAN BreUsh 14 Mkk Jaggar In PERFORMANCE British 21 TonntSHt WHians' THE ROSE TATTOO American WALKABOUT AustralUn PHONE 2 * WEST SAT THE LOVED ONE Amaricin Hllcomb M C D O M I I 0 LUCKY MAN British )13 MlckJH«rlri PERFORMANCE British m. Tenoexaee WUltinn' THE ROSE TATTOO American 29 WALKABOUT Australian 43S2«3 if Reservations Key West 294-5566 Information regarding arrivals and departures KeylVesr 294-2532 Air Freight Key West 294-7661 Calling from elsWhere in Florida? AIR SUNSHINE . . 1-800-432-4947

1976-05 Solares Hill Newspaper, Vol. 1 No. 17, May 1976

Publication

Florida Keys History Center

Name/Title

Collection