The Key West Citizen Newspaper, February 24, 1953, Page 3

Tobacco Journal Recalls Golden The following article, written by Bill Goehring, native son and Nationally known cigar. sales- “Man of many years standing, ap- peared in the Feb. 2nd issue of UY. $. TOBACCO JOURNAL, and is. reprinted here so cs to be of interest to our readers: “So you want ne to write you some lines about the ghosts of the past as concerned in Key West’s one-time U. S. supremacy in the field of. clear Havana production? Well, brother that is exactly what it will have to be, because nothing or nobody else stalks the walks, the streets and of the re- born southernmost city just now, but ghosts, i. e., speaking retro- spectively in the late 90’s and early turn of the present century in terms of Havana cigars. “Only recently they buried one of the last survivors of that golden era when Key West’s fragrant weeds were sent weekly by boats only, to all corners of the U. S., and Tampa was but a fishing vil- lage on the west evast of central Florida, then best known by the fact that it was a jump-off or em- barkation spot for volunteers of the war of '98. “Yest, they. buried here recently Eduardo H. Gato, III, grandson j of the late Eduardo H. Gato, Sr., daddy of ‘em all who came here closely on the heels of the late and renowned Ybor and Manrara, who ultimately settled what is now Tampa’s famed. Latin colony of Ybor -city. “For here it was that the Gres- sida and Bouquet de Eduardo H. Gato, distinctive brands .of super- fine hand-made clear Havana puffs of perfection vere produced Tuesday, February 24, 1953 “Silent |Claude Roberts. THE KEY WEST CITIZEN by the world’s most skilled man- ual artists. “Many years have passed since they buried Walter Lightbourn, of Cortez fame, whose factogy opera- tions were supervised by the’ late Here, too, was made the Rosa Espanol brand of Arango and .Arango, and the Villamil, by Manuel Cremata, and the original Ruy Lopez brand in a list of many fine sizes; by the late John Wardlow. There yet re- mains the original factory build- ing in which Luis Martinez y Ca. sent forth many a million of the flavorful weed, but today that CBS edifice is dedicated to other purposes than cigar’ making. “Firing up the faded light of imagination, one-can~ almost see flitting by the forms of such. re+ nowned personages as the~ late Gus Arnold of Ferdinand. Hirsch Co., maker of Mi Favorita; of Chaymie (Jaime) and Juan Nav- arro, the Navarro Bros,; of- Lin- coln A. Lincoln, or Pohalski, of Mai Consul brand; of Francisco: Fleitas, of S. and F. Fleifas, who manually produced the celebrated Homerica line; of Sam Wolf, of Wolf Bros. and {gnacio- Cobo; and William H. Decker; and Mortimer Falk, of Falk Bros. “All of these noted trade mem- bers are now deceased, although Charlie Falk (Mortimer Falk’s kid brother), survives». and was re- cently feted by the local Elks. “Gone, too, are the grand: old men, Antonio Artolozaga, ‘Manuel Cespedes, A. Lopez Trujillo, Man- uel Lopez, A. Aurelio Torres and Joaquin Echemendia, names that were at the top of the list in-the century past. But memory re- calls that there yet survive such Salesmen” to & 0° a i \ 3 4 Handbills reach more prospects in a day, than Pvc “flesh ‘and blood” <b salesman could cover in a year. Display cards tell a selling story in YOUR windows or on YOUR counters. These “silent’ salesmen” add nothing to your pay +. add plenty to fay YOU sales volume . Why. not put,‘em to » samples and prices. DIAL 2.5661 Ws a5” (Vt ACKOSS FROM CITY HALL — GREENE ST. eminent tobacco « ifidustry’ -opera- tors as Senores Quintana and Que- ipo, who both at times were con- nected ‘here with tke Havana- American Co., which gave to the willing world such satisfying rolls of exquisite Havana .as Principe de Gales, Flor de M. Valle; La | Preferencia, and Antonio y:Cleo- | patra. “A. Santaella y Ca.. operated here, too, sending its justly fam- ous Optimo hither and’ yon. “Long-departed also are Thomp- son Bros. and ‘miany others, for | when the competition of our sister- city, Tampa, became too great the name Key ‘West gradually. passed into the limbo of ‘lost-souls when speaking of fine cigars, and boxes bearing the bottom-imprint seal of the City of Key West, by the late Hugh Gunn,’ city- clerk, ceased to mean the miark of the positive ultimate in fine cigar-making. . “Some of the old ‘cigar’ workers | still live, qualified. ‘cigilion artists’ among ‘whom are H. Rex-Shaw, a ¢tigar-maker who was born here and°who utilized his extraordinary talent at the bench’ back in 1905, ahd who now operates: Key West Cigar Manufactory, at Fleming and Margaret Streets, ‘and is a dealer in: leaf .as- well, selling many handmade sizes in the brack- ets from: 7% cents ‘to 35 cents straight. “Also here are A. Lucignani. W. Bell, Armanda Bermudez, Walton Parks, Miguel Castillo ‘and. Juan Pazo, conducting. small factories. These sturdy men-are throwbacks to the day -when Key West was in bloom as the largest ‘producer of clear Havana in the U. S., if not actually entitled to distinction as: largest in the world, for then the Island city. boasted © of this state’s largest population, approx- imately 30,600 persons, “Now however, the “island lives and prospers more because of the U. S. Navy, for here ‘are many thousands of Navy’ personnel in the several branches, . Marines, seamen, radar, sonar, airmen, submarines and Coast ‘Guard. “To augment the” ‘substantial monthly Navy payroll’ there is a sizable harvest each Season in the newly-found pink shtimp, dredged up from the briny depths around Dry Tortugas, some 60 miles to the west. This brings an~addition- al million or so dollars annually to Key West money lockers. The rest of the local and county reven- ue is derived mainly from the tourist crop and from the wives and families of the Navy boys who are stationed here, while there is noticeable income ‘resulting from commercial fishing, and there is ‘a slight revival of ‘the onetime ge industry. : “Harry S..Truman ‘brought Key ‘West considerable fame by making this his. personal ‘recreation ren- dezvous, guesting at the “Little White House,’ and -visitors by the thousands throng here by plane, bus, yacht and private automobiles to find out the reason why he made this a hideout. “Now that:he is again Mr. Tru- man and. will perhaps relax on his chicken ranch out in Missouri, one speculates whether President. Ei- enhower will continue. the ‘Little ——— MEET ME AT THE DOG RACES , TONIGHT STOCK ISLAND OFF U NO MINORS ADMITTED Post Tim 8:15 P.M. Free Parking juses Every % Hr. Adm, 25c¢ Stats Supervised Psri-Mutuel Betting OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TUESDAY AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS — 2TO0$ PM 10 Races Ni ~S.1 QUINIELAS EVERY RACE PAILY DOUBLES Ist & Ind RACES Eva Here White House’ as such, or whether the structure will again be used | mainly to. bed down for short res- Pites only big brass braid? “Regardless, Key West is as- sured a place in the sun for quite | some time to come as here have been spent millions of good old |U. S. dollars to expand the. hous- ing facilities so anxiously needed and which at this writing are sore- ly lacking in: numbers, “So be it, Joe, there are the ghosts of the past and an insight into the future. Cayo Hueso, or Key West, the Enchanted Isle, the alleged only frost-free city within the continental border of these great United States, is alive and thriving.” —Bill Goehring” The World Today By JAMES MARLOW WASHINGTON .?-—This year the people of Hawaii seem closer to the stdtehood they want than ever before. But for Alaskans, who want statehood too, the outlook is bleak. Both houses of Congress must approve before either of the ter- ritories gets statehood. The House gave its blessing to Hawaii twice, | 1947 and 1950, and to Alaska once, |1950. The Senate has always ig- nored or shoved the question aside. Nevertheless, Hawaiian and Alaska statehood has been under examination by congressional com- |mittees for more than 15 years. In that time there have been more than a dozen hearings. The result so far: blank. | And for even longer the Demo- their campaign platform promises have been, until recently, mum- bling timidly about statehood for the two territories. Mostly they tried to duck with such rubbery phrases as “We fa- vor eventual statehood” for them. The Republicans were still pussy- footing in 1948 when the Demo- crats urged “immediate” state- hood for both. But nothing happened then, as usual, in spite of President Tru- man’s additional urging to his Democratic - controlled Congress. Statehood couldn't get past the House. Once again in 1952 the Demo- cratic platform put the “immedi- | ate” label on Hawaii and Alaska |statehood. And in 1952 Repub- licans made no bones about want- ing “immediate” statehood for Hawaii. They were ‘ess enthusiastic about Alaska, contenting them- selves, but probably not the Alas- kans, with this phrase: ‘We favor statehood for -Alaska under an equitable enabling act.” (Hawaii has been traditionally Republican but oddly in 1952 the Alaska, Democratic for years, in 1952 elected a Republican Legis- lature.) President Eisenhower tried to live up to the Republican platform at once, for in his State of the Union message he said he wanted Hawaii to become a state fast. He didn’t mention Alaska. Shortly afterwards, he put Hawaiian state- hood on his list of 11 “must” items for Congress. What makes it look better than ever for Hawaii is what’s been said inside Congress, particularly in the Senate, which has been the main stumbling block. Sen. Butler of Nebraska, who had been ranking Republican | member of the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee’ when the Democrats had a majority on it, used to be against Hawaiian statehood. But now the Republicans run the committee, he's chairman, and | shortly after the Republican elec- | tion victory last fall he predicted | Hawaiian statehood would be ap- | proved by the new Republican-con- }trolled Congress. But he said he | didn’t believe Alaska would make | the grade | And Sen. Smathers, Florida |Democrat and member of the same committee, recently gave as his guess that there wouldn’t be “prolonged” dicussion about Hawaii. Coming from him, the state- ment had some significance. He led: the Southern attack on state- hood for both territories in 1952. As states, Hawaii and Alaska might |pose for Southern Democrats a problem they don't face now. | Being only territories, Hawaii and Alaska are represented in Con- |gress—in the House—by one dele- | gate each, elected by the voters jin both places. But these delegates }have no vote. | As states, Hawaii and Alaska | would be entitled to two senators jand one or more House members. In their fight against civil rights legislation, the Southerners would |have to worry about the weight tthe senators from Hawaii and | Alaska might throw ardund. | But the argument given in the | Capitol against statehood for Alas- ka boils down to this, rightly or wrongly: It's not economically fit for statehood yet. The same argu- ment can’t be raised against Ha- wali, which pays, more taxes than j each of 11 st Coach John Mauer’s University ef Florida basketbailers have won the G Bow! champioeship beth years it has been held. and gold-} cratic and Repubiican parties in! !Actor’s Cruiser Crashes Boat | NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. &@ — | Actor Broderick Crawford’s 32-foot cabin cruiser smashed in the side lof another, smaller cabin cruiser two miles off the harbor jetty Sun- day. : Mrs. F. L, Dunlap was dunked | in the ocean from the other boat, the 25-foot Twin Oeks, by the im- pact. She swam around and was pulled aboard the larger craft, the Banshee. Her boat was later towed to shore. Crawford was not aboard his boat. It was being operated on automatic pilot by bis agent, Mor- tie Guterman, who shares owner- ship of the boat, the Coast Guard reported. Guterman’s father was | asleep in the cabin. URANIUM FIND IN AUSTRALIA REVEALED. DARWIN, Australia (#—Three prospectors reported a new find of \uraniumn ore Monday in Australia’s northern territory. They informed the territory ad- ministrator, F. J. Wise, the deposit was located only four miles from the Edith River area. where the same trio a year ago discovered another uranium-bearing forma- tion. % A COUPLE OF BRUSH WIELDERS—Pretty good with the brush are Mr. and Mrs. George La Pinska of Chicago. He uses a shaving brush and she uses the barber shop to paint pictures, a hobby she started © year ago. The mother of five children, Mrs. La Pinska’ has 48 paintings which decorate the shop and her home.—() Wirephoto). ~ Lorenzo Wright of Detroit is the only broad jumper. Besides Jesse Owens to have bettered 25. feet in the A.A.U. indodr national championships. ONLY NASH MIAMI MCTORS CAN DO IT . 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