Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-09-08
A CITY WITHoVT WOMEN.
The city Of lEayana-I,ss soslsi LIrc.


An Intelligent writer 4lo bias pdp. SeveHl
years in Havana, says
Looked at from social point Of view, what
Immediately strikesa stranger b that Havana,
like the Rome Of Romulus, Is a cityWithOut VIC
men. There die annually. out OfP population
Of205,OO0 souls, 1852 White imaleS to 1904
white females, while the deaths among the COL
ored people are, Tor the males 1,046, for the f.
males ], ,099. Thus, while the sexual numbers
of the negro and mullattO population are almost
balanced, with the respect 10 The whites the pro-
portion is something more than three males 70
one female. 51.f..4
The fact however, is selC-evideBt. Hardly
any other women than negresses are ever to be
aeen about. ladies without any prelensiOns to
youth and beauty would sooner die than venture
out unprotected, even for their early mhse and
30 uncommon is the sight Of decent women un-
attended in the streets, that foreign ladies, un-
acquainted with the custom, and sauntering from
shop to shop, become the objects Of q curiosity
not unfrequently degenerating into impeFtinence.
The causes Of the dispropoFtiOn between males
and females are not far to seek. Besides the
priests, the soldiers and sailors, and the public
functionaries, Whoae tenure OF ONCE 4 extremes
ly precarious, and who are either debarred from
marriage or dread lis membranes and rtspon-
slbllities, there are here thousands Of Spanish
immigrants Of the lowest classes attracted 10 the
spot BY high wages, but looking upon themselves
as the birds Of passage, who consequently would
hardly dream Of sending for women from home,
while their colnempt for the native race seldom
allows th1m to look upon the Creole women
with honorable Intentions need not dwell
upon the obvious result Of this side Of Ihipgs.
Suffice il 10 say that regard br women lei BY no
means enhanced by scarcity. There ensues an
exclusive male society. The charms of cafe and
club life, such as they are, wean the Havana
husband from home where real feminine &C.
c1mplishments are as unknown as hearth4ruRS
and fire irons. Housekeeping in the town, and
still more in the suburbs Is terribly uphill work
Foreign consuls and other strangers usually try
1t on their first arrival but soon learn to look ey-
en- upon the hotel, with It's smells and noises as
haven from domestic storms Nothing like
available free service is to be Obtained In ashYe-
holding community; the laziness, and unless aw-
ed by the lash, the insolence Of the noRrO bond
men, communicate thems slves 70 The hired help,
whatever be the color, race, or sex, working at
the same task with him 10 common household.
Hence mans life in Havana is wholly out
OF DOOR, while for, women there Is no Ale with
10 them. In no town in France or Italy have
ever seen s. many or, pr0poftidnately, such
'sump!uOus and constantly crowded cafes and res
t1urantS The Havana merchant is as eager to
make money as he il TO squandeF it. But the
town supplies little besides gr.ss material en-
Joyment for his money, A box at his third
rate opera, drive in his dreary prado, are all
the amusements he can have in common with
his wife and daughter