The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-15
NIGHT IN HAVANA.


A Sprightly Account Of the Streets Of the
Cuban City-Cheap Carriage Hire.
Havana Correspondents Worcester Spy.
The streets, in the day time, present a
deserted appearance, and although We
find the shops and stores all open, wher-
ever we 60 we see but few buyers, and
those in charge look and act as though
they are better pleased in being allowed
to sit still than they would be if called up
on to wait upon customers. But in the
evening the scene is widely different, tor
then it seems as though everybody must
be out of doors and OVERLOOKING Nth life
and vivacity. The principal park is a
broad avenue about two hundred feet
wide and perhaps half a mile long, run
ming north and south, and has WIDE
mall bordered by trees running length
wise through its centre for a considerable
portion of Its length, and a square about
three hundred feet each way, well filed
with trees and plants, projecting from It
on the east side. Bordering or fronting
on this park and square are several of the
largest hotels and finest buildings to be
found in the city. and here seems to be
the popular evening resort. On the even
ing OF my visit TO it beheld a scene of
airy life and gayety surprising anything
Of the kind | had ever witnessed. The
lower story Of all the surrounding build
ings seemed to be wide open. and their
interiors as much exposed as possible and
brilliantly lighted; and almost every door
seemed to open into a restaurant or drink
ing saloon. These places were crowded
with people of all ages. conditions,
and shades of color, smoking, eat
ing. drinking, and chatting. The
sidewalks (which are much wider here
than elsewhere) and the malls in the park
and square were thronged with pedes-
trains; and carriages, elegant, Indifferent
and shabby, are driving through the
streets or standing at their edges. Men
or boys were rarely seen without cigars in
their mouths, except when they were
eating or drinking land this applies to
my observations in the day time also and
the women were all bsreheaded. did
not sec a woman wearing hat or bonnet
during the evening. All the dresses of
the female promenaders had long trails,
whether the material were costly. elegant
and delicate, or cheap and shabby. and
the uglier and more repulsive
The person wearing il, and the cheaper
and dirtier the dress, the longer the trail.
Elegantly dressed ladies sat in their car
riages at the edge of the sidewalk, and
were served with ice cream or cooling
beverages from the adjacent restaurants or
saloons, by their waiting men in gorgeous
livery. / never saw, before, SO much OF
liquor drinking Il say liquor, because the
liquid was poured from bottles and
decanters, and was of various colors), as
On this occasion, but although the scene
was apparently one OF extreme dissipation,
| saw no signs of drunkenness.
Mingling with the crowd at all points |
we're men, woman, and boys. thrusting |
nandsfull of lottery tickets before peoples |
'aces, and importuning them to buy, but
lid not witness single business trans
lction in that line.
Hotel charges are from $3.50 to $3.50
per day in gold. The cheapest, and, for
It's cost, most satisfactory thing found in
he city was carriage transportation. Car
,iages for hire are very numerous, and
Ire met in all parts of the city. They are
mall four wheeled vehicles, in form some
What like brett, but with only one seat
besides the drivers, and are adapted for
md carry comfortably two passengers,
hough have seen many OF them carry
no three or four persons. The lawful fare
$ forty cents for one trip whether for dis
ance of one hundred, yards or the length |
If the city 1.-TWO to three miles,, and wheth
r for one passenger or as many as can pile
INTO the carriage.
If a person or party, in going from one
,oint to another, requires the carriage to
top at one or more points on the way,
he driver is entitled to an extra fare for
ZACH and every stop, or the carriage can
Ne employed as long as desired at a dollar
md quarter per hour. As these prices
re for Cuban paper money, which is now
worth but about forty five cents TO the dollar
will be seen that two persons can be car
led the length of the city for less than
wenty cents Of our money, or may ride as
ong as they please at sixty cents per hour.
I does not require very careful! observa-
ion as one passes about the streets or en-
ers the hotels. restaurants. and stores, TO
discover that HAVANA is not a clearly city
md after such discovery it no longer
Gems surprising that it is so often scourged
y yellow fever and other contagious or
infections.