Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-01-17
Life in cubn.


Our first evening, in Havana, says a
| friend, was spent in visit to the cele-
brated Casino Espanol. to which, through
the kindness of our Cuban friend, Mr..
Luis Begueria, we received an invita-
ton. This club is the oldest and most
! important of the Western Hemisphere.
A membership is looked upon as a great
honor, as many of the greatest political
movements Of Cuba Originate within
| this body. The club-rooms are very ex-
tensive, consisting Of immense rooms
for social or political gatherings, q large
library, reading, billiards, and card
rooms, and lastly, a room the smallest
of all, set apart as place of instruction
! for the young sons of members. Our
received by the Secretary of the cluD,
and after a stroll through the various
rooms, we were treated to lunch in one
of the large salons. Signor Begueria is
connected with the leading Journals Of
the city (the DiGrio de Ia HaTtnd). and to
his untiring attentions our party owe
the most Of their pleasure in Havana.
A peculiarity of the Cuban bed Is
the lack of a mattress, substitute for
which is piece of linen duck, stretched
mattress with thin blanket to prevent
the iron from pinching or scratching.
Notwithstanding this loss, we managed
to gain a good nights rest, and were
ready for q jaunt next morning. The
officials of our party went to pay their
respects to the Captain General, while
the remainder visited sugar plantation
conducted in Cuban fashion. The hor-
rors of slavery were brought before us,
as We beheld men and women. coolies
and Africans, laboring in the field.
Many of them were in shackles. An
old negro wench, too feeble for field
work, had charge of the nursery, where
some forty little naked babies were be-
ing raised for life of toll. Some of our
ladies' were 50 disgusted with the looks
1f pure sugar tramped over with the
dirty feet of coolies and black with flies,
that they vowed never to taste the stuff
again. Before the day was done they
had all forgotten the resolution, and
seemed to enjoy the sweets of the table
with the same relish.
Mr.. LaWton, an American merchant
residing in Cuba, gave US cordial invi-
tation to visit his home in the pretty
suburban town of Marianao, some eight
miles out of Havana. A short ride on
the train brought us to the station, and
one might easily have imagined oneself
in the ancient city of Pompeii modern
lied and improved. The houses are ali
of one story, with large porticos on the
street. They are built of brick, plas-
tered and painted in high colors, fiat
roofs with white ratings around the top
and large open windows, protected with
iron bars or fancy iron frames, the IN
variable rule of the country. Long ave-
nues of thick foliaged Mexican laurels
furnish a dense shady drive through the
place. The residence of Mr.. Lawton is
arranged in the form of the letter E, as
are most of the houses there. A large
parlor opens directly on the portico,
Immediately in rear of which is broad
piazza, blinded, but overlooking court
yard filled with flowers, which serves as
4 dining-room. In the wings of the
building are a series of sleeping-rooms,
all opening into each other, and also into
the courtyard. The ceilings are all very
high, and arranged expressly for cool
ness. Mrs. Lawton, most charming
lady, formerly from New York, received
us with true American hospitality, seem
ing as happy to meet us as If we had
known her always. Through her kind
ness our ladies received many adYania-
ges, and we all began to realize how
strong the tie of country becomes when
separated from the fstherland. God
bless her warm and generous heart.
May life spent so far from home be
frightened by many q friendly visit
from her eountrymen.
A stroll through tie crowded parks
and drive through the brilliantly IL
Illuminated streets occupied our evening.
Next day our gentlemen weht on a shop
ping excursion, to which the ladies were
not invited. 1t would be easy to imag-
inc they returned laden with boxes of
cigars for themselves and all their par
ticular friends, you know, at home, tax
ing good care to caution their devoted
wives before they started out not to in
dulge too freely in laces ana fancy
articles; they were simply extraya-
ganees that could be done without.
Cigars will last 50 long and be so useful,
while laces soon go OF in smoke and
are forgotten.