Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Our First Visit to Hayana-.-No. 9.

BY ELMO.
GOING INTO THE CITY.
Immediately after dinner we ventured ont agair
to see the city. We had about one mile to &c
from the steamer to the landing place. It was
perfectly clear when we started, but before we got
half way we had another edition OF the morning
storm. We were pretty well wet before landing,
but fearing the steamer might be ready to leave
early the next morning we determined to have a
tramp through the city, rain or shine hot or cold
The first object that attracted our attention after
landing was the inevitable "coidnte" kind OF
chaise, with two wheels, and shafts about four
teen feet long, drawn by a mule, with a darkey
looking much like monkey usually attending an
organ-grnder with red cap, red flannel jacket
trimmed with yellow with yellow knee breeches
no stockings or shoes but n pair Of spurs of
goodly proportions. The mule was at least about
eight feet from the body of the vehicle in which
were seated two ladies without bonnets. They
never wear them there, it is said but have
dashing Grape shawl over the head, with the face
nearly hidden, one eye only to be seen. They
were out shopping and the way they do that in
Havana is as follows They drive up to the store
door, and the clerk comes out and asks what they
wish, and then places the goods named upon
|
goods are sent to their houses. The ladies of that
| city never are seen walking on the streets
| THE STREETS
are very peculiar, generally very narrow and
inacadamized. They are usually very clean, that
| Is, IN the business sections. The sidewalks are
very narrow, not much, If any, more than two
ieet wide, so II two persons meet one of them
must step into the street to pass. These side
walks are laid directly against the walls of the
HOUSES and being very narrow one almost
necessarily rubs against the walls in passing
AS they have no glass windows when the We
netlan blinds are thrown back You can see any
and everything going on in the room fronting the
street, and we were told that the people rather
iee sighted If strangers do not pause and look In
Tor a few moments and see the work and amnse.
ments of the family circle 1t is certainly very
pleasant and amusing to do So and we took ad-
vantage of the liberty thus accorded to strangers
THEIR HOMES
appeared very pleasant and happy usually richly
furnished, and the inmates were fashionaby
dressed, all, old and young, being loaded down
with jewelry. The children and adults were in
many places engaged in playing some simple,
amusing game-chess, or marbles, or the graces;
IN the last mentioned they assuredly excel. Many
came to the window and introduced some tonic
oil conversation, which relieved one of any awk-
wardness felt in his seemingly unusual court
esy. They usually introduced something of inter-
est and would invariably bring up their children
and say many pleasant things Of them What was
most amusing was the bad Spanish we used and
the worse English they employed. Seeing that we
could not understand each other very well. we |
held rapid rollicking talk, women and children
joining in the fun and general merriment.
THE CITY
presents singular appearance to foreigner. |
The houses painted white and blue. green. |
yellow, black, red and vermillion Some with |
wide or narrow strips running up and down or |
laterally; often they are in nashy plaid with |
several bright coors-red, white and yellow, and |
black stripes of plaid often run diagon illy along
the 'front.' presenting very unique appearance |
But all are very neat and pleasant, and have |
the air of comfort and refinement within and |
around them. After passing through several |
long beautiful streets outside OF the business por-
ton of the town, we reached the gate of IL |
grand plaza, in the midst of third edition of |
the thunderstorm, which lasted about ten min
utes. We entered this gate, and as we were |
about as wet as water from storm-cloud could |
.,, n1'''''e VI .'ie ""''i "o'"eon us
-. s'.V !" "i'''" we Meie u pass
sue 'on' wv S"'us oi nut theie
W, ,'n1t. e,'ne We So''u NV account ior' from
-, ','' P'oP'e see'"eu iiuoh
' - "'u ~, i"eio "o'o siN III our
,,r,i -, w ''O"s" '"v ""'e'
'",u' '"' ''''"' N"'e ueeP' !"
e'', ""'.m ""'" We 'o'oieu We
,se i"'n "',u "u'i"h ours'
~, ''''' .""' '''"eu :" watch our progress
''' ~ 'i'''" interest anu eNo''e'ient' we AL
g. o'' "''' anu en'oi'ns iito
e"'Y' us - i''i' 20 mum 10 '"ey u'u'
I""fe ""' 'p'"'"'''S '''' ""'oi "oO"' III " 'ru'y
,s',- ~ '' "N' '''A up '"' INV Vi mar"
~. "e"' VI ,.'"' "o'i'" anu o"iI-
~ "' 'n' e''N ""a'""s' "oo''"s, All ooi'-
"i "'"'' J'noo anu jugs i~iush'er
- P '''' "'V""' US 'Ao 'he
~ ~ " " oi"'', anu
- :" "N' =! "'' anu e"-
~v'..,', - ~ ' Gnu "5e's, !" '"e
S '' '"'1 ""''0 ~ '"eni'
,,.s ny ''J1N'"s' Gnu '''',e '" '"e
a,aa. Vs. ~ ~, D' .lo ''A'u o'''u'"s was
80. '' "' ~ ".'' "'" 'o"' oeiooA
.',i .1.s','' '- '''..e'9 VI .'Vp''''' 'u''s
49, ,sss .u'eAis ''ounu
~ f''e0' "'' gu ""' '''y WIN eAoi'eiiient'
'e, '"'"s' VI 'i'S VI o'' pasSensers'
'., 'os 'iS" y, o"' "'''"."io =" 'ne p'a@a
"'u 1e'O"' o''''''" Vi o"' iui' eniarseu anu
".a"v "l"V''"'
o "eN' p''0o VIC ''si'eu was 'ne gr'nu palace
~ ,no C"p''''n'"ene'a' Vi oupa' Inc puiid'ng
''e'i 20 ia'se anu iiaSsNe' wiz. beautiful sur
rouhdihgs' Inc numerous cabbage Palmetto
trees and great variety of other fruit and orna-
mental treas ar,isticalI, ,r,,noa ,,,,.o..oa al,
... 80 e,0"Psu' '''p'oss'' ""
very iaVorapiy as 10 the RANK ana Importance OF a
representative OF royalty Passing from this de-
lightful spot we soon came To n street literallv
,sa,,,iad a.;,h IL, I'll, - -.
o'o"ue' VII" inuiesi WIN green corn ued IN
bundles upon their backs; this, we learned, was
the princpal forage of horses mules and ca,tle II,
tho oi, poiIoa ',,oa,, g, o.. ,.,..-.-,'.,, -,
"o"e' So" WI" 'o' huihpres Ninehj
was sellng III ilVely manner 10 the boys, called
los Yankos" the Yankees) by the natives
Most of the business of the citv ia dana ma, ,ar
- -, " ',0 wy N u''o "o' iai
'"oao WHICH '"'heuiateiy surrouhu the palace ana
the great dry goods stores. The great manufac-
turing interests are prIpcnallv tho cigor and
| tobac,,, ,na,,,,..,,,.;,,,' T., ,,,a,n -
VVV'''' manufacturing III ther various branches
IL Is truly wonderful to see the innumerable shops
where the best brands Of cigars are made.
The citv ia n busv thri,t, and ,;do a,.o,.o
L. - ,.a. - s''l '''''y' ""u "''o-""aAe