The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-07-29
TIE ART OF KEEPING COOL.
Lessons Learned From Life i'm Hot
Country.


1t may be surprising, but ii is mono
the less true, that tho art OF Keeping
cool is understood in Cuba hundred
times better than here. The very first
thing that strikes us after we get TO
Cuba is that all humanity seems bent
on keeping cool, and everything is di-
rected to that end. We strangers in
our cloth garments are tho only ones
who are hot there. The natives look
as cool as they feel They look pictur-
esquely cool They wear suits of linen
or thin silk, of light weight white duck
or drill, with light, low-cut shoes, silk
or lisle-thread hose and undergar-
ments; hats made of fine straw or
grass, that do not appear to weigh an
ounce. cannot give to gentleman a
clearer idea of how cool they must feel
than by saying that there is not such n
thing to be had in Cuba as shirt with
separate collar. You say that such
suits of clothing as describe, look
unshapely and even unsightly. So
they do; because our tailors do not
seem to know how to make them, and
our laundresses starch them too stiff.
Experience and practice would soon
overcome that. Havana is very
dressy and fashion fearing city. The
tailors make those thin garments as
stylishly and as shapely as our suits.
The women there do not dress so very
unlike our own women; that is to say
that American women dress more SEN
sibly in summer than American men
do. In both countries the result is
reached by lessening the number and
weight of the undergarments and dom
ming summer silks or almost gossamer
goods for summer wear.
The Cubans have hot weather way
of managing their business affairs. Let
no one run away with the idea that
business in Havana does not amount to
much. Havana has long been one of
the great seaports and commercial GEN.
tiers of the world, tho head of the sugar
and tobacco trades, and the seat of an
immense miscellaneous shipping indus
try. There are many men and firms as
busily engaged in making fortunes
there as everywhere else. To begin
with the business houses are built TO
provide GOODNESS by means of shade
and air. They are more open than
what we call an ''open car, yet can be
closed as tight as any Wall street bank.
1t is delightful to visit them. 1T is
amazing to see how cool the men who
work in them keep themselves. The
merchants and their clerks quit their
beds at $50 o'clock, perhaps earlier,
enjoy a bath, dress in leisurely way,
take coffee, and reach their counters
and desks at $50 o'clock, 1t is cool at
that time In the Streets and they are
not half so exhausted when they begin
work as we are. AT 1890 or IL o clock,
under sunshade or in cab or car,
they 90 home again to breakfast.
Nothing short of the explosion of n
powder magazine, which made them
forget themselves few weeks ago,
could induce man or boy among them
to hurry. The only two hasty or ex.
cited movements saw in Cuba were
on the part of young woman and {
boy. The young woman was q ballet
dancer in cool, open-air theater, ant
was engaged in te-too-tum movements
lasting only few moments each nigh
for large salary. The boy actually
ran in the open sunshine-but he had
stolen sugar. cane in the market and
was afraid he would be caught No
body ran after him, you may be sure
On the way to breakfast the Havana
merchant and clerk do not drink three
beers and cocktail, and at breakfas
they do not demolish heavy beefsteal
or plate of chops,or of liver and bacon
as we do the year around. On the con
trary they are very partial to fruit; fish
boiled, broiled or baked; broiled poul
try, or small birds, salads, omelets, GA
meal or rice, wine thinned down will
seltzer, coffee or tea. They take it ca
sya the table.
At 4:30 or o'clock, when the heat o
the day is past and the delightful, coo
hours of the evening are at hand, t hi
merchant and the clerk close the place
(all but the little retail stores) and g
homo or to the restaurant for dinner
And do they eat the Said meat, TIL,
stews, the gravies, the buildings ant
pies OF our bills Of fare Of July in New
York; Oh, no! They wish to be COO
and healthy and comfortable. They
suck the juice Of an orange or two, AM
take little thin broth or consomm
soup, little wine thinned down witt
cold seltzer or water, some nice fresl
fish, broiled bird Of some kind and sal
I'D, or a slice of some sort of meat, wei
done, and then guava paste, or jelly
or fruit and cheese and coffee. Il &c
nit that tho sweetmeats and cheese
bad And there is too much coffce-br
40 one II perfect.
m THE COOL or THE EVENING.
IN Y u ~ night comes the recreation; til
hilliard7 cards, cigars, theatres. pa
Ge4 o6fylAgo rides, promenades, i'd
ho0xx III til parks listening to the mi
Ie n = band courtship, companion
lIHs1 }.s,f " N NJ VA ~ N