The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-08-21
THE ART OF KEEPING COOL.
Lessons Learned From Life In a Hot
Country.

Lessons Learned FROM lnIc IN u dOG
Country.
1t may be surprising. but It is none
the less true, that the art of keeping
cool is understood in Cuba a hundred
times better than here. The very first |
thing that strikes us after we get to
Cuba Is that all humanity scoms bent
on keeping cool, and everything is di-
rected 10 that end. We strangers in
our cloth garments are the 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-cnt shoes, silk
or lisle-thread hose and undergar-
monts; hats made of fine straw or
grass, that do not appear to weigh an
ounce. cannot give TO gentleman
clearer idea of how cool they must feel
than by saying that there is not such a
thing to be had in Cuba as shirt with
a separate collar. You say that such
suits OF clothing Us 1 describe. look
unshapely and even unsightly. So
they do; because our tailors do not
seem to know how to make them. and
our laundrcsses starch them too stiff.
Experience and practice would soon
overcome that. Havana is a very
dressy and fashion fearing city. Tho
tailors make those thin garments as
stylishly and rs 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
sbly in summer than American men
do. In both countries the result is
reached by lessening the number and
weight of the undorgarments and don
ming summer silks or almost gossamer
goods for summer wear.
The Cubans have y 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 seaporLs and commercial CEN
ters of the world, the head of the sugar
aud tobacco trades, and the scat 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 Le
closed rs tight as any Wall street bank.
1t is delightful to visit them. IL is
amazing TO see how cool the men who
work in them keep themselves. The
merchants and their clerks quit their
beds al $50 o'clock, perhaps earlier.
enjoy bath, dress in a leisurely way,
take coffee, and reach their counters
and desks at $50 o'clock. 1t is cool mt
that time in the streets, and they are
not half SO exhausted when they begin
work us we are. At 1890 OF L o'clock,
under a sunshade or in cab or car,
they go home again to breakfast.
Nothing short OF the explosion of
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 u young woman and q
boy. The young woman was ballet
dancer in a cool. open-air thoater, and
was engaged in te-too-lum movements.
lasting only few moments each night
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 breakfast
they do not demolish heavy beefsteak
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 pou-
try, or small birds, salads, omelets, oat
meal or rice. wine thinned down with
seltzer; coffee or tea. They take 1t ca
sy at the table.
At 4:30 or 5 o'clock. when the heat of
the day is past and she delightful. cool
hours OF the evening are ut hand, t he
merchant and the clerk close the places
(all but the little retail stores) and go
home or to the restaurant for dinner.
And do they eat the solid meat, the
pies of our bills of fare Of July in. New
YorkP Oh. no! They wish to be cool
and healthy and comfortable. They
suck the juice of an orange or two, and
take little thin broth or consomme
soup, little wine thinned down with
cold seltzer or water, some nice fresh
fish. broiled bird of some kind and SAL
ad. or a slice of some sort of meat. we'll
OOhCp IIICu VI JO1lJs
or fruit and cheese and coffee. Q ad-
init that the sweetmeats and cheese is
bad and there is too much cotfee--but
no one is perfect.
IN THE COOL OF THE EVENING.
At night comes the recreation; the
billiards. cards. cigars, theatres, par
ties, carriage rides. promenades, idle
hours in the parks listening to the mu-
90 ha, oh
ship. sociability. At 10 o'clock or II
coffee and bed for some; bed without
coffee for others. But do they not
drink, you ask. Yes, indeed. They
are addicted to soda water, lemonade,
cocoanut water, lime-onade, talnarind
water, mineral water and all other bev-
erages that cool the body by cooling
the blood, and that are slightly laxa-
tive. Among strong drinks Vermouth
is popular, Spanish wines and French
clarets are in demand, and the labor
ing people drink gin. Note the nature
OF these drinks, you who understand
the subject. There is reason in all OF
them. All except brandy. l forgot
that. At night, in the cafes, saw sew
oral persons drink brandy. THAT is
contrary to everything else they do. 1t
is most unwise.
There are many hints in the above
general observations of life under
burning sun. Dress for the season. 1t
elm na done here as we'll as there and
as safety, for the nights are cooler
there, nosides. ono can put on a
heavier coat at night. if need be. Keep
out OF the sun. Carry a sun umbrella.
Don't hurry. Nothing is gained by it.
The Old Mans Remedy.
Young man departing for college)
N,n fnt bx