The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-12
THE ART OF KEEPING COOL

THE ART OF KEEPING COOL.
 Detroit Free Press
 It may seem surprising, yet 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 when we get to Cuba is that all humanity seems to be bent upon keeping cool, and everything is directed to 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 pitcuresquely cool. They wear suits of linen, of thin silk, of light weight white duck or drill, with light low cut shoes, silk or Lisle thread hose and undergarments hals made of fine straw or grass, that do not appear to weigh an ounce. l canno: give to a gentleman a 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 as l describe, when we see them, look anshapely and even unsightiy. 50 they do because our tailors do not seem to know how to make them and our laundresses starch them too stiff Expe- rience and practice would overcome that. Havana is a very dressy and fashion fearing city. The iailors make those thin garments as s,ylishly and as shapely as our suits. The women there do not dress so very unlike our own women that is to say that American ladies dress more sensibly in summer than American men do. In both countries the result is reached by lessening the number and weight of undergarments and donninp summer silks or other almost gossamer goods for outer wear
 The Cubans have ho: weather way of managing their business affairs. Let no one run away with the idea that busi- ness in Havana does not amount to much. Havana has long been one of the great seaports and commercial centers of the world, the head of the sugar and tobacco trades, and the seat of an immense mis- cellaneous shippi ag industry. 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 coolness 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. IL IS delightful to visit them. It IS amaz- ing to sec how cool the men at work in them all keep themselves. The mer- chants and clerks quit their beds at $40 o'clock, perhaps earlier, enjoy a bath, dress in leisurely way, take coffee, and reach their counters and desks by 6: 70 o'clock. It is cool at that time in the streets, and they are not half as exhausted UhRn fhASy hAUsp uvovE Al Io:5o or II o'clock, under sunshade or in car cab, they go home again to breakfast.
 Nothing shor. of the explosion of powder magazine, which made them for get themselves few weeks ago, could in- duce man or boy among them to hurry. The only two nasty or excited movements saw in Cuba were on the part of young woman and boy. The young woman was ballet dancer in a cool open air theater, and was engaged in tee-to-tum movements, lasting only few minutes each night, for high salary. The boy actually ran in the openshine-but then 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 round. On the contrary, | they are very partial to fruit fish, boiled, | broiled or baked; broiled poultry or small birds, salads, omelets, oatmeal | or rice, wine thinned down with seltzer l coffee CT tea. They take it easy at the | table.
 At $50 or , o'clock, when the heat of the day is past and the delightful, cool | hours of evening are at hand, the mer- chant and the clerk close the business | places (ali but the little retail storesl, and | go home, or to the restaurant for dinner. 1 And do they eat the solid meat, the stews, | the gravies, the puddings and pies of our bills of fare in July in New York? 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 consume soap, a little wine I thinned down with cold selt.er or water. | some nice fresh fish, broiled b;rd of some kind and salad, or slice ot some sort of meat, we'll done, and then guava paste, or jelly, or fruit cheese and coffee. 1l admit that the smeetmeats and cheese are bad and there is too much cofiee-l but no one is perfect).
 At night comes the recreation the billiards, cards, cigars, theatres. parties, carriage rides, promenades, idle hours in | the parks listening to the music of band, |