Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-25
BY RAIL IN CUBA.
WAYSlDE NOTES OF A JAUNT TO
MATANZaS
Car, OF the Crude Sort - Lot .ry-Ticact
Vendors and Fruit Peddlcrs-Window
Views Landscape and Products
a sugar Plantation

Cuba Cor. Inter Ocean
Tine rolling-stOck for all the Cuban rail-
ways was built in thu Unitei States, with
slight notifications from the American plan
ON account of climate and ths traffic t. be
accommodated Tee cars are plain and oil,
representing the crude sort Ia use in the
State, great many years ago TIE first
class coaches are perhaps, on a par with our
smoking carr The seats are camel, tho
roof i lIw, and the interior woods ara I'M
oruamentei. The second-cIass cars are a
shade wurSe, and the third class cars have
boards seat without backs, and blinds with
! out windOw-glass. The fir-t-clas5 car Is
always attached to the rear end oi tEs train,
and is generally about empty.
When the train stops at a station a horde
Of vendors Of various articles swarm into
the car, oifering their wares for sale. There
is the boy with green cocOanuts, and per-
haps thee universal fruits are reinforced by
orange, guavaS, and country cheese. Then
follow nan with lightning Lug, for sale.
These Cuban lightning-bugS arc regular
electric lights Il Is said that even those
exhibited curiusitie5 III the states are in
ferior whe:. compared with the native un-
trammelci bug that iilumineS the Cuban
night fhe Lottery ticket vendors are also
on hand. as they always arc every where
Ru,l On every occasion.
VI heneyer the train is ready to star: ont
Df a -tation where it has made stop, wiz
zled-up, eaz.n-faced chinaman rings "A
hand-te!l vigorously, and the engineer opens
his throttle,
the place % SEQ Cuban life is in the tdIrti-
class coach. There you have the negro, the
Chinaman, the creole or Cuban proper.
mi tine Spaniard ali ON common level.
About two-thrds of the people vino get On
have a string of chickens, which they care
fully hestow under their seat when they sit
down; and everybody appears oblIriGus to
tie vigorous squawking which is going on
among the fowls most of the time Once in
auhi a cal policeman will come in and
20 through tie train, scowlins su,piciousiy
1t TIE passengers. Everybody carries n
collection OF bundles. Regular baggage is
charged extra in Cuba, and so it l. Gus
;omary to reduce ones belongings to their
lowest terms and stow them AWAY in odd
hooks and corners.
The view from the car windows Is novel to
the untraveled American, but characterized
10y n considerable degre, Of sameness. BY
ali odds tn. most characteristic feature is
The palm. The shining, white, spindle
shaped trunks and bouquet tops Of this tree
dot the landscape on every side, although
nowhere constituting real forest. | have
not Travelled In any other country whers the
palm appeared 80 ubiquitous. Then group
Of laUrelS or cocoanu: trees il liable to loom
into view while occasional solitary c2ibas
clmmani remark by reason of their smooth.
tat trunks and r3mb!in, umbrella top The
ceiba i the largest i;es grown on the i land,
anG ISLANDERS are wont 20 point to it with
pr.d,. Luxuriant wild IN 1rniny glorieS. With
their blue. white and pink blossoms, may BE-
seen claIabering over hedges of the hariy
cactu: while the huge rugged lcIves Of tho
banana bend dveamly over the palm
matched hut of tie natives 1t is WONDER
ful what a servIcable Lousa these people ara
able 10 make out Of common palm and
banana leaves AMI Lark without nail or
screw or any substantial material
FIELDS Of corn also a pear beside the track
in varicu, stages of development. This
corn i a recent discovery here 1t has now
become the univers al fodder for horses AMI
cattle. sine, 1t Is 50 cheap, and viii grow the
year around. The reader must not imagine
such corn as or states Of the northwest
have pat on exhibition at New Orleans
I'm the spirit Of friendly emulation.
The corn here does not seem to grow more
than two or three feet high, AMI what
they save u the ear w0ull call a nubbin.
But the foliage futillS an important mission
Is folder TIE castor oil beam is iniiesr-
aouS. AMI may be sen frequently by the
road 7i!e
Two kinds If earth are noticeable in max
Ing the trip hither one very rel. like that
encountered IN Virginia, Georgia, the Care
linaS and some other eastern states, AMI thu
other LACK believe there Is contes:
anon. travellers as to the worth Of those
two soils for growing purposes. The rei -oil
i 80 intensely ami 80 tenaciously rel that
the hairless pigs which root in the fields aud
the tail> f the oxen that gaze w"uIeringly
NJ the passing train the oxen gaze. not tho
tails are dyed with the same brilliant color
The country can not he Gale Pretty. in
my opinion. on account Of til inferior quail
iiy of the grass here. Tue brilliant green
veriura Of our American hall, j. not roaiiz,i
in Cuba On tie way from Havana here |
think every traveller J. surprised by jhe ap-
parent spanne,s OF the populatiln. NJ |
village . any siz. Is passed on tae way.
Thr Characteristic picture OF 4 native Cuban |
town embraces a few tbatcheI hni con
spicGous Catholic church aud cemetery. - |
handful OF oUrt-aath-csntury human l. ms |
on for-elaci,. resting under TIA, hanging |
roos~ 4 the few de-en: buillns. near t,,s |
depot. AMI perhaps some ancient l1okiu- |
barracks r Spanish soldiers Some of ths /
fence, are made II cur western barg,ei |
wire. tut tie majority ara either hedge ri |
! r!ckly pear. or fea,ss CONSTRUCTED Il live /
saplinS-
En-; tie principal tang That the traveller 1
notices on the way from the Cuban ue;rar.- 1
oils 20 this. the seroni >Igar- xportins city 4
of tue island, whether lie comes by one route
or tie other. /, tas series " man. moth sugar
plantations extending aimo,t tie entire dis
taucs The air : heavy with tie i ki,h
81 sar smell which eInana;cs from, the mill
house ami /. 81 ION %: II the Travellers
no-trli. Every " m.e5 tn huge open
buildings 4 soma large estate loon into
vie@ the tail smoking chimney visible FOR
miles in this Hat country. Branch rnilroais
b-lan-iss L tie estate LEAD from - main
i.nc al ever the plantation