Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-15
HAVANA HOMES.
CONSTRUCTION, INTERIOR ARRANGE
MENT AND GENERAL EFFECT.
The ColSrs That Prevail-Built In Hollow
Squares-The Inner Court dwellings,
Bod-Rooms and Furniture
Free from Vermin.
Havana Cor. Detroit News

the color--or, rather, colors-that prevail
about the buildings. With a groundwork of
| white, the blues and pinks, and salmons and
| lilac, and other delicate shades-they never
employ dark or brilliant colors-wth which
| the doors and windows and cornices of the
houses and the columns of the arcades are
relieved have a very pleasing effect, toning
down the brightness of the stong lights.
| The effect is heightened by the round
arch generally found over doors and win
dows filled with stained glass In speaking
| of windows, it should be understood that
such media for the refraction Of light as
| call windows-glazed frames-are not in use
here. The open spaces serving as windows,
and extending from the floor to the superin-
| cumbent arch, are closed when desired by
doors opening in the middle, the upper
| halves of which consist of movable blinds,
| by which heat and light may be excluded
| while the fresh air is admitted. Another
| set of doors within these may be closed at
| night, or when necessary
Generally the windows look out on mar
row balcony, guarded by light ornate iron
railing Where the balcony is not found,
the lower part of the window is guarded by
similar railing, usually gilded. and of elab-
crate and elegant design, serving really as
| an ornament to the house. The houses are
| generally low and deep, frequently of one
| story only, seldom rising above two stories.
| The walls are very thick, the calcareous
stone abounding here being easily worked
in building; the roofs are usually fiat or ter
raced, and sometimes small. square tower
| or observatory on the top, common feature
| of the buildings in Cadiz, Spain. The pre-
dominance of colors is another feature re-
minding one of this city of the Mediterra-
mean.
Within the houses are constructed on much
the same principle rs obtains in warm coun-
tries generally. They are massei together
| in solid blocks, and each house is something
| in the form Of a hollow square. Immense
wooden doors in front open up into the
| square courtyard in the middle of the build
| ing. This is paved with stone or marble. A
fountain occupies the middle, which consti-
| tutes also a receptacle and drain for the rain
\ that falls-for the court is open to the sky
, and, too frequently, for other less innocent
slops. Broad marble-paved corridors, sup
ported by pillared arches. extend on each
story around the court Here in tubes and
earthen pots flourish, in tropical luxuriance
shrubs and flowers unknown to the north
Doors glazed with stained glass hung be-
| tween the columns shut out excess of sun
| or rain.
| is $40 than one story, are usually reserved
for use OF servants, horses, coaches, and in
ferior uses generally; the upper floors con-
tain family apartments Each room has
doors opening on balcony and court corri-
| dor, thus affording a constant current OF air
The rooms are very lofty, and the walls ara
wainscoted with bright-colored tiles, the
floor is paved with marble, the ceiling is
! studded with wooden rafters. Dwellings are
constructed with the object of insurance,
ventilation, GOODNESS and comfort, but in
this aim they also insure health and ceanli.
| ness. There are no carpets, nor curtains,
nor portieres, nor upholstered chairs and
sofas to collect dust to invite vermin, to
harbor the germs of disease The outer air
has free entrance day and night Cane
seated chairs and settees are the only ones
seen, though among these rockers abound,
for the Cuban dotes on a rocking chair as
much as does his American neighbor
The bed-roo<s are furnished with elegant
simplicity. The Cuban bed is a simple iron
or brass frame, light and ornate, but with
no superfiuities of length or breadth, and
not calculated to support a heavy weight
A piece of stout canvas or fine wire netting
is stretched across this frame. Over this
piece of woven straw mating is spread The
remaining paraphernalia consists OF two
linen sheets AMI counterpane Of
pink or blue cambria, covered with sheer
| muslin and borderei with lace a canopy
Of the thinnest muslin and two narrow
pillows, stuffed with some vegetable fiber
OF the country, hard and unyielding. But
all these accessories are of immaterial value
to the novice. The pillows have been tried
singly, doubly, alternately endwise, cross
wise, in every method that q wakeful mind
spurred to ingenuity can devise, and are
finally thrown away as impracticable sam
pies of the depravity of inanimate nature.
Long before daylight the tortured wight is
apt to find himself free from all incum-
brance Of bedding, a martyr stretched upon
a wire rack, with body bruised and scarf
fed and muscles stiff with unaccustomsd ex.
ercise.
But as he becomes accustomed to it and
learns the art of adaptation, he finds that it
is not so bad a substitute for a bed, and he
may be eventually brought to agree with
the native Cuban that feather pillow is an
! abominatiou and a mattress Of doubtful
desirabilitJ, A point of merit also in these
beds not 10 be overlooked is that they
achieve cleanliness as well as comfort The
vermin that infeSt the northern bedstead
find no refuge here In fact Havana seems
! singularly free from the insect pests of warm
| climates and southern life. There are
mosquitoes to be sure, that fly as much by
| day as night, and that have no warning note
| to herald their approach, but they are of in
| considerable size, while the common house.
| fly is a rara avis.
A Grandson Of Brigham Young.
New York Tribunel
One of the numerous grandsons of Brig
ham Young is somewhat conspicuous here
| just now as an assistant in the Swain court
martial to Judge Advocate Asa Bird Gard
| ner. This young scion Of polygamy is an
| artillery officer stationed at Governors ISL
and. He studied law and was graduated at
| Columbia collage. He is tall and is consid,
cred good-looking. He has, Of course, but
one wife, for although a Mormon he is not a
| polygamist. Judge Advocate Gardner sent
| for him to assist the prosecution, which in
! itself is compliment, as that officer is con-
| sidered the ablest lawyer in the army. On
one day Lieut. Young distinguished him
| self by his readiness in prompting the judge
advocate, and smile of admira tion passed
| over tie ordinarily solemn faces of the uni
formed court about the table. A son of
| Brigham Young, graduated at West Point,
is an officer in the engineer corps, and is
am told, above the average in brains. He
too, is married to one wife only.
| A Close Shave.
| 1t has been decided by a St Louis judg
| that three chromos, a bust of Longfellow
and an oil painting worth So may legally
constitute an "art parlor," but it's rather Q