The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-04

legs can carry them. There is no
appearance of soemnity about an interment
Among the poor who cannot afford this pageant
ry, the matter is much more simple. The coffin
is carried to the grave upon the shoulders of the
pall-bearers; but they rush with it through The
streets as if they had 10 catch train. The ride
home was past the Castillo del Principe, large
fertilization Hill just west of the city and
down the Paseo del Tacon, another boulevard
with shaded walks on each side, and statue or
a fountain at intervals. A number of the chief
ornaments of the city bear the name of Tacon.
the Captain general who during his brief admin
istration of four years, did more to embelish the
city than any of his predecessors or successors,
also making for himself, like most Of the Captains
general of Cuba, an immense fortune, by extor-
ton and corruption. He was harsh and cruel in
the extreme. Still he was much more popular
among the people of that time than his benevo-
lent but unenterprising successor, General
Espeleta. The Cubans had rhyme about the
two which ran thus:
Ell General Tacon--vale un doblon;
Ell General Espeleta no vale peseta
General Tacon ia worth dobloon $3.50; Gem
eral Espeleta is not worth a peseta go cents
BY the kindness of Prof. Jordan, of our State
University, carried letter of introduction to
Prof. Felipe Poey one of the instructors In nat
ural history in the university of Havana. This
venerable gentleman, now eighty-seven years OF
age has been member of the faculty of the
university ever since its foundation in 1872 He
still gives lectures to the students three times
week from manuscript notes, with illustrations
and oral explanations He is the author of q
very elaborate work on fishes, and in his DE-
partment is regarded as one of the most dis
tinguished scientists in the world The Madrid
government gave him S. 900 as an honorarium
for this remarkable production One copy is de-
posted in the royal library of that city, and the
Professor retains the original in his own house
in Havana. The work has never been printed,
but students of natural history from other coun-
tries visit Madrid to consult it He describes
1,500 varieties of fishes found in this neighbor-
hood alone. Each species is considered at differ
periods of growth, and drawings are made show
ing its various stages of development The Pro-
fessor kindly showed me a number of his manu-
script volumes. as well as many Of his drawings
which have ali been made by his own hand.
The university occupies very old building,
formerly used as monastery of the Dominican
friars. 1t is large structure, two stories high,
forming hollow square, with court IN the
middle, containing garden and fountain, and
portlco on every side, upon which the lecture
rooms open. There are five departments in the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., belles-lettres, law, medicine
and pharmacy [ was conducted by Professor
Castellanos. instructor in physics through
number of lecture-rooms. In some of these the
professors we're giving lectures and the Students
sitting on benches around rather rough tables,
were taking manuscript notes. They all rose,
however, as we entered and remained standing
while we continued in their presence SO it may
be imagined we did not stay long. There was
an excellent geological cabinet in one of these
lecture rooms, composed entirely of the animals
and birds of Cuba. The plumage of some Of
the birds was extremely brilliant, but
their fine appearance compensates but
poorly for the absence of the songsters which
render our own woods and lawns so attractive In
summer time. We were also conducted through
the laboratory and lectureroom in physics BE-
longing to the institute, a secondary institution
of learning, adjoining the university, where the
Professor performed number of experiments
for own particular benefit and tried in vain
to elicit very big spark from an electrical ma
chine, which showed itself extremely coy and
reserved to his solicitations. The apparatus in
this room was extensive and of the best kind.
Previous accounts have given sad picture or
the condition of the women of Cuba They
have been represented as having been brought
up in great ignorance and almost oriental seclu-
sion. 1t has been said that they are taught
nothing but embroidery and department, and
are trained to believe that their chief care
in life should be to protect themselves from the
wiles and snares of men: that their chief occu-
patton is to fan themselves, and talk to their
guests from the row of chairs OF the other side
Of the room, at a safe distance; that they were,
in short mere puppets, who were to look and act
as pretty as possible, but who were to know
nothing, and were to take no part in the real
business of life. If this description Of the wom-
of Cuba was ever true, that time has long
passed. During the Cuban war a large number
of the best families on the island came to the
United States These returned to Cuba bring
ing with them many American notions as to the
proper duties and capacities of women. Consid-
cradle numbers of Cuban girls are educated in
the United States at the present
ing thas women who have been accustomed
to our larger liberty can never be restricted to
the close limits described above must say the
Cuban ladies with whom have conversed have
been women of much more than ordinary intel
ligence A large number speak either French or
English, and many of them both languages. A
Cuban lady tells me that she is as busy here as
ever she when she lived in New York; that
the times OF idleness are past The women set
in society with the same freedom and in much
the same manner as well-bred reople elsewhere
In public places they have to be more cautious
than with US, and you rarely see Cuban lady
walking upon the street. Men have not quito
the SAME respect for them. They will make re-
marks in ladys presence praisng her beauty,
etc. ] was quite embarrassed one night at q
ball when the floor manager took me near
several ladies, and, in tone of voice which
could be easily heard by them, praised their
faces, their dresses, ETC., much as a man would
do who was showing off the fine points OF
horse.
When dropped in at the university one day
stumbled upon one of the lecture rooms where
yonng woman was being examined by one of the
medical professors for the degree of madrone in
the presence of large number Of men and
women. l afterwards learned that all the
courses are now thrown open equally to both
sexes. There are several female students in the
school OF pharmacy, one in law, one IN medicine
and two or three in the schools of science and
bees-lettres. Professor Poey tells me that this
is quite a new thing, but that where these
young ladies complete their respective courses,
they will be entitled to the same degrees as the
men, and can practice their respective profess
sions under the same conditions as men. Prof.
Castellano, however, thought that further
change would have to be made before they could
practice law medicine. There none yet in
Cuba who practice either of these professions.
Professor Poey said that. at first, he found
some difficulty with the new arrangement from
the fact that the attention of the young men was
too much diverted by looking at the young wom-
en-, but that the latter conducted themselves
very modestly and becomingly, and he seemed to
think it was beginning to turn out all right
was, however much interested in the discus
sion between two of the other instructors in the
fu To be- Of fha