Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-06-22
CURIOUS SIGHTS IN CUBA
Peculiar Roads and Quaint Customs on
the Island.
hospitality of the People-PoliteueS
Good Feeling and ReliSiou-Coffee,
CigarS and Kind Wishes A
Bull Drives Party Head
long through Hole,

WITH Wild cane, from which Whistles
baskets and bird cages are made tor the
| Havana markets, when we left the lower
more Side region tor the upland dlstrlct.
/ For the whu.e distance ON every hand
were flowers aud luNurlant verdure, brok-
en- only by the ciSared grounds about
| lowly and once noble hselendas and the
reaches of cultivated fields OF the es
taucias, or plantations devoted 70 general
/ tsrmlug- One could see from the road
side alone anoneS, mSmouciilos, mauGoes
/ SunahnnaS, nlSperoS, cultivated and wild
oranges, tamarIndS, bananas, carmltos.
namme5S, zapotas and pine e-applss, while
! the stately star OF Bethlehem. the mi,y.
nonette, the vinCs, the golden Jasmine,
'he hibiscus. the galen de nOche, the
flaming tlamboyaut, the star cactus, the
Carolina tree, the campauiis, the Chero-
See, MarechRl Neil aud cape rose, the
Iacqueminot, jOpQuI and lilies of the
valley, the wild pea, hnneysuckle aud
hehotrope, and myria6s more of the al
most unnameahle tlora of Cuba, dazzled
the eye with color and tillpd the air with
matchless fragrance. But true to the bit
ter contrasts everywhere noticeable IN
the island, the road itself was exccrable
beyond description.
They arn all alike. Though usually in
closed, Is are the American country roads.
they are terry imPassahie for any man
ner of vehicles. Indeed, no vehicles arc
used ih Cuba, save in the large cities. In
this region, agrlCulturally the richest Tor-
uon OF the island, the needs between hum
dreds upou hundred! of great plants-
tiouS and Trinidad have been met hy
! packing ON the backs of ponies and
mules for over POO years! and during
one-fourth OF the time the roads are al.
together impossible, Every sack of cot.
fee, every pound of food, every article of
furniture, has always boen packed"
back and forth in this shiftless man
ner.
The roads crook ana turn to avoid
obstacles just as the Cuban will do ak
days labor 10 avoid one. beware the
pantanos! was the warning from every
tongue throughout the day. Those Ian
tanos' are sinks in the olay soil where
ones animal will plunge from perfectly
solid footing fairly ont of sight. We
rescued five animals so mired with their
muddy panniers and packs, for dolOrous
and grateful pilgrims during the day.
The "pantanos" are bad enough but the
disechos Uuerally, refusals; avoidancesl
are worse. These are ways cut around
lmpassable places involving Careful rid
ing through boys and juuglcs, and not
infreqUently going astray III the dense
forests.
The fences of these remarkable roads"
are curious affairs. Frequently they nro
of the Spanish bayonet and the home
quen with broad leaf and barbed point
six inches long, strong enough to impale
your horse. Again, strips of stone fouCa
will be seen. Some are of tho plna de
ration or bastard pine apple tree. But
the larger number are of phones butiia.
Green limbs are cut from this, and when
thrust III the ground grow Instantly and
luxuri0u@ly. Between the branches the
vejHco de angarilla, II hardy vine Is plant
ed. This weaves itself through and
through the hedge in all manner of fan
tastic and tightering freaks; and as 1t
bears lovely purple blossom, this fence
is always s,rIkingly beautiful to the eye.
The overlooking hos pItality of all class
es OF Cubans had remarkable illustration
upon our journey. 1t is a fact that at
nearly every house along the road, singly
or III persistent groups, the occupants
begged us To enter and tarry with them.
Ii II were but for Il moment, for greeting,
good. If for A little chatter and &C, fec"
better. If 1t could have been for week
or month, best. Aud this was tho never
ending torm of greeting and invitation
from the head of the house IA he awaited
uS upon the highway
"Buenos dlas, camara.' t"Guod day
citlZrn.")
"Buenos dias, amigo" C'Good day,
my friendly
"Hasta donde, buouoY" C"How far,
good sirsf")
Boy, al Aguacate." ("To the Aguacat2
distrIct.")
"Venga a tomar cafe. listed VA muy
lejus" ("You go too far! Remain with
me for coffee and rcst.'O
Again, being cut out of matches and
desiring light for our cigars, drawing
up before II casa dc giyienda, Don Manuel
would shout:
LIN paz de Diua sea en- esta cagn!"
c'The peace of God upon your house!")
"Y venga con vozW ("COme You with
that blessIng! is answered back.
"Hagame Il favor dc darme Candida"
(''FavOr me with light.")
I'D smOntesen tOmen cafe fuego."
CDIsmount and receive both coffee aud
fire."i
hhu u 10 ~ 'Nttpt. 'bHtt as Ntll
as light must be taken, else the guest
is committing grave offense. Then as
you depart, and there is no exception to
this, you are followed back TO the road
with blessings innumerable; the final
Felix viage!-felix Wage! Dioz le
cOmpaneW Is shouted after us by the
whole family, and eager muchachos run
after us to show the safer way.
heard a great rustling, galloping and
hallOOing some distunce in advance.
Our wise ponies instantly grew restive
and showed alarm. We halted for Il
moment; the yeOmen listened, and
directly one called out excitedly:
"Ah Diene un toro bravo" ("Here
comes a wild bulIrD The words were not
ont of his mouth before his feet struck
the ground. Whipping cut his machete
he cut with incredible speed n way through
the hedge. 1t was not a moment too
soon. laundering around sharp
corner in the road came ii wild bull, his
pursuing rider yelling, "Tengan cuidado
cou el toro!" ("Look ont for the bull!"}
The brute, catching sight OF our group,
charged madlY upon us, and it would
have surprised yonr anise-seed fox hun
and over that hedge as the cleaning
horns whisked by our ponies twinkling
heels, while, true under all circumstances
to the universal principle of cuban polite
ness, the vanishing gaquero turned in his
saddle, removed his hat and, with the bow
of a cOurtier, sang out after our fl ling
squad:
"Perdonemen, amigos; pere he tenido
eI diablo con este tofo" ("Your pardon,
my friends; but am having devil of
time with this bull!'1
And with such winsome incidents and
enlivening happenings We drew near
Don 1anuel's home with the night; for
as the tropic stars began to pulse and
glow We were its twinkling Lights behind
million lesser fire fly sparklinZs set in the
ample shadows beneath laurels cocoa
trees and majestic royal palms.
THE COAL BUSINESS IS PROSPEROUS.
The Western Coal Dealera' association
has just 1eld meeting at Cleveland,
Ohio. About eight hundred dealers were
present, representing the coal interests
of Pi:tsburg. Ths executive committee
represented tina. the coal busi-
ness Is in prosperous condi-
ton. That the coal business IS in a
prosperous condition." will be cheer
ing item of news to the millions of con-
sumers who are paying two prices for
every ton of coal they nae II henta the