, 1888-02-05

$500 N~6 @ISA
Against this den crowds a great cafe
whose antique splendor of appointment
is surprising in richness and design. Next
this you are likely to find the stall of a
Zapatero or shoemaker, who upon his
rawhide scat, and in no other light than
that struggling in from the street aper.
ture, hammers away unconscious Of his
odd surroundings, keeping time in work
to some rollicking contradanza he is
whistling. Next HIM may be found a
quaint little casa de Gambia or money
changers box, not six feet square where
thousands of dollars daily change hands.
A blank wall like a prison, may follow. 1t
has one little entrance. Peering within.
you will see a splendid entrada, and be-
yond court, gallery, corridor, and count
less objects OF tropic beauty in bird, plant
aud flower. The whole interior is a maze
of color, sound, and ~sceneful grouping, for
here a score of Cuba's great factor,
agents, bankers or commission houses
will be found. And SO, on and on winds
the narrow street, here a shop, there a
home, here a palace, there a hovel; while
from the ~overhanging balconies a thous.
and halt-caught scenes OF mingled bust,
ness and home life greet the eye and con-
seriousness with rare suggestiyeness, pic,
t~uresqueness and color. Nor is this a 1.-THE
of the interest and charm of a Havana
street. There are nowhere else such
strange contrasts in diversity OF race and
condition. In Il half hours time types OF
nearly every living peoples, and living
illustrations of every possible condition in
life will pass before you. Nearly every
powerful nation has It's man-of-war in Ha.
vana harbor m winter. Their officers and
man fit to and fro on errands of duty or
quests OF pleasure. Every shade of ne
gro blood can be traced in n thousand
faces in that time. Every type of the
Asiatic group Of humans troop before
you, The American types are all here,
from the quickly-made millionaire to the
quickly ruined millionaire, the humble
tourist and arrogant tramp. Travel in all
Spain-lands of the continent and you will
discover no truer types of Spanish women
or men; while all the innumerable shades
of Cuban color and caste are here pre-
sented for study.
The shops and cafes of Havana are
surely more bright and interesting than
those of any other city. Among the
shops you will find no great establish
ments covering n half acre of ground,
half a dozen stories high, and giving one
a feeling of despair to enter; but they are
all one floor, high, cool, pretty, and many
ladies have n habit of shopping from their
carriages, to which the pleasant clerks OF
chivalrous proprietors bring for inspection
and purchase any article desired. In
America 1t is the endless effort OF mer-
chants to get goods of every possible de-
scription under one roof. Here, the shops
as a rule are more characteristic and in
lIVIluaHgn1 hpn p,nr,lnat 1,,l- -,
silks and trimmings; another only in vel
vets and velvetcens; another may show
superb lines of linen; another sells cotton
and print alone; all manner Of laccs &C.
| cup!es the attention of other merchants:
and rarely will you find the general notion
store so common with us. So, too, out.
side of the textile fabrics these divisions
are vigorously observed. photographer
is not AN artist; bronze goods do not
include pottery; the ieweler sells jewelry,
not watches or clocks; the woodenware,
ironware and basketware merchants. are
not each all the others; and wine mer-
chants do not sell soap.
In all these shops there is richness and
taste, but not obtrusiveness, in display;
and from one end of the city to another,
the neatness, brightness, lightness and
llhN VI llt supp lOIlu Dlutu Vi
Havana attractivcness. All this, too, is
in despite of an architecture hat would
preclude delicate arrangement among n
more stolid people. But the Spaniard
and Cuban both possess Just enough eff
fominacy to make a dainty nest out of an
old ruin anywhere. Again, the dress of
merchants, statesmen and the most mental
helpers nlls to the pleasing effect of the
shop. Nearly all are attired in linen,
pure white or in dainty stripes. The
white necktic is universal, and it is re-
ircshiug to thus sec it. 1t is a clean
thing, too. They are only pretentlous OF
s~lovenly who ~relegate it anywhere to the
use of full dress, the clergy, or the waiter.
Let us have more white, and less funeral
black or barbarlc co'ored designs, about
male American neck.
Many statesmen are clad only in patent
leather CATERS, silk hose and pure linen
trousers and shirts; but these are spOtless.
Indeed the Cub9ns are the ]cleaDcst people
regarding their dress | ever knew. A
stevedOrc will load mOlasses on Il vessel a
week, and you can hardly find a spot upon
his white suit when saturday night comes.
Somehow your sense OF propriety is not
offended when you see cash boys, GRAND
boys, and helpers OF all sorts in
skin-tight, loosely woven cotton shirts,
and as airy brooches and slippers.
Often, too, for a change, here will stand
three or four negroes, packers or boxers
or something OF the sort, with bare feet,
spoticss white trousers held by n gay
sash, and with naked, cleaning
waists, arms and shoulders. But
they all fit ~maryclously into these shop
scenes, aud nobody iuints away but an oc-
c]asional visitor out of those few wonderful
American womcn who are naturally horri-
fed at this, but whose tea party fortitude
is equal to assisting in stripping character
TO the skin-aEd under it.
One class you will miss in Cuba-not
only in shops. but everywhere clse-is the
women workers. The most sensible and
often the haudsomest of women can be
found occupying places of trust in Ameri-
can mercantile establishments and offices.
In all Havana but one place is noticed
whore white women are employed. This
is at a moliste's on Gale dc OEispo; and
these are a scroggy lot indeed. Women
in Cuba are ladies, washerwomcn, or demi-
monde, Shopping is done by the fair