Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-08-04
q AINT SIGHTS IN tTEl.
PECULIAR ROADS AND CURIOUS
CUSTOMS on THE ISLANDS
hospitality of the People pol4te
ness. Good Teeiin. and Religion
offee. Cigars and Mind " hes

Coffee. Cigars and kind " i>he-,
l9eSf rihln- some # the qnain, s.9hts<
witnessed on trlr through uba= q
core poudent Of the Worcester
>ts, We tfo~sel tVo rivers oa out-
aarn"E. tie SO III Gaaratfe, where t,,t
massive unfinished arche, told ~ I'll
'psnd.d Improvements underway q gu4r
ter nf century ago and the l.lp aua
hose margins for le4-,les br.stl- " tn
Md cane, from which whistles. la>kc =
aud bird cages are mad Tor the Havana
markets, when We left the lower shor,
sie region for the upland district FL
the whole distance on evcry han wcf,
t'owcr- and luNuriant verdurc broNca
ONLY ~ the cleared grounds abollalawl,
aai once noble hacjendas and the
reaches of cultivated fields Of The e>t4u-
Gas, or plantations, devoted 70 gonoral
farming. onc could see from The road
side alone anones. II amoncllos, man
9ots, guar abanaS, nisperoS, cultivated
and Wild oranges, tanarlnds ha
nanas, carm9tos, mdmmees. zapota and
plneapple~, While the stately star II
Bethlehem, The mi@nonette, the vlnca
the golden asmnc, the hibiscus.
the gaIen de noche he tamin..
tlamboyant, The star cactus the CaroIinl
tree, the campanile the Cherokee. Narc
chtl Neil and cape rose. the jacque III not
lonquiI and lilies Of the valley, the uild
pea, honcysuckle and hcIiotropc, and
myriads more of the almost unnamoahls
flora IF Cuba, ia zlcd the eye with color
ana filled the air with matche,s fra4
rance. But true to the bitter contrasts
everywhere noticeable in the island. the
road itself 81, exc rable beyond dcscrlp-
ton.
They are all alike. Though usually
inclosed, as are the American country
roads, they are utterly impossible for
any manner Of vehicles Indeed no
vehicles are used in Cuba, save in the
large cities. In this region, agriculture
ally the richest portion of the island the
needs Acknowledgements upon hundreds
Of great plantations and Trinidad have
been met by Snackmgs" on the backs Of
ponies and mules for over 200 XcaiS
and during one fourth of tho time the
road are altogether impossible. Every
sack Of coffee, every pound of food e. cry
article of furniture. has always been
''packcd back and forth in this Shift
The roads crook and turn to avoid
] obstacles Just as the Culiar will do six
j days labor to avoid one .'Bcware tile
! pantanos," was the warning from every
/ tongue throughout the Gay. Ihcs,,
| '.rantano>' are sinks in the clay SOIL
whore one animal will plunge from per-
] fectly solid footing fairly out Of sight
We rescued five animals so mined with
their muddy rannier, and packs, for
! dolorouS and -ra'etul plIgr,lns during
! the day. The "nantano~' are lad
! enough, hut the descchos tntcialty. Ic-
iuSals, ayoidaucc~l are worse. These
/ are always cut around impassabe places
involving careful riding through bog
and iungics. and not infre4uent -oin-S
aetray IN the dense forests.
The fences OF these remarkable
roads are euriou, affairs Frequently
! they are Of the spanish b1yonct ana tire
hemequen with breai leaf and harhc
point SIX inches long. strong enough 10
mpalc hor~e. Again. strlIs of stone
fence Will be seen. Some are of the
pima tie ration Or bastard pine apple tree.
But the larger number are Of pinonc-
| b0tiia. Green limbs are cut from tins,
and when thrust ln.the ground grow n
>tantly and luXurIously }ctWccn the
hranchc. the veiuco De aurarlla. ]
hardy vine, i planted. ThiS neaHes, il
self Though and through the hedge in
all manner Of fantastic and tightening
freaks: AMI ~ it bears a lovely purpe
blossom. this fence Is alway~ srr kin.ly
beautiful 10 the eye
The OVERLOOKING hospitality of AL