Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-07
In rythmic staecato with bits OF hard WOOD, or
bone, upon the edge OF his tempting Dox-
sArIsEYING INTELLECTUAL HrNGER.

In rythmic staccato with bits OF hard wood, or
bone, upon the edge OF his tempting box
SATISFYING INTELLECTUAL HUNGER.
A singular evidence OF the aspiration toward en-
lightenment under difculties In any land Is In an
odd class OF folk / have discovered here In Ha-
vana. Books in Cuba are few and costly. There
are not as much news and miscellany In any sin
gle issue OF Havana newspaper as are given in
three columns OF any American daily. But tne IN
tellecjuaI hunger must De satisned ana mere
have grown out OF these conditions large num-
Der of lecrOrs or readerS. These go from one snop
10 another, and often from house TO house among
the lowly, and read and comment upon the lnslg-
nificant worlds news which the nieless papers &C.
casionaly print. They are well paid; for, as they
must roar like mad bulls In their readings so that
an itch the precious words they soon lose their
voices altogether. In the full tide OF his prosper
1ty, or certain decay the Cuban ector Is as stern
and pOmpou5 as the American actor.
TIE LAvESDERAs OR wAsHERwoNRN
OF Havana are a brave, hard-workiDg class. They
are chiefly negro women or mestizos in all the
varying shades. Many OF these carry on quite q
little business in the quaint patios OF the lower
quarters. Among their help will be found old
African women with the tribal brands upon their
blue-olack jaws; Chinese coolies, withered TO
skin and bone; handsome muiatto girls; and, not
infrequently, deeayed and forlorn whites-all liv-
good nature. Among these iavenderas is re-
markaOle character named Louise. Louise" Is a
mulatto, born and bred In st. Thomas. Her
mother was a black woman, and her father a rich
Danish cOnSignee at Charlotte Amalie. II You are
much about the vessels and bay here you will
world where she Is unknown. She is the only
human being In Cuba who conducts a bust-
ness as a monopoly without dividing the
captain entering Havana dare attempt clearing
without paying tribute 10 her She does the wash
Ing for all, and woe be TO him who attempts TO
divert trade from her. She Is over six feet high,
spare and square, with wonderful turban on ner
head and en- expression OF scorn on her face she
vessel has scarcely passed Moro castle before she
Is Sc In her own guadafio alongside the craft In
advance Oh The customs officials. getting the first
news and particulars IL Is said she can tell you the
name OF every vessel that has entered the harbor
for the last twenty years, Its tonnage, It's home
port, It's master and its trade, and Is IN as much
demand Tor information and advice at the
wharyeS and .-mong the shipping interests as old
Gonzales, the richest ship-chandler In the world,
himself.
MULE AND oX-CARTs.
There are several thousand mule and ox-carts In
and about Havana. You cannot find in Cuba q
dTay or four-wheeled wagon. This cuban cart Is
literally a great affair. The wheels are frequently
10 feet IN diameter, the feloeS inches broad and
as thick, the spokes as big as your leg, and the
hub like a half-bushel basket. Many are covered
like the old s'emlyrant- wagons: great rush
pouches bangle from beneath; ana the shafts are
together larger than the little mules entire body.
tremendous load IS piled upon this cart, and
benignly pefched upon that Is your cuban carre-
tonero or cartman, with shirt rolled TO the Shoul-
ders, vide linen DreecheS, SpraWllng slippers ana,
despite the sun, a Jaunty cap OF red or blue, no
larger than and precisely the shape OF null
grown mushroom. The caps tell the nationality.
Those wearing red ones are from Navarro, while
the BiscayanS are invariably told Dy the blue.
Where bulls driven instead OF mules. as in all
the heaviest freighting, the cartmen are called
bOyerOS. The latter are CubanS or canary
Islanders. But all these Swarthy cartmen are the
Jolliest of humans: eat Gargantuan meals OF soup
ana vegetables in the low bodegones; leave their
animals at night In yards in the care OF Stabiemen
and repair to the cheap cafes over In the san La
faro quarter, where they smoke, drink, play the
guitar, and sing the provincial songs or Old spain
until the midnight challenges OF the centtnelas
echo from the grim parapets OF La Punta fort hard
by. But Ia all these lowly tOilers, and those or
score more classes could describe, there Is rare
and winSOne good humOr, which am led TO believe
is not all surface radiation. IL is difficult 10 draw
the line between sunny kindlineSS and kindly sun.
ninesS in people. AS ready as one may be TO
doubt motive IN the presence OF a universal good
nature bordering on levty, there are here certain
proofs OF certain tenderness behind these smiles.
And tenderness never fails OF close alliance with
goodness. EDGAR L. WAKExAN.