Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-02-21
CARNIVAL DAY IN CUBA.
MANNER OF FEAST MAKING IN THE
QUEEN OF THE ANTILLES.

sanday-Havana Beauties Far Inferior
tsz.-One PeI Nell Rush.
Carnival day in Cuba is a great event,
and the holiday season in the United
States is tame in comparison with it. 1t
is celebrated as sort of church festival.
1t seemed strange in this Catholic coun-
try to awaken Sunday morning and find
the whole city on the qui vive of expec-
tation and of busy preparation for a
carnival. The day was beautiful, the
heat of tropical sun being tempered
by fresh breeze, and the weather not
uncomfortable until midday. The stores
were open, the cafes were swarming
with people, and there was an air of
general enjoyment all over the place. A
little after 4 o'clock in the afternoon
word was passed that the procession was
coming, and, occupying seat overlook
ing the beautiful plaza, we remained for
three hours watching the merry makers
as they passed. All classes and condi-
tions mingled in the parading throng;
men, women and children, the high and
low, the rich and poor, all seemed
equally intent upon having sport. There
was no particular attempt at masquer-
ade. A few ladies wore dominoes and
masks. The great bulk of women sat
in open carriages, bonnetless and dressed
in full evening attire.
The procession was a queer one. Fol-
lowing one another there were a mag
nificent four-in-hand, owned by a rich
planter; a carriage seating two, which
could be hired for the occasion for a
couple of dollars; magnificent tandem;
a splendid horse hitched singly to an ele-
CANT carriage, all resembling the better
class of turnouts you have in tho United
States, and horses, harness and vehicles
all coming from there.
The Spanish women are said to be
beautiful. fail to see it when they are
compared with American women. They
are slight of frame, with sallow COM
plexions and covered beyond recognition
with powder and paint. The effort Of
Spanish ladies seems to be tomake their
artificial adornments as conspicuous as
possible. There were some seductive
types Of beauty that were unexception-
able. Yet after three hours gazing upon
the high and low, the elite, middle class
and common people, the percentages Of
women that would strike the American
eye as comparing favorably with the
fresh, vigorous, natural womanly beauty
Of Uncle Sans daughters were exceed-
ingly small.
If there were hustle, gayety and revelry
among the people Of this Cuban metropo-
lis in the day time, what can be said Of
the night? In the sunlight there was q
stream Of fashion, wealth and poverty
that mingled in the procession, which
bewildered and perplsxed one who re-
vered the Sabbath. The night cannot be
described. None of those who partici-
pated in the parade seemed to have gone
home at night. When the gas was lighted
it flashed upon beautiful scene of ladies
in full dress driving about the plaza, or
sitting quietly in their carriages listening
to the strains of music that issued from
hundred places where dancing and
jollity ruled the hour. Men, women and
children swarmed the streets and plazas,
all vyin~ with each other in unseemly
strui 10: , u4joy themselves. The Tacon
theatre, the fourth largest opera house
in the world, was floored over, and this,
on Sunday night, was given over to the
demi monde, who crowded in and out
upon its spacious floor, enjoying the las
civious DANA, or supping wine or coffee
in the adjoining cafes. Not one hundred
rods away the wealth and style of Havana
gathered in the Casino, the swell club of
the place, and there danced and reveled
until after day dawned. Strains of music
pouring from the windows of almost
every hall in the city told of other private
balls.
Over the finest cafe in Havana, not
one hundred feet from the Tacon theatre,
the native Cubans Of low degree grasped
each other and danced until breathless
,...h CSci'ement or fatigue. Further
down the e,.e1s few negro servants
enjoyed themselves in a like manner.
People here seem to dance for enjoy
ment. They do it with ease and grace,
res..ns at intervals, and never indulging
in the hurly-burly waltz around the room,
10 liiey do in the United States. Look
ing at tine native dance from all the
points of view of society and morals,
could not help but wonder what our
American mothers would say if they
could witness the merry spectacle of a
Cub,n bail, whether the participants be
hign or ioT. / opcnt several hours in
vestigating all the phases of society as
seen in Caba on this festive occasion,
and the affair was kept up long after
had tired of what had seen. | wish
had noticed more to commend, but
must confess that society, like every
thing else in Cuba, seems to be demoral-
lied. 1t seems to me to be one pell nell
rush, regardless of proprieties or reli-
gious obligations.
Here the church has all power 1t is
part of the state, and levies its taxes
upon the people and enforces the collec-
tion of the same by law. 1t is said that
ten thousand priests and church at
tendants are quartered upon this mill
ion and half of people, and yet re-
ligion seems to sit more lightly upon
these volatile southerners than any other
race of which have knowledge. No one
here save the women appears to have
much respect for their religious oblipa-