The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-04-10

white sand and the blazing sun falling
thereon, affects the eyesight of the Ameri
cans very sensitively, although the beauti-
full senoritas 60 trippingly along the streets
without parasol or umbrella, with their
heads covered only with blacE or white
lace mantillas. They powder their faces
protusely, and that is all the protection
they seem to think their complexion needs.
The better or higher class of Cubans are
very particular as to the refinement and
chastity of their daughters. The mother
at no time allows her daughter to be alone
with her adorer. In the parlor paternal
presence is there to observe the loving
look or catch the affectionate avowal On
the streets the mother accompanies the
couple, walking between them with punct.
ual fcotsteps, as happy as any prospective
mother.in-law could be.
The residences have their inner courts.
and the owners carriage is usually to be
seen inside Of the front entrance, while the
windows are all iron latticed and barred to
keep out intruders The pretty senoritas,
with flashing eyes, are kept in retirement
and can only be seen as they peep out from
behind lace curtains between the bars, or
while out riding in the afternoons in the
family carriages.
The dairy system Of selling and deliver
ing milk is little different from what we
see in Marietta or Atlanta. In Havana on
every street you will see early in the
morning and late in thd afternoon, small
droves of cows and calves, each muzzled
being driven from house to house, where
the cow is stripped of her milk and the
lacteal fluid delivered to the customer in
tin cups, warm and fresh, the calf allowed
to suckle at the proper time to induce
copious flow of milk. This custom has
the advantage over our American system
in that the customer can see the healthy
condition of the COW, know the milk is
fresh and not watered.
Every morning the military drill takes
| place on Padro street in front of Pasaie
Hotel, the hotel where our party stopped
This hotel has three English speaking
clerks, who prove great help as interpre>
ters between their guests and the carriage
drivers They keep down extortion. for
the Cubans fleece foreigners on every
hand by charging double what they do
one Of their own people.
One of the veiy interesting places we
visited while ir Havana was az immense
cigar and cigarette factory where proba,
bly, 1000 men, women and girls were max
ing cigars and cigarettes with deft fingers.
In one crowded room of several hundred
operatives, a man is employed to read
aloud some book of fiction or history.
The hands are each assessed ten cents per
week to defray ike salary OF this reader,
making his salary probably about $50 per
week in American money. The earnings
of these operatives are fiom SIS, $lS to
$25 and $50 per week.
A visit to MORO Castle, fortress sever
al centuries old, built on rock that
frowns over the gulf at the entrance to
the hsrbor of Havana, is one of the inter-
esting places that every visitor ought to
make who goes to Havana. The fort is
garrisoned by large body Of Spanish SOL
diers while mounted Krupp guns Of inn
mense bore and calibre protrude over the
thick walls on revolving carriages. ready
to sweep the Gulf at moments warning.
1t commands the Gulf with advantageous
heavy artillery and the fort appears i'm.
pregnable in its present condition.
although the English demolished one side
of it in 1862. 1t would take dynamite
bombs to demolish it now.
Another noticeable thing, oxen are
made to draw heavy wagons by their
horns, the yoke being tied on the front
and, fastened with ropes to their horns,
and with unbending necks they push with
| their heads.
Pack horses are made to carry very
heavy loads of country produce.
The narrow streets, have still narrower
sidewalks. In many places, the sidewalks,
admit of only one pedestrian at time,
and if two persons meet, one must step
aside into the street.
The penitentiary in Cuba contains 1870
convicts, 500 of whom are negroes, the
rest are divided up among the native
Cubans and other nationalities, John Chs
namen icing well represented, while an
occasional American is found.
Three thousand one horse carriages,
drawn by ponies, are kept going all over
the city. Whites and blacks are good
patrons of these vehicles, and the feet of
the ponies are kept pattering on the
Belgian paved streets all day until late
hour at night, although street cars are run
on many Of the principal streets.
The imitation of the currency shows it.
self in the depreciation OF Spanish paper
money, which is exchanged at $3.50 for