Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-28
HOME OF THE CUBAN.
READABLE INTERVIEW WITH Mr.. EL-
LETT ABOUT THE ieLAND.
The People Idle and ThriftIess but Heavi-
ly Taxed-Churehes Have No Pows-
Habits and Customs.

NHS kNhhNbtAh nuNA po1~'1 w. H-N~-Ac -
the snug little Office of his feed store. before
a very comfortable stove and seemed to be
thoroughly happy. still more comforts-
BILE cat lay stretched upon the floor and
added to the coziness of the scene.
Mr.. Elicit, accompanied by his wife and
daughter, Miss Carrie, reached this city
yesterday morning on the Atlantic-Coast-
Line train, after an interesting trip OF over
two weeks which embraced the principal
cities of Florida, and also Havana, Cuba.
The object of their visit TO the latter city
was to attend the dedication OF the First
Baptist church, which took place there on
the 18th of the month.
11th," said Mr.. Elicit and first went to
Tampa. Florida, whence We took the boat
for Cuba. While in the CITY referred to
we stopped at the Tampa Bay Hotel which
was recently opened and built according
10 the Plant system
This lie perhaps the most magnificent
hotel have ever seem" Mr.. Elicit said,
" and, II anything, Like il even better than
the Ponce de Leon. The bric-d-brdo on the
establishment alone cost $500, GOO"
INTO LAND OF oRANGE-BLossoMs.
From Tampa Mr.. Elicit and his family
took the steamer 0liyette (there is another
DOdb on tQb same llut Ctdftu but haotOlbtJs
and after stopping about five hours at Key
West sailed to Cuba-s land where every
zephyr il laden with the perfumes from the
orange-groyes, as Claude Melnotte would
have said.
Strictly speaking, however, Mr.. Elicit
and his family did not land directly in
Cuba, for the steamer was not allowed to
come into the port, but, according to the
laws of the island, was met by dozens OF
small row-boats which landed the passen-
gers. The laws of Cuba require much
the harbor, and ships are not allowed to
land at all except between sunrise and
sunset.
I've were taken to the shore in these
little boats" said Mr.. Elicit, land then
met by vehicles which transported US to
the hotel. The price for this transporta-
tion was 81 50, which, all things consid-
cred, is exceedingly high.
A THIcKLY-PoPULATED ISLAND.
CUBA" continued the speaker, 81 is
about 500 miles long and from 20 to 1So
miles broad. The population of the island
is !, 800, 900, and of this number there are
900 in Havana. We found most luxu1
rant vegetation and fruits and beautiful
palm-trees of every description. were
growing in profusion. All sorts OF vege-
tables and fruits were in the markets, such
as watermelons, tomatoes, snaps, and fresh
peas. The oranges here, by the way, are ham
died by the carloads Just as we do pota-
toes and the market-men use shovels IN
moving them back and forth. VI course
all of these things sell very cheap.
~ visited pineapple grove, and Whhe
there went into the house of one OF the ma
tives. 1t was built principally Of the bark
from palm-trees and fastened together with
the smaller fbres. The floors were of red
clay, and there WAS q curious-looklng cook
iug-ranQe. but no chimney to the house, as
only charcoal is burned. The principal
food of the natives are the fruits, and they
cook very little except rice"
TIE NEGROES IN HAVANA.
"Are there many negroes in the city?
asked the reporter.
Il understand that there are great
many of them. and that they practically
rule the island.
About one half Of the population are
negroes, but they are by no means on
equality with the whites. They are ex-
ceedingly lazy. as is nearly everybody else
on the island, and they speak broken
Spanish which sounds very pretty. Every
one speaks Spanish, and you rarely hear
English except at the hotels. The working
people 90 almost without any clothes at
all, simply wearing thin gauze shirt,
trousers, and slippers with the heels turn
ed in"
now THEY oBsEBySTHE SABBATH.
Mr.. Fllet, like certain other Richmond
ers who recently visited celebrated
southern city. was considerably horrlhed
at the manner in which the people OF
Havana desecrate the Sabbath.
SUNDAY is not observed in the least
with them. " he said. although as this is
Lent they did not have any bull-hghts
while | was there. This is usually the
popular recreation on that day..
ION the afternoon of the Sunday we
were there, however, there was an immense
chiIdren's ball, and thousands of the little
ones attended it. They also had carnival
on the Sabbath, and great PROCESSION, IN
which there were 1000 vehicles. The per-
sons riding all wore masks, and the carnival
lasted from 8 10 7.oelock. After this they
had sixteen balls at night at different
places in tho CITY. mostly at the theatres"
IDLE. THRIBTIEss. AND IRRELIGIoUs.
MIR. Elicit, In speaking of the Span
iards. or in other words the citizens OF Hs-
vana, said that their policy seemed TO be
never to do to-day what could be put on
until tomorrow. The people, however.
are not so much to be blamed, as they are
taxed for almost every conceivable thing.
and all their money goes TO the State and
the Church. Even the guests who come
to the hotels have TO pay tax OF ten
cents. This wretched system OF govern
ment necessarily throws damper on
every enterprise and causes the people to
be utterly careless and lacking in anbl-
ton. Owing 70 the frequent insurrectlons
on the island standing army OF $4,000
men is kept constantly on hand. and II 10
for the support of these soldiers that a
large share of these peoples money Is
used. o..
" Nearly all of the better class of citi-
Zens," continued MI. Elicit, are inhdels,
and thev have no religion whatever; ms
lack of faith is caused by the fact that the
neonIe are so unjustly burdened TO sup
port the churches, and seeing tins as they
do il IS natural that they should be some
what lacking in piety.
THE churches of Havana, by the way,
added Mr.. Elicit, "are very curlously
built, and they do not seem TO have any ser
vices at all. for | saw no pews. The people
simply 90 in and kneel for short whhe
and then come out. The negroes perform
their religious devotions along WITH the
white people. as there - no special space
set aside for them"
HAVANA NOT METROPOLITAN CITY.
Does there seem TO be much enter
prise and energy among the business peo-
Die of Havana" asked the reporter.
None whatever" replied Mr.; Elicit,
land, as have said before, the Cubans are
exceedingly lazy and good-for .nothing.
They have no energy whatever. The
streets are exceedingly narroT and dirty,
in many instances being only eighteen feet
wide while the houses are built very close
together. Some OF the walk-ways are only
three feet wide. Vehicles passing on the
street have TO go down one way and come
up the other, not being able to turn.
THE sTREET-CAR SERVICE.
Are the street-car facilities in Havana
good?"
yes. very good The fare is the same
as il is here. The cars are drawn by three
horses, two being hitched together and
one in front of them"
why do they have three horses!" was.
the next inquiry from the newspaper
THE animals there seem to be smaller
than they are here, and | suppose they
think that for this reason they must have
more.
"You ought to see the way they curry
horses down there continued Mr.. Euett
laughing; lit struck me particularly.
They place as many as fifteen horses be
hind each other in single file and then
fasten them together. tying the tail OF the
first horse TO the head of tho second one