The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1891-03-13
pecial Cor. STATE CHRoSLCLE.b

the Traditions OF that Tropical Island
Pictured.
special Cor STATE CHRoSIcLE.l
HlyAyA, Cuba, March 3, 1891 =
When. in the carly part of March, man
can sic upon the balcony OF his hotel,
barefo5ted and wearing but two gar
merits, and enjoy a strong breeze from
the Calf of Mexico, can recline IN
rocking chair and lazily dream away the
hours in those delightful reveries which
come from genuine Henry Clay Ha-
yana eigar upon an investment of only
four cents. clu sit at the dinner table in
mid winter and see around him fresh
from tie garden every varie'vo OF fruit
and vaglt4nls that he las evet seen or
heard oj ath many more hitherto az.
known 10 MIN; can sweetly sleep through
the ptSat upon bed OF stretched can
vas, e d strong draft, covered With only
lighJ sheet, aud never take cold can
enjoy - ut btp ai Che year round eau
listen 40 .a, d, .tt> 4 TIC gnlt nd
the Shreuy voice OF tap ipy,ly 81 a.tf..
Throughout the entire night il tae III 'po.
light OF he placid bay-THAT IS CUBA.
1.-THE Qle-u of the Antilles.
Imitation of the Currency.
One ot the things which most interests
Z visitor to Havana, and it is also about
the frs, thing with which he mnst be-
come familiar, is the currency question.
Spanish gold is the basis of money val
oes, but paper is universally the cur
rancy, and therefore prices are made to
suit this deprecated currency. A Span
i5h paper dollar is worth just forty cents
in Uuited States greenbacks, or Spanish
gold. tor 5000 greenoack We set in
exchange for current use ST. 60 IN
Spanish paper" and we feel that We
have been made rich by the exchange
until we begin to make some little pur-
chlses, and then the $12 go seems
really to "take wings and fly away"
The Cuited states dime is here cur
roIt Ter - cts and "the dollar of our
dollars" will buy So so worth of notes
issued by the Queen of Spain's bank
We bargut a pretty Spanish fan with
pictures of the bull fight for $50 cts
So uish .0ld. We handed the dealer :
&l.0D 4l .3nbacE aud he gave us the far
anil 81 90 spanish bill in exchange
Ho.el charges seem high at $40 per day
uldl YOU learn that the $40. represent
only 81 90
Lisa ,ery low rate of board wher
we cone Ter the elegant accommodation
given, and the further fact that ever!
b .rrel Of American flour that is landed
at Havana pays tariff .of s4.25 in gold
Al oth.r ureaastuffS and meats iron
tie Uu cd STATES are taxed Ia ChiS pro
portion
The Home OF the Caban.
Havana is clean city, and, contrar.
TO the opinion of many people who hav
never been here, it is very health,
citv. Ii is true that there ar
always some cases of yellow few
er here--it is here now-but ther
is not much danger in it as in our ma
laria. Even when the fever is callet
epidemic in the summer the doctors her
cure NINETY FIVE per cent of the Cases
Yellow fever is not so fatal here as
bilious fever in the United States. Thes
people have dread OF the typhoid feye
of "The states, but yellow fever give
them no more alarm than simple colds
The sanitary arrangements Of the cit
abundant and the quality is very fine
The water for drinking is brought to tn
city in pipes from mountain strear
thirty miles distant. 1t is as clear a
crystal and absolutely free from all in
purties. American companies have ic
factories here and supply first elias
article FOR 81 so in gold per ton. A
American company is now putting in
new system of water works for the cit
under nice little contract at 81 900, 90
in gold.
The streets of the city are Ions
straight and very narrow. Most Of th
principal business streets are less tina
twenty feet wide from wall to wall an
the store awnings cover the entire stree
The sidewalks are from 10 to 80 incht
wide and pedestrians step from the sid
walk in passing one another. FIR
uuently, in walking on the narrow sid
walk we almost touch the luscious lii
of a Cuban belle who happens to
looking out from an opening in b.
house like hole in the wall
These narrow streets have their a
yantages in hot climates, being alwa
shaded by the buildings, thus doil
away with the necessity of an umbrell
The streets upon which the dwelling
are located present the very unattracti
appearance of solid walls, their enti
length, with frequent heavy ced
doors, and iron. barred windows tigt
ly closed by shutters on the i
side. We are inclined to think th
that nobody is at home, but an occasion
peep through one of those doors whi
may be ajar reveals the cosiest of home
beautifully furnished Rich and ra
tropical plants adorn the halls and pass
ges while the large open court with
the walls is filed with bright famel
palm, cocoanut and orange trees in su
profusion that we seem to be lookil
into soRe lovely and enchanted RE
DEN0Is of the fairies. The women spel
s--T .oo?r time in those delightful courts a
thore th, children play instead OF on t
haTlU The houses are all built of brick
- The roofs are Of tiling and
stone' Goors are rr' all of marble or tiling. Th
nooae .Sere is a. hut little need for a fire depa
mont and bultrang strange Su sight lsH to to the
SUa,S Sena as "a bull fight would .r De IN ha'e''