Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-03-26
ABROAD.
Josiah Roller Writes an Interesting
Letter from the Tropics.
HARANA. CuRA Marnh 14 1ea

+ FRIENDS: All is well.here vyith a ver,
pleasant sea breeze blowing through al
atmosphere of so degrees. This is nov
my 9Th. day in Cuba and being at leis
ure will make few comments on my
observations. After leaving TampS
Bay, Florida, on the steamer Mascot. j
made this point after pleasant voyage
OF 80 hours, stopping at Keywest in the
night. This town has 100000 peonle
half Spanish and the balance Negroes
and foreigners. 1t is surrounded on
one side by river and gulf; on the other
by high elevations on which are some
of the finest forts have ever seen; they
are, think. second to Gibralter for To-
cation and are manned by artillery oil
the latest make. One fort actually has
a garrison of 400. They number seven
in all and are about impregnable. Ma
ny citizens expect some day to annex
Cuba to the United States; and I do not
blame them as they are large consum-
ers. Duty on bbl. of flour is $5.I5,
with many other necessities at a like
rate.
Habana can boast of its architecture.
The city buildings are of stone with
3-ft. walls occupying whole squares, the
inside consisting of courts, almost all
Spanish in style. The sidewalks are
quite narrow but straight and at right
angles. The frequent plazas are filled
with monuments, palm trees, shrubs
and flowers. The city is well supplied
with street cars drawn by three horses;
also their is no dearth of buses, the
price being but 20 cents for ride about
the city. For heavy transportation, the
finest oxen, weighing from 30, 900 to 35,
600 to the pair are used; hitched to a
heavy cart,a feet wide with yokes back
of their horns, they move great burdens.
The Spaniards here are darker than in
their native country. Ladies &c with
out head d-dress. Fine stores, coffee-hous-
es and shops are plentiful; wine is cheap
and the peopleare not slow in recogniz-
ing the fact. Many lottery tickets are
sold and vice of all kinds is not lacking,
especially among the Negroes.
l made one trip to the count nv and
saw them planting, plowing and har-
vesting. They say they can plant and
mature corn in any season, and it is of
good quality, producing fair crops.
The country people build skeleton
hoNcOSS AOOl UhCiA VIII pdlILl lGdNSS dLu
side them with bark from the same tree
making structure quite low, with the
appearance of having been sided with
raw-hide. The family generally con-
sists Of one or two house dogs, an old
goat, two kids and children without
cumbersome of them dressed rather
briefly.
Montansa is an old Spanish town of
$4,000 people, and has little note for
a cave some two miles from the coast.
Yesterday, | went to another sugar
plantation and found it in fine shape;
it is a mammoth affair having ali the |
latest improvements and turning out
10, 500 lbs. daily. Also went to a pine-
apple and banana plantation which
looked to us novel affair, The bana-
ma plant resembles a sunfiower plant
and is very fragrant. The pineapple
plant is planted in rows like the sweet
potato.
! am making money here. / sold
ten dollar bill(U.S. moDey)for $500 in
Cuban currency. They are all anxious
for American money or Spanish gold;
their own currency has but few friends,
yet they are>compelled to use it.
1t is now 5 o'clock and have Just re-
turned from cock fight which was ex-
citing and viewed with as much inter-
est as Spanish bull fight. 1t is not on
such an extensive scale but conducted
with as much order. I also saw some |
fine chickens. They are very plucky
and fight until one or the other dies, be- |
ing equipped with fine artificial steel
spurs. Very often death occurs in short
meter. One was killed by the first |
blow and the conqueror stood over the
enemy, growing and spurr-
ing the dead fowl to the great enthu-
siasm of the spectators. The betting
and confusion in the cockpit equalled
that of the Chicago wheat-pit.
Returned to hotel at O'Clock to at
tend banquet given by the lanlord in
honor of the baptism of his child, all
his special friends and guests of the ho-
tel being invited AS [ write these few
lines the orchestra is rendering some
excellent music in the parlor and the
guests are indulging in a merry dance.
Wednesday sail by the Ward line
If steamers, and expect to arrive in We
"a Cruz, Sunday. JOSIAH KoLLER