The Newtown bee., 1892-03-18


 car Kennel, which formed part of the W. I. F. M. train leaving Jersey City at m, February l, 1892, was a congenial party of six, en route for Cuba. l will not finger over the ride to St. Augustine, Florida, which place was reached on the evening of the second day. We stopped while there at the Ponce and spent the time until Thursday in looking at the sights of this oldest city in the United States. Thursday morning, we went over to Palatka, took small tug boat across the St. Johns river, which at this point is quite wide and visited Griffins orange grove. Here we saw oranges, lemons, tangerines, mandarins and grape fruit in profusion and ate oranges from the trees. What sight is more beautiful than an orange tree loaded with it's fruit? After a fine dinner at the Put nam house, we went through two of the packing houses and saw them assort and prepare the oranges for shipment. At } 30, we boarded the fast mail and, at 9 in the evening, reached Tampa bay, where, with our baggage, we boarded the steamer Olvette of the Plant steam ship line. The steamer started and we retired.
 Upon arising in the morning, we found ourselves steaming along over water as smooth as the mill pond so often quoted. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, we came to anchor at Key West and were told that we could go ashore, as the steamer would remain there number of hours, mainly to kill time, as we could not enter the harbor of Havana except between sunrise aud sunset. Our party secured carriages and drove around the city. It is quite tropical and here grow oranges, bananas, cocoanuts, guava, dates, figs, sapadillos and we even saw d banyan tree. There seemed no monkeys to throw down the cocoanuts to us, but equally agile boys, for a small conside- ration, climbed the tree and got the fruit.
 Leaving this island at 10 o'clock, we ran across the straits in the night and were awakened in the morning by the cry, ''We are entering Havana harbor and just passing Morro castle" Soon our steamer came to anchor, but not at the wharf, this not being allowed Queer boats called bumboats swarmed around us and, in strange jargon, solicit ed our patronage. We were booked for the hotel Inglaterra and our interpreter, taking the keys to our trunks and cheeks, placed us in one of these boats and we landed, were placed in queer Victorias drawn by small horses and, passing through narrow streets, some of them not over 10 feet wide, with sidewalks l5 inches across, reached our hotel.
 Here we found ourselves delightfully."- situated. Our rooms fronted on the wide street called the Prado and the Central Park. The clerk at the desk. the waiter, the elevator boy and others, all spoke English. The able was excel lent and every one attentive. Cur room had a marble floor and large windows, in which were no panes of glass, only shut ters, so that the wind could blow through. Our bedstead was iron, with high can opy, from which hung musquito net ting. On it was a wire mattress, over ; this blanket and a sheet, we came next and laid our heads on pillows stuffed with cotton. We were tired and, after robbing the extra bed in our room of it's clothing and spreading it over our own and folding a blanket on our pillows, we slept well.
 In the morning. we went down to cOf- fee, the first meal of the day and sat down to large platters of oranges peeled, as we do apples, rolls and very strong coffee. The oranges you eat from a fork.
 At II m, you have breakfast and, at D m, dinner. These are the meals of the day and, for that climate, they are we'll suited. The weather was like our August. They have no rain from No- vember to May and the soil is white in the city and the dust covers everything. They do not sprinkle streets to any great extent. There are stages and horse cars, fare three and five cents, but well-to-do people and Americans use the Victorias. These are everywhere and look much like our own, but the top comes further forward to shut out the sun. Most of the things one sees seem small. Texas bronchos and small mules do most of the work. The men seem small, espec- ially the police. who are uniformed like soldiers and carry short sword and pair of pistols; you never see one alone. They hunt in pairs. A common sight is a man riding one pony, which is the first of procession of dozen or more, each one tied to the tail of the horse in front, all being taken down to the harbor to bathe. The man leads them into the wa ter and uses large brush to SCOUT them, process rendered necessary by the heat and dust.
 One sees something of interest on every hand. Everything is entirely different from what we have been accustomed to. The oxen are large and strong and draw an immense load on a cart with high wheels. The yoke is placed in front of their horns and their nostrils are perfor- ated and ropes drawn through by which they are driven. Next, you will see six ponies or donkeys, hitched up tandem, drawing q great load. The harness which these small ponies and donkeys use is curiosity. The bridle is elabo- rately decorated with brass ornaments, is large and there are red tassels hanging over the forehead and from the ears and even under the throat. The collar is very heavy and ornamented, while the saddle is immense One would think it