The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-10-25
7HR MARKETS or HAVANA.
SIGHTS AND SCENES IN THE CUBAN
METROPOLIS.


males Heavily Laden with Prodaes-
what IL seen in che m.rkst-Fruit
aaa Vegetables AZ Lew Prices.
Among the most interesting sights Of
. unique and interesting city are the
markets Of Havana. A visit to them helps
the stranger to better understanding OF
the methods OF life not only Of the city
people but OF the country jewellers 90
we'll and shows striklngiy the curious
mixture Of races that goes to make up
the population. There are three large
markets, each one occupying huge, low,
stone building plastered on the outside,
the manner in which most Of the build
ingB Of Havana are constructed, and con-
stitnting block by itself. Approaching
the market during the busy hours Of the
morning we find the streets on every side
almost blocked By observation-disclosures mules,
just in from the country, carrying pro-
dnce Of every sort.
The roads throughout the island are 20
bad that almost al heavy loads, except
sugar cane and the huge casks Of sugar
and molasses, are carried Ii this way.
PsnnieFs made Of very coarse baggipg,
or woven from straw, Or Of palm nber,
Are fastened upon either side Of the mule,
and then filled with merchandise until
the mule Il almost hidden from sight.
In this way almost every sort Of truit and
vegetable Il carried, also cocoanuts, corn
fodder, live chickens, live pigs.. cans 81
milk and Whataser. elba the lcotnkry may
send to supply the town. CoEp-foddsr u
one Of the principal articles OF this COM
merce, g u II eimost the only, feed that
u used for the horses and cows kept In
the city. II grows all the year through,
rarely attains . height Of more than four
feat, and IL cut when the grain II harden
ing. Then II u tied in bundles and
bound on mules until nothing but the
NOSE and tail Of the animal can be seen,
and 20 brought in to market. a,t
The hucksters and traffickers who come
with the mules are % varied and curious
a. the wares they bring. There are Gu
bans and spaniards Of the poorest class,
Indians, Coolies and Ganiivos-the native
men OF the mountains. They are q ragged,
dirty, nncouth lot, shoeIess and hatless,
sometimes traInping along beside their
loads, and again mounted upon the very
apex Of the crowded panniers. a visit to
their homes would still further empha-
size this fact, d there are few poorer
habitatiOns known to civilized man than
the palm, bark cabins OF these Cuban
small farmers. But they are good-na-
tured and apparently. happy. f,4as as.t
On arriving st the market they are
noislly busy Tor an. hour unloading their
mules and arranging their wares for sale.
Oranges are poured from the papniet into
large, dat baskets, until one wonders that
they could have held % many. The
baskets, hpldipg .peIhapa . hushel and .
half, are lifted upon the head the favor
ite wpy here Of cprryipg elIhurdens-rand
taken into tina market. Than. there ara
pineapples and planteins and bananas, -
plentiful "a apples, or potatoes with ~ at
home; these are all tidiculouSIy cheap, &
dozen fne oranges for dime, good
pineapple for i've cents, or the very best
for ten, and as many bananas % yon care
70 carry for dime.
The potatoes here are quitesas Hne ~
one would see in any Northern market.
There are also those other tropical fruits.
sapotas, sapodillas, and some whose
names / could not easily ascertain, Curl
Gus looking, many. Of them with rough,
brown coats, all Of them sweet, and, to =
Northern palate, somewhat insipid. In
midwinter thsre II in the vegetable booths
everything that we have I'M midsummer,
corn, ceiary, lettuce, onions, tomatoes,
artichokes, etc, and there are some Curl
ous looking mssses, ready-eooked, Of
which the odor is enough for rs. It goes
without saying that there il dirt every
where, for these people are not all cleanly,
when judged from the American stand
point.
The interior of the market Ii given up
mainly to thu sale- Of things eatable. The
outer portions, fronting upon the streets,
are Allied with booths fof various sorts
where one may buy thousand things Of
litflegyalue, and. hardly anything ofreai
worth. Ono may buy poor candies,
flowers. made into gaudy bouquets,
imitation ieWsiFt cheap toys, brilliantly-
colored pictures and books with strik-
ingly illustrated covers, decalcomania
supplies this seens to be . favorite
decorative art cheap little wooden
statuettes Of the saints, In fact anything
and everything that Il calculated to catch
the eye and the money OF the ignorant
and unwary.-James Knapp Reeve, in
American Agriculturist.
what Allied Him.