New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-15

1
night walk in Matanzas is the most Characteristic
| Cuban scene which | have witnessed.
The Cuban Girls mature very early. They are
| sometimes married early as twelve years, anu
fourteen is IA common marrying age. AS was
travelling IN the interior OF the Island planter
pointed ont bride Oh The traia and asked me
| 10 guess her age | said twenty" but 1t WAS
| fourteen At fourteen a Cuban girl certainly
| looks quite a, old American girl at twenty
| Their educational standard is very low Inc
| schools are all under the of The religious
orders and embroidery and manners are sald 10
| be the sum Of wOmanly attainment
| The joys Of shaping are known 10 Nuodh
women only in a restricted way. Bargain
| counters are mIcard Of and such shops as
| there are would he accounted thirl-raic In an
| Amcl lean town. There are no set prices. HE
| shopman asks for his wares whatever he thinks
he can GET doubling Iii, price if he pcrceivcs that
his customer is an American. lie eAtols the merits
| of his goods in frantic ontbufst of spanish
with 4 pantommc of GESTURE. and reduces his
price only after heated argument. If II De-
| comes evident that there is seIions rlsk OF
| losing his customer altogether The principal
| objection to shopping in Cuba Is that there u
| nothing to buy. There are no manufactures
characteristic of the country. Everything Is im'
ported the grade of goods is low, and the prices
are very small; they are ali on the ground floor
and few have more than one loom. Until ie-
| Gently the pawn-shops have offered tile most
attractive oppor unitlcs to travellers for the pnr
chase Of souvenirs IN tieasurc-trove OF old siiNer
antique jcwciy, fans and laces At low prices
Colonial clocks n few years ago "oull ne uoush'
| for from five 10 twenty dollars. These shops
were then filled with real bargains. and the
dealers were 50 unwilling 10 lose a customer thar
they would follow one 10 the dor with eh'i'a'c>
| to buy All this is changed. The rawn-shops are
now empty and have lost their attractions LOT
| visitors Perhaps the island is not 50 poor as IL
WAS or po..hlv the American tourists nave
emrted them.
| Jha markets. IN Cuba are attractive 10
| stronoer They are arranged in the usual way,
the goods being Offered for sale in larg" number
| Of little booths Cheap dIysoods toys and orna-
mcuts as well as provisions Of all Kinds, are 10
be found There is q fine display OF fruit, ana
especially OF the queer. pilpy, haVoriess Nare,"'
which abound i'll Il hot cllinae' ana WHICH
nobody but a native ever buys for the second
time The vegetable stalls are very attractive
from the tasteful way Ill which I'll" dealers "'-
range their wares as 10 bring out contrasts
If color The fish are kept alive III tanks OF
wafer Chickens are tied by the feet ana carrier
away alive by the purchaser. one can also una
herc a few fresh CONNECTIONS, cross between c"he
and candy but not 80 good Us citli,r tuoa II
, smear nonntlv but Its candy Is imported rom
France, and il is both stale and expensive l"c
only native candy | could hnd was Il cohPo"n'
of brown sugar and chopped nuts SOFA Ill 'o'i'
and wrapped ill., culored paper. The NuDahs "'o
good-notured and polite lhey VIII, VIZ, u,'' Gsv
stranger Oh his way with smile any i,,
ihrv will allow one to look over 'ieli H,i v
store OF wares at leisure ana seem elu'iS n'PP'
and contcne ed whether the VISITOR DuSs oi 10y
-Ifnp Ina IL
town present IN endless succession Ol curious
pictures They different IN every 'I ,Pne.
from what one Is accustomed 10 see d. iion'f fi nav,
are SO narrow that two vehicles can haI"'N p"'
each other They are ravc' with rough ator',.
the sidewalks average about eighteen ihcneS ~
width; and pedestrians have TO walk slh.ie .v,
into the road Ia the streets are seen cl'llnSN
carts, broad and heavy, vet drawn Oy sinelc
mule who's. def locomotive poWrn Is 'V"i-
pensateI for by excessive decoration. Inc H,uIcs
harness is studded with brass ornaments. over
his forehead is sort of head-drcss oi WOOL III"
on each side hang large tassels Of scarlet 10
complete his costume there is huge bunch ~
bells fastened between his shoulder, ne
negroes who drive these carts wear cio'l''S W
linen originally white and caps of red w1oiich
stun. For drawing timber oxen are NoKru 10
pair Of great wheels from the aNlc me 'imoets
are suspended, projecting over me hesdS =. ov
omnibus is hung with curtains along me stlc>
and a gong is constantly ringing. 'oach hlIc y
cheap, the charge being twenty cents Tor uouple
small victorias and drawn by INN lu'i"
horses at furious pace. some really handsome
private carriages with tne horses ana H'eI""
cOachmen and fooncn are sometimes seer
Negroes carry all burdens OH Their hcaus gehcr-
ally in large open shallow baskets iaundi'S"s
may be seen balancing on Their heads q loa,' OF
freshly ironed linen. and they are followed by
women bearing from market supplies oil fresh
fruit and vegetables with live chicken lFTpinc
from the basket nroyes Of COWS t M,'n caves
door and MIXED 10 order strings oi pack mules
straggle along laden with fodder corn tied IN
80 huge a hurdle on each side OF the animal that
only the nose and feet are 70 be seri ana each
mules halter is fastened to the tail OF the on"
next in front. y common sight Is the iarge
flexible basket of pushes hung panIcrlkr across
the back of mule. tie driver going on foot,
The vendors Of street wares carry them on their
heads with appliance that looks Ike plank
a foot wide and louT feet long. with an obonc
box in the centre. In the bon are The smaller
articles while everything :ha' can be hung is
suspended along the sides. Gay coored hard
kcrchicis. ribbons. laccs and embroilcrics nutcr
in the breeze and entirely conceal the head and
shoulders OF the v"ndcr.
in Cuba Immediately turns his misfortune to
account as Il matter Of business by exhibiting
himself and begging in the streets. Ihe.'
maimcd and deformcd creatures 10 br seen
everywhere They sit at the doors of churches. |
patrol the ferries and railway stations and thrust
their loaths0me deformites into sight IN the cafes
and hotel dinil2-rOOms. ] even saw in front OF
q theatre after evening performance liIdc9us.
mis-hapen child in O rolling chair dawn 20 close
10 the door that one could not help but pass Der
The dogs are as numerous the bcggars. Not
one wellbrcd. intelligent dog have | seen in |
Cuba but scores Of ems Of Ill sizes and degrees.
They invade the hotel dinlng-rooms and beg al
the tables mimoested.
IIuvans is one of the noisicst of cities. Nigh
and day an uproar Of loud talk arises from cafes
and restaurants. and there is ceaeeless hustle in
the streets Little bands Of militia are con |
stantly marching about accompanied by shrill
bands Of music. Their uniform is OF "A narrow
blue and white stripcd linen goods. and they
wear panama hats There are military guards
on every side, lounging in front Of the Official
palaces and in the dusty little parks. AZ night
the Central Park is .llcd with siOlIers. the en-,
frances Of the places of amusement are biockei
with seat-specnlqtOrs crying their numbers: ana