Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-11
No. 60

GtruAn railway station is immeasurkhIx
superior TO the old board novels called a.
pots along most American MnSs Thsv
are invariably models Of neatness, tidipe.s
and comfort. They are not infrsousntIy
the prettiest structures to be nesn during
an entire days travel They always have
Q lovely bit Of lawn about them, In which
are often fountain, flowers and tidy
hedges. Many are covered by ivy or
cresPtns and towering vines- Flowers In
windows and In lavn-plsts are always in
view of the tired passengers. And nearly
AL are supplied with chimes Of balls; not
changing, 1sngling, wrAngling bells, but
voiceful, melodic bells, which-when the
train guard has taken q whistle from his
oelt, blown upon Its thrice, and sgHsn ss-
luted the ststion-master and men-seer
to cay as you move away.
well-good-bye.
Thsn-good-6ye.-
FrieDds-good-bye,
In the brief trip across Cuba by raj the
traveller is furnished abundant material
for observation and reflection. Wherever
your train may halt, In pours a dismal
troop Of begssrs, ioitery-tSciet seIlers.
dulceros with ali manner of sickeuins
sweets, of which the Cuban ladies' buy
freely and eat vorscious, and peddlers Of
giow-worrnn and bsetles, gusvR, green CO.
coanuts and fresh country cheese similar
to the German EchmeerkGse.
liz one sights for rsfrsshment another
savage horde of "eros" with all sorts of
sdibles and refescAs are to be hAtfied with.
and " q meal at q cafe is taken you are
unblushizgly charged from one TO two dol
Lars In gold. But all these snnoykncss are
as nsught when one considers the glorious
tropical panorama provided In this trip
rhA Inland Tx II a..
northern cosstwise country disappears on
lesving MstsnzAs, and of sudden your
train Is whirling through q veritable ma
lures garden Great orange groves are a.
common as pine woods In Maine. Vast
pineapple plantations fu the space be-
tween.
Here the view sweeps across river, val
ley and vkst reaches of cane grounds, .he
last cuttings being hurried 10 The massive
and groaning machinery with the splendid
villas behind, the whole surrounded by
stately COCOA trees and the lordly palm.
There, for miles, stretches another valley,
plain of puce and yellow where the last
cut" of tobacco is being piled by the ope-
rarios upon the jules or curing-rAcks, or
carried from these before the dew falls st
three o'clock, to the great oAsAs de tEbkcAs
where are other noble houses, palms and
fruits and flowers uutellahle. Here and
there are ranches and herds like the shin-
ing horned hosts OF CAmsguAy, with
mounted vsnqueros and nonteros and their
wonderful dogs, In picturesque groups,
with the great palmetto pGlliEsded cor
rallies for the ''round-ups" and sgAin by
these. porticoed houses and euintAs, like
palaces.
Upon every Etream, at the mouth of
csnons, or set like brown
QfDkies urnu uaouurain-sSde ava sha r,n.oy
gusjiros' pslm-thAtched cabins. And eve
rywhere are such luxuriRnoe In soil and
forest, vine and flower, that when you
reach the splendid city of Cientuegos as
the shadows fall, and the mounbesns be-
gin to dance upon its matchleEs bay, one
feels as though the day had been g vision
of some dreAmland iEle, where the weird
In men and the glowing In nature have
blended in magical spell with indescriba-
BILE bloom and song.
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.