The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-25
ABOUT TIE ISLAND OF CUBA
Where People Take Life Easy and Don't
Bother About bot Weather.
characteristics Of the Cubans- Social Life in
Hayana-Annexation Sentiment
Strong Among the Natives

more erroneous. Despite Its latitude, TINS
little island. which the United States hopes
TO annex some day. Is almost as cool in
summer time as the Ohio river valley. The
hot days. of course. last longer and come
earlier. but 10 Is no difficult matter to
eccustom ones self TO the continu-
Gus summer. About the middle OF
April quarantine goes into effect, and
few OF the tourists remain. Before this
time about TWO thousand Americans HE
themselves across the stormy channel to
the land of the stars and stripes. and leave
the fair island to the natives and the folks
who come out from Spain. The United
States consul begins to find that sweet re-
Taxation which does not come while the
swarm of his eountrymen are on the island.
lt does su American good IN these days OF
financial stringency 20 go TO the island and
find that his good American coin will buy
q considerable sum of the money of the
island. One round silver dollar Is equlva-
lent TO $40 IN the paper mo ney. When
you get your American money changed
into Spanish silver and gold you get pre-
mium. and il is best TO make the exchange
as s0on as you land from the steamer and
clear yourself with che custom-hOuse OIL
cial. Then it is time. perhaps. for coffee
and fruit. which Is served At the hotels IN.
til 10 o'clock. when breakfast begins. From
In the evening until you oan get your
dinner and order from menu cards printed
In both spanish and English. Most OF the
hotels are run on the American plan.
After making arrangements with the con-
sul 10 look after your letters you are ready
for a tour of the island, or at least OF Ha-
yana.
n 4
life peculiar TO the spanish capital. and
until few years ago the bull lights were
conducted on that very high plane where
ladie In fine silks sec the bulls butchered
or the toreadOrs gored. sometimes fatally.
And then. IL Is said, the Cuban ladies' g.
slowed rings even costly as those be-
slowed by the Castllian senoritas on the
CAV and handsome bult-hgbters- The
toreadOrs make more money by remaining
In Spain, and. thorefss7, She brutal sport is
on the decline. This - ooe feature Uncle
BAN will not have TO abolish when he takes
possession of fair Cuba. The rheaters are
well patronized IN Havana, although
tits unusual TO See performances In one
house night after night. In the intervene
Ing nights public balls and other brilliant
RsseIn blagcs are held. and the Cubans are
not far behind the cities OF lar away Latin
lands Ia the matter OF nDrestrained gay ETY..
Although values IN she island compare so
uDiavorably with those IN the United
ktates. 1t costs more TO attend the theater
kDa0 IL does In American oitloA Inc pfln-
clpal thenters Will eeat about $500 people
each. and during the winter months opera
Is gwen in French. Italian and spanish.
The subject OF annexation TO the United
States Is one dear TO the native Cuban's
heart. and the topic Is one that LCl5 flrst
apt TO breach TO The tourist from up north.
The man out from SPAN ridicules the idea.
With the onerous burdens of taxation the
native feels little ambition under the exist
Ing form of government. but IT the country
Db0uld be taken under the wing OF Columbia.
Uncle sam or the proper allegorioal figure.
there wouid oe very little revenue from
the IMPOVERISHED Islanders. The Capitane'
General. appointed for four years seldom
stays In the province hal! that
time for it takes him bat a little while TO
enrich himself. return to Spain and have
enough money 10 buy cigarettes and Ma
doria all the rest of his dsys. n hote BRO
prietor Is taxed cents for every guest that
Is registered on his book. and even If he
desires TO make his house more IN habita bic
lie must Day large fee 10 take ont per-
init. Although the vicinity of the capital
Is fairly infested with police of several
grades and conditions. crime Is by no means
N the minimum. The regular police
paunter about like the American police.
while the military police assigned
the additional duty of dressing very spruce.
and looking very fierce. The civic police
pre- only called out In case OF great danger.
The military officials keep an eye on the
hack drivers. and when riot breaks out
In the provinces are dispatched to the
pcene Of tue disturbances. Although the
bandits seem to be tolerated IN the outly-
Ing country. the government very consid-
brstely sends out body of military pniice
to guard trains. Too often the prevailing
method seems TO he to- send them ont after
bhe horse has been stolen"
The Cuban believes In crowding into
hour all the poInp that can be devised. and
his admiration of an elaborate funeral ia
cot to DO exceiled. Some of the mineral
frappings are almost gorgeous. The driver
Of a hoerse has a footnan. and both are at.
tired in velvet coats AMI knickerboclers,
with white stockings. Their hats a-e
adorned with long white plumes. If the
family can possibly AFFORD 1t there are al
ways one or more bands OF music. If the
remains can be- kept above ground Tor SOW
eral days il is done IN order 20 have the
funeral on grand scale. OfteDtimes rel
alive will carry the coffin of child out of
the house on his head IN order that the
affair can be- seen by as many as possible.
The progress of funeral cortege Is very
Blow. Tor the streets are quite narrow.
In the shopping districts of Havana the
streets are SO narrow that carriages must
go down one street and mp another. The
lair visitors from the States always 70
shopping. Sometimes they are shocked at
the sight of clerks III their shirt sleeves,
smoking cigarettes. Jeuelry. silks and
fans seem TO DO cheaper than In the United
States
To visit Cuba and miss the pineapple and
BugDr plantations Is 10 miss oDs OF the most
attractive sights that il offered the tour
lists. The hotels furnish interpreters. who
take tourists TO the plantations and explain
the places of interest By ali means make
On agreement as TO the fee 10 be paid the
interpreter before going ont with him.
The natives feel that the tourists come to
Cuba merely 10 be plucked. and that the
sooner the plncking - over with the more
satisfactory to visitor and native shke.
Havana has "a leper colony, but. of cOnrse,
that is not parBded as one of III. attrsc-
tlons. There mnst be- several hundred of
these unfortunates. it Is Insisted by intel
hgent people tina: the dreadful atiiiction is
not contagious few miles ont of the
city - the leper hospital. and TO The NOR
bldIy curious it presents a study. There
are strange sights there. some very Old
Young people suffering tie slow. although
IN the grave. The sight of the children Is
the most pItiable. for they do not seem To
realize the awful doom of tho leper.
Some OF the little ones seem like
old midgets, but oftentimes thor
voices are chIldlike and sweet
il IL quite a relief TO get away from tbe
lepers and 20 10 the brsutiful caves &C
Matanzas. eighty-6ve miles from Havana.
Here nature has worked some wonders in
the way of subterranean architecture.
There Is no cave on the island however,
that begins To compare with our own Mann
moth. OF Kentucky.
During the months of February and
March one 10 apt 10 DO very much bored,
like Mark Twain, with the number of
saints some folks and countries have on
their calendars Cuba seems 10 have a
enfficeDcy of them during these two