Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-04-05
Correspondence.
Concluded from last ,ceek J
CIENFUEGos. March I. 1894.

tiENfCEGos, MaFCn q, 1874.
To the Editor Of The imerIcua:
The furniture in the fore room" of a
fairly-comfortable Cuban family is six
common rockers ranged Ia two row, in
the centre OF the room-three facing three
and just far enough apart so the fell
lows toes won't touch the girls who sits
facing him 10 the other row. Around the
walls are placed from welve to eighteen
common cane chairs, such as we would
call dining-room chairs. There may also
be one or even two cane settees but never
anything upholstered
They use no cook stoves and have no
ovens. The cooking is done on range
something like blacksmith's forge, but
not always SO clean; sometimes 1t has an
Iron top with holes and covers, but IN hum
BILE homes there Is nothing 80 extrsvagant.
The fuel is invariably charcoal Bread all
comes from the bakers and no pastry
whatever Is used common.
As finish to dinner a Slice Of cheese
with the same quantity of guava paste or
jelly with bread does the work Of our pud-
ding or pie and that Is followed by a very
small cup Of coffee Of such strength and
condensity that barrel of good spring
water added would leave It about the same
power for evil as that which mother al
lowed US In our youth
Cake is bought and used the same a. We
use csndy-only rs q treat. No tea is used
and the regular drink with food Is called
wine; but that used most common Is a
cheap, vile. dISingenIous puckcry mixture
and Is doubtless entirely innocent Of any
relation 20 the grspe Its deep color ever
lastingly stains the table linen and causes
the cloths 10 always look dISsu,iirgly bsd
Some Of the cooking il good, such a.
soups and siews. Bcefstesk j. cooked n
small thick pieces by boiling 1t In oil or
grease the same as We cook doughuuts
And the people? All, they are Spanish ,
In my boyhood was led to believe that
the Yankee was preeminently the most sly
and ingenious swindler In trade OF sill the
collective gatherings of mankind Judg-
ing from the oftenused words Sharp as
Yankee" and other like expression, and
hints, | was led 10 believe that my country
men must be known a. pirates In trade to
people Of all those other parts were, IN
igh colored contra distinction. perfect
eTub!ems OF probity in ali dealings wiki
each other aud with all the world Labor
ipg under This double hal,uciuation early
driftcd out on the tides of commerce and
that calling which was unhappily born
TO. has. Of course. led me 10 a somew hat
broad acquaintance with mankind.
have been obliged 10 have dealings Of
some Kind with men Of every color aud OF
many tongues. Now know ii i not good
to make sweeping assertions regarding
any people. as there are always some among
all races and 10 all communities who are
exceptions 20 the general habits Of their
own people. | have met the Spanish In
many places In Spain and in her provinces
and tx provinces. now free. AMI generally
one hnds them with the same strong rul-
Ing passion 70 get the best end Of every
thing, the richest and largest houses Of
commerce not being behind in schrming
for that end. In ali kinds Of business.
from large dealings 10 penny peddlins, It
Is the same Ia retail trade there is never
8 fixed price and in every deal the aim Is
10 get that broad end-to come out ahead
OF the other fellow II possible.
The French are much better TO deal with
and always more polite. Speaking Of
them brings 10 mind what was 10 me an
amusing incident had loaded for a
French company Ia Africa and when about
ready 10 sail the head man sent for me
and wished that wait few hours longer
for a small lot of hides He wanted to
clearly explain just what an agent had
written him that morning from up the
river-he would read TO me the letter
He commenced to read then came to a
confused stop and apologized In advance
for q word the agent had used lie would
get the hides down by noon and begged
him TO get the Yankee" TO wait for them.
| told him the Yankee would walt but il
seemed 10 relieve him much more when |
explained that we do not consider any re-
proach attache 10 the word and that in