The Portland daily press., 1896-12-24

! crazy and unsy StemBt1o laying on OF
color harmonizes with the glowing tropi
cal atmosphere. This coloFing of the
house fronts Is not without rssson, in
fact. 1t has been found to absorb much
of the SUMS rays, which. without this
disadvantage, would work serious in
juries to the eyes.
There is no city in the world where
noise-made for its own sake and nothing
else-reigns as supreme as in Havana.
At day break all the bells in the city are
rung furiously. Church bells, fire bells,
public BELLS and private bells unite
with one accord to produce discord cal
oulated to drive a civilized man mad.
Add to this the Growing of gums cocks,
with which the town is overstecked for
gam bling purposes; the rattle OF in.
Vulnerable cabs and public conveyances,
the clangor of gongs on street. car lines.
electric and otherwise and the general
roar to which every waking Havanese
adds his mite, and the oitay, even in the
time Of most slumbrous peace, can well
be supposed to surpass any other town of
300, COO population in the world.
Havana is full Of surprises for the man
who first visits it, no matter from what
part Of the earth he hailD. Small as it Is
compared with London, the slums OF the
east end of that great Babel cannot
match it in some things, for instance,
colored children Of both sexss, from the
age of and years down, are permitted
to roam the streets, wander about as
they please, enter bazaars, shops or stores
and play in groups about the public
places In state Of absolute nudity. In
this respect, as in the matter of earl
ringing Of bells, Havana is unique
among all the cities Of the world.
The populace of Havana, at least in
times of peace-and this accounts for it's
disquietude in times Of warts essential
ly gay. This accounts for the number
and variety of the cafes, cachef', eating
and drinking places, lounging places and
resorts Of every color and complexion
calculated to offer opportunity to the
idle and lazy men. A recent visitor to
the island, describing the ha bits of the
men and their unspeakAble Incidence,
says this of the towns resorts and their
habitues:
"The men luxuriate in the cafes or
spend their evenings in worse places.
A brief period of the morlaing only is
given to business, the resft of the day
and night to meeting ard lassitude,
smoking and luxurious ease. Evidences
of safety, languor and dizziness, the
weakened capacity for enjoyment. are
sadly conspicuous, the inevita BILE Sc
quence of Incidence and vice. The arts
and the sciences seldom disturb the
thoughts Of such people. Here. rs in
many European cities, Lazarus and
Dives elbow each other, and an Oriental
confusion of quarters prevails.
"The pretentious town house is side
by side with the hum BILE quarters OF the
artisan, or even the negro shuv, about
which swarm the naked Juveniles of col
or, a half clad. siatterny mother appear
Ing now and then. g'he father of this
brood, if there be an acknowledged one,
is probably at work upon some planta-
ton not far away, while madame takes
in linen to wash High life and low LIE
are ever present In strong contrast, and
in tho best of humclr with each other,
elements of the picturesque, if
not of the beautiful. Neatness must be
ignored where such human conglomera-
tion exists, and, as we all know, at GER
tain seasons of the year, like dear, de-
Iightful, dirty Naples, Havana is the
hotbed Of pestilence. The dryness of
the atmosphere transforms most of the
street offal into powder, which salutes
nose, eyes, ears and mouth under the in
fiuence of the slightest breeze. Though
there are ample bathing facilities in
and about the city, the people of either
sex seem to have a prejudice against
their free use. I was told Of ladies who
content themselves with only wiping the
neck, face and hands daily on towel
saturated with island rum, and, from
what is obvious, it is easy to believe that
his is true.
Even In times Of peace civilians are
scarce in Havana. Soldiers stand at eve
y corner-they are the police. The uni
,orm is the same blue as the marines,
ouy the blouse, trousers and blue cap
are trimmed with crimson. A sword and
heavy revolver, and sometimes a rife,
constitute the equipment. The Spanish
government officials around the docks
ire dressed in outaway suits of the pre-
railing blue. A wide-brimmsd straw
nat, Topped up at one side with cock
,de, is familiar headgear.
There are many other uniforms-oav.
Try, artillery, officers. You cannot
walk five steps without meeting one
All these distinctive raiments are neat.
out look cheap beside the dress of a
United States soldier or marine. The
10th resembles cambria and ia porous
md cool. However it fits the wearer
veil, he is always clean, and his shoes
re BACKED TIE men are not as well
ct up as the Americans In fact, the
zen are not as robust as our country
nen. They are sallow and thin. 1t may