The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-01-30


ness, the fakir and hotel runner of
| Havana easily wear the honors OF their
class This motley crowd having clam
bered up the ships ladder, it was with
the greatest difficulty, amid the confu-
sion and babel, that | finally was able
to make a selection of hotel and ar
range to have my baggage sent ashore.
Having landed at the custom house
wharf, the formality of examining bag
gage was waived for small considera-
tion and was then given over as the
rightful prey of the ''cabbies' that
fiocked the narrow street. Upon arriv
ing at the hotel | was much disap-
pointed by its outward appearance: so
bidding the ''cabby'' wait till ! further
investigated, | made the discovery that
the interior was in perfect harmony
with it's exterior. On my return, though
gone less than five minutes, found my
.Jehu fast asleep upon the box. Wax
ing him by a vigorous shake. he pro-
ceeded to wake the diminutive animal
ollot III \uOo 10 Cdl1CNA q lIOl l)llN llIS
to another hotel. the Pasaje, was more
fortunate and was soon comfortably
located in a room overlooking the
Grand Plaza which had been occu-
by the Comte de Paris, Baby McKees
uncle Russell and other personages
more or less notable
TO one from ''up north as IN Cuba
they speak of the United States the
first sight of Havana and its surround
ings come as though it were an illusion,
for it seems impossible that less than
one hundred miles from our own shores
one should come upon land and a
people so wholly foreign to anything
that is American. The city of Havana
, lies upon very low ground to the right
of the harbor, and from the deck of a
vessel presents very pleasing appear
: ance. The red tile roofs, and houses
painted either very light blue or yell
f low, give to it gala dress, while the
numerous domes and minarets. with
many traces of the Moorish in the ar
; chitecture, is certainly very enchanting
from distance.
But Havana of my youthful visions,
Or the beautiful city one sees from the
ocean, was not Havana as l found it.
With but one or two exceptions the
streets are very narrow, badly paved
, and extremely dirty; resembling in some
t respects alleys as found in our own
/. cities. No attempt at street cleaning
e was apparent and ot1al of all descrip-
0 tiOns was permitted to decay and re-
a solve itself into the atmosphere of the
: city. The sidewalks were not much
f cleaner. The typical Havana residence
e is two stories in height. built of wood
n and plastered inside and out. One
= large door opens immediately off the
y sidewalk, and the one window in the
a ground floor is very large, reaching
y down to the level of the sidewalk. and
is guarded by stout iron bars; in the
n rear of the house is a courtyard sur
?, rounded by d high wall! in this court
n yard, growing III pots or tubs, may be
# found banana trees, small palms anC
g other tropical growths. Occasionally
e fountain occupies the central space
IS in the courtyard, which, though tlooreC
Q, with tagging, constitutes the piazza
IL lawn, and often the sleeping apartment
10 of the family. The children of tht
d middle and lower class are permitted tt
II run at large, wearing but one carmen
l. of dress and, in many instances, en-
'e tirely nude until they have arrived a
lr the age of six or seven, when they ar,
l. sent to the parochial schools. The cit,
"a lying low and there being only fain
h attempt at tides, its sanitary condition
le is of necessity of the very worst. Th'
le water supply. too, is very inferior, mucl
D vegetable matter, in more or less de
le gree of decomposition, is always pres
l. ent in the water In view of all this i
le was not surprising, though quite alarm
S, ing, to learn that there were in the city
t. at the time of my arrival, forty case
d of yellow fever. But this dread diseas