The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-05-21

is he1n cOntamihateu ny e@AS
into 1t of the whole OF the sewage Oh
Havana. and. as there is not suffcient
scour Of the tide TO carry il out TO sea,
the filth is constantly accommodating.
The result win certainly be disastrous
70 the city. unless some system OF d.
ROOT drainage to the sea be carried out
Immediately upon landing the visitor
Is impressed by the strange novelty OF
the city and its inhabitants. There Is
a romantic air OF mediaevalism about
the older quarters of the city; he IS
at times conscious Of having taken n
step backward in the march of ciyillza-
ton and the romantic impression is
deepened by the soft. dreamy atmo-
sphere of the tropics and the sweet
odor of tropical vegetation. Al the
same time the more modern portion OF
the city is well built. and presents
dignified and harmonious appearance.
The Spanish influence is everywhere
apparent. and modified classic archi-
lecture prevails. The houses are built
chiefly of stone and then plastered, this
latter work being of good finish and
durable quality The business people
live over their own stores. the two up
per stories being used for domestic pur-
/ poses. The entrance TO the better class
/ of homes is often freely decorated with
Moorish colored tiles, and stenciling Is
employed with good effect upon the
outside walls.
/ In the older quarters the streets are
narrow and very tortuous and the
/ houses only one story in height. There
are no sidewalks to speak of. and as
/ the great heat necessitates the win
dows being kept continually open, they
are protected by prison-like iron graf
i ings. The interior of Cuban home,
even among the better class, is very
/ simple in It's appointments. The ex-
cessive heat and the prevalence of in
sects necessitates the use of as little
furniture as possible, and no hangings
or darperies are to be seen.
The street scenes are novel and often
ludicrous. as when, for instance, the
milk seller drives the COW and calf
(the latter muzzled) up to the door and
milks the amount of his purchase in
the presence of the customer and liter
ally at his doorstep. The favorite lux
ury is "barquillo." thin cake made OF
flour spiced with cinnamon. The bar
Uuillo vender goes through the streets
beating quick-step march on musl-
cal triangle Travel is mainly carried
on in "volantas." which are hired at
the rate of 20 cents for the trip.
Whether the trip be for two or three
blocks or the whole length of the city,
the price is the same. The various
promenades drives and gardens are
exceedingly fine and no visitors should
miss seeing the botanical gardens and
palm tree avenues of Los Molinos.
1t is difficult to get an exact estimate
of the population or the relative pro-
portion of its different elements. 1t is
broadly divided into the Insulares or
native Cubans of Spanish descent, the
Peninsulares or imported Spanish ele-
ment. which is made up mainly of office
holders, merchants and spectators,
who do not and never intend TO make
Cuba their permanent home, and lastly
the mixed races, such as the mulatto,
negro and Chinese 1t is roughly esti-
mated that there are 100000 residents
of Spanish extraction, 100000 colored
people and $4,000 Chinese coolies.--