Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-02-18

slow. measured cadence heard In me
Northern e'imes, but wlIang away a.
though hit with hammer. sAndSs< ich
Is really t.e case. Two men climb up
into the belfr.ies and pound away for
dear life until the ethics of Cuban bell
ringing are fulflled.
After nightfall begin the most at
tracrlve features of Havana life to a
foreigner. The parks are filled with a
sCrolling, chattering crowd. The Cuban
girls and their mammals. while hooded
In their manrillas, are dressed in the
llghtest and fullest OF pink, blue and
white frocks. The bands play, the
seats are lined with spectators, officers.
Washers and plantation owners, aud
the scene Is full of life and movement.
Ten cents plata" Is the price for a seat
on one Of these benches, and the reve-
nue. Is supposed TO go TO the municipal
authorities. Ii Is doubtful, however,
II a 1.-THE of 1t ever finds ITS way into
the public Golfers.
There are three collectors, and they
never overlooked anything, that could
discover. There are no tickets TO
punch, no cash registers or bells to
ring. 1t seemed to me 10 be one gigan-
tic game Of grab"
Over in the Ingsaterra and the neigh
boring resorts The cafes are full OF
Spanish officers, laughing, drinking.
talking and smoking their endless Cd
ot.1tff ssy tff.,. n
makes his appearance they scowl and
make remarks that are very audible
even If not understood.
Every well regulated Cuban is afraid
of the moon. There Is no kind Of lunacy
that Is not attributed, either directly
or indirectly, to the effects Of moou-
light. Mothers teach their children to
avoid its rays as they would the small
pox.
There Is so much difference in the
temperature OF Cuban sunlight and
shadow that the sensitive constitu-
lions Of a rather delicate people fcei
the change dreadfully. In the first
Place, the atmosphere lis ever charged
with moisture that boils and steams
In the sun and grows cool in the shade.
like the air at the bottom of a well.
Then up comes the moon, with her 1T
tendant fogs. and gets ali the glory Of
breeding rheuma tism. colds, fevers and
consumption. Keep out of the MOON
light Is the Cuban mothers first max
i'm.
During the first year of the present
war there were NO bull fights in Ha-
yanh. They are being INDUCED IN
again, however, and are rs thoroughly
enjoyed as In ante-be.lum days. There
is one feature of these bull fights that
is seldom dwelt upon by chroniclers Of
Spanish customs.
1t is the bull for the people" After
the matadors have properly slaughter
ed their bulls an animal is brought in
for the pastime of the spectators. Its
horns are sawed off until their ends are
about an inch and a half in diameter,
enough to prevent it injuring anybody
seriously.
Then n gold piece is fastened to the
end of one of its horns and the public
IS given an opportunity to take it of.
And how the spectators rush to the
fray! l saw dozen sailors jump into
the ring and fairly hack bull to death
before it had time to find out where IL
was. 1t was slashed with machetes
until its hide would not have held
pumpkins.
1t fought as well as it knew how, and
OH one occasion caught its most daring
prosecutor and tossed him beautiful
somersault over The ring fence. Not
until The bull had fallen did the sailors
get the gold piece.
Altogether, however, Havana cannot
be called beautiful place. 1t looms
reef ridged about blue pool Of bay,
which II clutches in its rocky arms like
sapphire. The houses, small and
plain and white, stand In long rows like
the tombs of the dead, and it takes an
Anglo-Saxon some time to get rid Of
this graveyard feeling.
Carpets are unknown in Havana no.
tets. / came across one once and was
tempted 10 throw 1t into the street; IL
looked so stuffy and out of place. The
smooth marble stones, which are uni
versal, are very cool and grateful to
the feet in this hot climate. With stone
floors and broad windows without
glass, the Cuban sleeping apartments
are well adapted to the climate.