The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-07
Special Correspondence.

HAVANA, Feb, 1.-Carnaral time has
come again and the Queen OF the Antll-
les Is enjoying herself In the same old
way--ali but the suffering thousands In
Z hospitals and prisons, the naked and
hungry In highways and byways, moth
4 ers whose. loved once are in the field or
among the slain. ard the many In all
grades OF society and official position in
Z whose hearts the secret love OF Cuba
Libre Ia burning with quenchless flame.
The caiety for which Havana has al
ways been noted is now more than ever
accentuatcd by the dark shades OF the
picture, The unknown hand which
threw the bomb into the crowded ball
Il room the other night, killing few and
/, wounding many more. was probably
that OF some half craZed patriot who
wished TO discourage frivolity In these
days of tragedy. But all the same
i masked balls, theatres, bull fights and
4 parades are the order Of the hour,
though with far less splendor than for
: merly because the people arc poorer.
: One of the straws Which show the way
Of the wind Is the fact that the pawn
shops arc packed with valuable articles.
G'.put up by impoverished people to
/ raise money for the seasons festivities,
while the line OF second class fans. Jew
elry and ball gowns Is unusually low.
Z 5s-Fl.lt- - lstE tsy. t71t ..-.
Every afternoon from my balcony
view the carnival parade. which for a
week takes place between the hours OF
! s and Z o'clock. Hundreds Of carriages
are In the procession, few Of them with
liveried coachmen and footnen, and
blooded horses glittering with gold and
!, silver trappings; but the large majority
are hired hacks. in more or less ad-
yanced stages OF dilipidation. Nearly
every horse. however, whether q high
e stepping stecd or some poor old Ros-
i$inante designed 10 end his days In next
Sundays bull fight. has gally colored
& ribbons bound above his eyes, and perk-
ed out at the ears in bows and rosettes
: OF fiuttering streamers. Here goes
spirited span, gorgeous In gold-plated
Z harness. with yards upon yards OF pink
and yellow. ribbon intertwined about
their heads: the coachman in white
knee breeches and yellow jacket and
huge boutonniere Of pink roses: the Ia
dies In the open landau disguised (pur-
Z posely not too welD In pink gauze DOM
/ inoes, with tall cone-shaped hats on
their heads. surmountcd by roses and
ribbons. Closely behind joys an old
lame white horse. really pitiable OBJ
ject under the lash, drawing d!lapida-
: ted chaise filed with colored people.
The dusky madam. In gown OF yellow
satin and white lace mantilla, Is be-
decked with flowers like paschal lamb
and waves her fan with languid dignity,
while her lean husband has his hands
+ full to keep the trio Of ebony youngs-
ters on the front seat from standing on
:, their heads under the carriage wheels.
4 The driver Of this turn-out,-who plain.
( ly bears the ear-marlas OF an ex-planta-
tion hand from .Ole Virginny," despite
his tall silk hat and white cotton gloves
flashes the poor lame beast incessantly
to keep its painful hobble up with the
+ procession. Nor is he the, only brute
: who plies the whip in this carnival OF
z pleasure-not by an overwhelmingly
3 majority. Tho sound OF blows Ia con-
tinually In the air. everywhere and at
B all times in Cuba. Whip, whip! whip,
Whether the wretchcd beasts 60 fast or
3 SLOW; no matter how overworked or
ready to drop from hunger or fatigue.
the drivers consider 1t part OF their
business to apply the rcsoundng lash
: without cessation. The scene of bar
: barous cruelty to animals which one Ia
continually obliged to witness makes
4 ones heart ache and blfghts the rairest
I landscape. The local ear Is so accus-
toned to the sound of blows that 1t
I never seems to hear them; even gentle
women give no heed to the spectacle OF
some poor bast being lnshed upon raw
Z and bloody back, or having fallen from
exhaustion under n too heavy load, be-
< ing kicked and pounded by brutes In
human form. oh for Society for the
z Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals! If
Il Cuba ever does come under the rule of
J Uncle Samuel and such q bencficent 80
clety Is established here. It will require
years Of fines and Imprisonment and
perhaps q new generation or two to cf-
feet much change for the better. At
( present there Is no use in protesting
4 against any case OF cruelty. The law
3. says that man ie absolute owner OF his
beast and may kill 1t by any prolonged
4 torture. IL he 20 desires.
Nowadays the better class OF Ha-
vanfans do not Join In the carnival fes-
. tiyitics. A few OF the bellies and beau
ties are out. including all the demI
monde. in decolette toilettes OF white
aatin, pink, pale blue, with uncovered
arms and heads, and matrons in badly.
fitting gowns and lace mnntillas. a
comparatively small number wearing
4 masks and dominoes. There are many
y horsemen In the procession, mostly the
"youns bloods" OF the capital. who OK
cell as eaucstrlans: and one solitary
eenorita in the saddle. in surprising
habit Of sky-bluc satin. The bull fight
ers are out, too. In full force and aston