The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-01
SANTIAGO is A QUAINT CITY,

The bottling up of Cervera's fleet in
the harbor of Santiago de Cuba is not
the only claim to distinction possessed
by that curious old city; for, as the
inhabitants never fail to remind the
traveller, it has long been a disputed
fact whether Columbus first landed
at ASH Salvador or Santiago de Cuba.
However that may be, St. Jago, as the
Spanish call it, is far older than any
city in North America.
The peculiar narrow streets and the
the facades of the houses remind one
Of the old towns in Italy, but there the
resemblance ceases, for the houses Of
Santiago de Cuba are nearly all built
around a court, or patio, as they are in
most Spanish towns. With their high
barred windows and glazing plastered
walls, on the outside they look more
like prisons than like the American
idea of a dwelling house. But go in
side the patio, and everything is differ
ent. There are palms and shrubs and
flowers, and in some of the richer
houses even fountains. Meals are ser'-
ed in the patio in pleasant weather.
In Santiago, a. we'll as in other Gu
a cities, the proprietors of most of
the shops and warehouses live in the
same building in which their business
is located. The shops open about 9 in
the morning and remain open until
about noon, when they close up, and
everybody goes to the monday meal.
After that everybody takes a a in
the heat of the day. The shops open
up again about 2 o'clock in the after
noon and remain open till $50 or 6.
Go to an office in Santiago at $50 in
the morning and nobody will be up; go
again at 1890 and everybody will be
eating; go again at 1870 and everybody
will be asleep.
In the evening the people sit around
and AXE life easy, n smoke, of course
for in Santiago everybody smokes
men, women and children. Even the
walters in the hotels and cafes pull out
a cigarette n smoke between the
courses. The porters and cabmen smoke
at all times and seasons The steve
dores on the Wharves smoke at their
work, and even the clerks in the dry
goods stores roll a cigarette and take
a puff between two customers. The
senorita blows a cloud of smoke from
under the lace of her fascinating, mys-
FERROUS mantilla, while negresses walk
along the streets putting away at huge
cigars. Children of s and 10 may often
be seen with cigarettes in their mouths,
aud it is no sight to see
men and women smoking in church.
All the young bloods in Santiago
wear white duck suits n straw hats,
and they may be seen lounging around
the city and the Club de San Carlos,
looking cool and comfortable, and
smoking, of course, for that goes with
out saying in Santiago. At the Club
de San Carlos, which is the Union
League of Santiago, the Spanish oftl-
GERS from Moro castle and the gilded
youth of the city make their idl1ne
headquarters. It is a pleasant place
in which to loaf, drink cooling bever:
ages, smoke and gossip. The club
most buildings in the city, and in front
is a little garden with a fountai nand
flowers. Opposite the Club de San Car
los is the Cafe Venus, where, an en-
thusiastic traveller declares, as good
a meal can be had as at Delmonlcos
There is less wine drunk in Cuba than
in most Latin countries; but there IS
a native rum, called barcard1, Whlcn Is
made from molasses, and Whlcn, wen
mixed with water and cooled Win ice,
makes a very smooth sort OF beverage
and a somewhat insidious M A
Quart bottle of this rum costs only 5O
cents. and as a good deal Of it is usu-
ally drunk at the midday meal, IL Is
not to be wondered at that a nap I'M
mediately follows it.
At all places in Santiago where drink
is sold. as we'll as in the telegraph or
fees and postofices, n always hnos
lottery tickets on sale, n men ano
boys peddle them about the streets
The country houses around Santiago
are infested with mice and lizards. Inc
latter are very alert n active, ano
quite unlike the sluggish lizards seen
in northern climes.' There is a curious
kind Of mC:ser whose presence Is ratn-
GOD ohn11f (IInAn COuIlI y
ho1ses. These mousers are not cats,
as n might suppose, but large black
snakes. AS they are quite harmless
nobody thinks of being afraid OF tnem
and thew come and go as they please.
unmolested.