The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-03-31

The growing city eventually climbed I'D
the hillside and stepped over the rivers
San Juan and Yumuri, which are supposed
to bound it on the north and south. That
portion of the city now lying south of San
Juan, known as Pueblo Nuevo, (new town,
is connected by several handsome stone
bridges, among them the notable Pnento
Belem, and contains the railway depots
and many handsome villas in the outskirts.
1t has also one of the handsomest streets
in all Cuba, the Calzada (avenue) de San
Estedan, lined with imposing residences,
all of which have pillared fronts and por
ticos, and flower filled gardens surround
ed by iron ratings with tall stone pillars
topped by urns Porticos and terraces are
paved with mosaic of black and white
marble, or blue and yellow tiles; and the
colors and combinations, styles of archi-
lecture and concentrations that in our
country would be pronounced gaudy. here
tone in perfect harmony with the bright
sun and blue sky. Matanzas' central
square, the Plaza d Armas, is laid out
with the usual walks and shrubburv.
benches and gas posts, and has a fine
statue OF Ferdinand VII. in the center. In
this plaza in times past many patriots
have met death by order of the govern
ment. Here Gabriel Conception de la
Valdez, the celebrated mulatto poet and
one of the nobest men Cuba ever pro-
duced, was shot by soldiers of the line.
He was accused of completely with the
slave insurrection of 1914. when the blacks
made desperate effort to gain their free
dom. Grouped around the Plaza d Armas
are the several government offices. the
residences of the Bishop, the Command
ante and others high in authority, also
the finest shops and cafes.
The northern portion of Matanzas. that
lying beyond the Yumuri river, is called
Versailles, and reaches half way up the
Cumbre hills. From the summit of the
Cumbre, or rather from the top of Mount
serrat chapel, one may get an incompar-
able view of the Yumuri valley-a stretch
of emerald gorge with river running
through, enclosed within green bills
once dotted with gardens and orange
groves, with stately palms and villas
now all blackened, desolate and empty.
To one familiar with old Spain, the pros
pect recalls the Vega of Grenada. 1t is
ha1iavaI that
lake, walled across its present seward
opening: and that some convulsion of
nature rent the bowl and precipitated the
lake into the ocean, leaving the river in it's
course. On the hills nearest the bay are
the barracks of Santa Isabella, now nu-
merously garrisoned, the military hospital
and two or three similar institutions: and
directly below them, for mile and half
along the water 5 front of Versailles. runs
the Paseo, or fashionable drive, laid out
with gravelled walks, and rows of trees a
Beyond the Paseo proper an excellent road
extends TWO miles farther out, to the old
fort and castle OF San Severino, on Punto
/ Gordo, Fat Point" Before the war this
charming drive was crowded every morn
ing and evening with handsome equipages
filled with the beauty and fashion OF Ma
tanzas; but now not dozen decent car
riages are left in the district, the orandees
of other days are poor as church mice,
and only lettering soldiers and hungry Re
concentrates are seen in the Paseo.
Breakfast had been ordered for our
party at the Louvre, which is perhaps the
smallest and cleanest of the eight or nine
''leading hotels with which Matanzas
is blessed. 1t is built around a sunny
patio in which palmettos and bauanas.
Towering vines and fragrant shrubs -four
ish to perfection. Directly in front of
the main entrance. beautiful marble
basin set in the wall looks like the holy
water fountain in a cathedral, while above
it printed placard warns the populace
in choice Castilian, that only guests of
the hotel are expected to wash therein.
A flight of stone steps leads to the parlors
and bedrooms on the second floor; the
rooms are marble foored, with dadoes of
blue and yellow tiles, and all is as pictur-
esque and Spanish as anything cut of
Spain. Directly opposite is small plaza,
with tropical trees banked by moldy old
church, in which a lot of rusty bells
murder sleep for weary travellers.
Before the many course mid day break
fast was over word was brought that the
Governor was waiting to receive us in his
palace; and presently we trusted our
bones, somewhat timorously, to rickety
carriages and were ushered with cere-
mony into the presence of his excellency.
The Governor of Matanzas is certainly
rara avis among Spaniards in Cuba, b.
ing an amiable gentleman and friend of
Americans. In his case a beauti full
suite of rooms had already been pre-
pared for Miss Barton; and during the
somewhat lengthy official pow WOW, the
Governor himself proposed the toast
''To the Star Spangled Banner" Then the