Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-23
Our CUBAN LETTER.
IN cuba's Capital with Camera-A Last Look at the
Graves of Our Men of the Mape-Some
Spanish Characteristics
speclal correspondence.


rraph the graves of our men of the
Maine, for the sake of their friends Mt
home. 1t was n faultless summer
morning. cooled and sweetened by |
,radewinds waiting the odor of fiowers |
n, their wings--such weather as would |
make a paradise of Cuba without these
dreadful conditions of war. the
"cementario" lies about three miles J
from the heart of the city. You may |
% nv horse car as far ms the suburb. |
Jesus del Monte, and thence to the
sate of the enclosure In ten-cent bus:
ar YOU may take carriage, Mt the |
rate OF sl.5O the hour. Habanas 81
600 or more public carriages carry You
from point to point anywhere WITHIN
the city limits for 20 cents, each way;
hut they make up for that cheapness
by charging five times MS much II they
cross the line of demarkation into the
suburbs, by so much as quarter OF
n mile. The student of human nature
gets n good deal more out Of the trip
in the democratic horse car; but as
time was an object on our last day IN
cuba we chose the quicker transit OK
the carriage. The drive Is a beauti-
ful one-past city parks and plazas,
abloom with roses; the great market
house. with its facing OF ''portales,' or
covered arches--under each arch reg
ular curio store of a shop; through IN
.erninable narrow streets, built close
lv lin with low, hat-roofed buildings,
painted sky-blue. purple. rose-pink'
pea- green, all with iron-barred VIM
dows. The retail traders placard theii
infinitessimal stocks with high-sounu-
ing titles-such as the shoe shop OF La
Riena de las Flores ("The queen OF the
dowers'r, the grocery of the Loves
OF Venus, the old clothes cleaner OF
His Gracious Majesty Alphonso W.
etc. Habana has been correctly des-
cribed as a city of smells ana hoises'
1t Is relief when the everlasting
racket OF the cobble stones IL eX-
changed for the smooth roll of wheels
over a macadamized road, though the
latter is deep III dust and White as
snow In a glazing sunshine. Down the
middle OF the road statutes stand at
frequent intervals-old marble figures,
quaint and weather. stained. Dusty
trees line the way; beneath them. on
either side. little stream purles along
a.pebbly ditch; and the fields are
hedEed with organ cactus, Its pipes
covered with singing spines. growing
close together, higher than a mans
head, forming a barrier which no Nv
ing thing can pass. The governor
generals country place is close to the
city limits on the cemetery road. 1t
is a magnificent estate. with towering
palms, a wilderness OF flowers and ex-
tensive park in which the choicest
vegetation OF the tropics flourish to
perfection. The mansion--large. low.
whIte-painted and surrounded by lat
tlced verandas--remains closed In these
truublous times; but formerly the ru-
lers OF Cuba spent most OF the year
here and gave frequent receptions
which were attended by the flower or
Habana' society. 1t is said that the
ornate iron paling which surrounds
these grounds. was stolen from the
municipality by former gov
ernor general. 1t enclosed the
of entrances, and the good
people were very proud OF 1t. But his
excellency needed a new fence for his
country place and preferred to econo-
mtze the money in the treasury FOR
other private uses. So one night after
dark the transfer was made by COM
pany of soldiers. and next morning the
astonished citizens could hardly be-
leve their eyes at sight of the denuded
park.
garden, with wonderful avenue OF
royal palms, second only to that OF
Rio de Janeiro. in Brazil. A little far
ther on is the Quinta, (Garden), OF the
business mems Cuba one-story, ram
bling, red-tlled building, surrounded
by shrubbery. Members of this club,
who keep up their dues of dollar n
north, can go out to this place at any
time for a few days rest and recuper-
alton, of for nursing when actually Ill.
Another interesting institution on this
road Is the retreat Of C.holic sister
sl... IL
In the United States as THE Little Sis
tiers of the Poor" The valuable estate
with It's fine old mansion set far back
from the highway behind green fields
are royal palms. was bequeathed to
the order many wears ago by n wealthy
very aged womA are logging toward
sunset" In peaceful retirement.
Rustic tiendas are scattered along
the way. through whose open doors
white draped tables are seen; and the
clnklng OF glasses Indicate that the
refreshment is mostly in liquid form
Donkeys are constantly met-sometime.
singly, sometimes tandem. half doz'
en- in line, hauling a heavy load-al.
ways wonderfully caparisoned witt
!lngllng bells and scarlet tassels and
hugh rolls of white wool atop the
shoulders and harness thicltly studded
with big brass nails Ox-teams are FIRE
quent, long trains of them. yoked tw'
abreast, their poor heads bowed almos
TO the earth by the load of wood upoI
the horns. held In place by O crue
rope drawn through the nostrlls. i
makes ones heart ache to witness tbs
treatment OF animals In Cuba--ant
nothing seems TO fare worse than oxen
the most patient and faithful Of al
beasts of burden. How their heads mus
ache under those heavy yokes, stagger
Ing all day long, dashed and goaded a
every step though pulling the utmJs
ounce Of which they are capable. Whei
the days work Is done. the suffering
beasts, often without water an,
grudgingly fed only to keen strength
In them, must stlll retain the yoke, TO
II Is too much trouble for the owne
TO take It on and put 1t on again in tn
morning.
Nearing the cemetery, we passed
group Of barefooted bows. shoutini
with happy laughter. MS they loitered
along the way. Looking back Mt TIL
hilarious company. I was nstOnlshcd L
see In the midst little white coffin
y was funeral >-N"eSson In thes
Spanish countries women do not Mt
TEND funerals, you know but the spec
hcle of some mothers baby beini
carried to its grave by lot of IRE
sponslble boys, was to me something
shocking. Hurrying back. I halted tn
laughing procession and made q proto