The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-08
LIFE IN HAVANA NOW.
Funny Efforts of the TradespeopI
10 Speak the English Tongue.

10 Speak the English Tongue.
From the New York Tribune.
English is spoken in Havana. but it is
by English-speaking people. The poyglot
cosmopolitan who talks French, German,
English, Spanish and Italian indifferently
has always been here. Usually he was a
wealthy Cuban, who had been educated In
Paris, Travelled on the continent, and pass
ed his summers with his family at Sara
tago. If not that. he was likely to be a
tobacco buyer or a drummer for some
mercantile house in Europe. The cosmo-
politan, however, was few in numbers
three or four score perhaps. After him
came the German tobacco merchant or
manufacturer, who learned the language
of the country as matter Of course, and
then, because of business connections in
the United States made himself familiar
with English. Young Cubans of good fam
lily and the clerks in the export and i'm
port houses also know English.
In spite of this diffusion of knowledge.
the mass of the Havana popula ton, par
tlcuarly the Spanish classes knew moth
ing of the foreign tongue and cared moth
ing for it, 1t is the effort OF these classes
10 master English that is the most point
ed reminder of a change in the old condi-
lions. Where one shop formerly had the
sign, English Spoken Here" ii is now
seen in a dozen places. When tested, the
quality of the English does not usually
bear the test. An ambitious clerk who
has mastered few stock phrases is likely
to he the medium of communication His
struggles are amusing. The book store
have their windows filed with textbooks;
and manuals for learning English. and the
demand for these is a growing one. The
constitution of the United States. in both
Spanish and English, has a fair sale. while
the increase in the purchase of American
newspapers and magazines is out of pro-
portion to the increase in the number of
Americans who are here.
There is one bookseller in O'Reilly
street. who stubbornly refuses to recog-
nlZe the new conditions. He is an uncom-
promising Spaniard. 1t was never possible
to obtain surreputousy at his place Gu
ban literature during the insurrection. It
is equally impossible now 10 procure a
book or a pamphlet printed in English. He
still keeps for sale the pamphlets in which
the Yankees were excoriated by loyal
Spanish authors. The demand for this
class of literature which was at one time
quite brisk has ceased. Probably the
bookseller intends to return to Spain His
is The only place in Havana in which Eng
lish books are not on sale.
ne most PERSISTENT OAlGS tn lnelE eHOfiS
TO learn the tongue Of the Americans are
the waters in tho hotels and cafes For
merry their vocabulary was limited TO the
single phrase, IAN right" When The
wrong meats were brought, when cold
soup was served and canned peaches took
the place of fresh pineappes. the only
satisfaction the eXasperated guest could
get would be the assurance "All right"
Now the walters, in addition to knowing
the names of the different dishes. have
learned 10 ask whats wrong sir?"
The cocheros, or cab-driVers, were
among the last TO recognize the language
of the conquerors. but they have yielded.
Their English is not as idiomatic as that
which Is spoken by the New York cab
drivers. They ask ITO where?" instead OF
"Where to-" and sometimes they put in
(Which where?" When the wranele
arises over the fare they forget their Eng
hsh and fail back on Spanish. The boat
men in the harbor are In advance Of both
cabmen and walters. They know how 10
speak few sentences. and they under
stand what is said TO them fairly well.
Americans who have recently come to lIa-
vaua and who think to improve the OPP
portunity of acquiring Spanish complain
that they 60 not get the chance. one o.
the engineer commissioners has already
cried and discharged three professed
teachers. They were ali trying 70 perfect
their English at his expense. A hotel in