Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-03-31
FACTS ABOUT CUBA.


timely lea ling. They are taken from
a letter written some time ago to the
Southern Churchman by Rev. DR.. VIM.
H. Nelson, rector of the Episcopal
Church in Shepherd8town, who spent
some time in Cuba doing missionary
work:
Although the island of Cuba,
"Queen of the Antilles, is only nine
ty miles distant from the southern
most point of the United States, the
number of American tourists who visit
it is small. And yet there is very
much here to interest and instruct,
and a climate which offers during the
winter months most delightful con-
trast to the bitter cold, the ice, and
snow of our Northern latitude. At
this season the heat is seldom intense,
and frequent "Northers, v as the cool
winds are called, overcome the inhu-
ence of the sun and make light over
coat necessary. BY those who do not
like the sea, the journey is easily made
In palace car from New York to
Port Tampa, Fla, in forty-six hours,
and from that point in one ofthe com
Portable little steamers of the Plant
-Line to Key West and Havana. In
about fifteen hours after leaving Port
Tampa you are at Key West, where
the steamer waits six and half hours,
and seven and half hours later you
are in the harbor Of Havana. The
entire voyage is thus only between
twenty-five and twenty-three hours
hours in length. From Port Tampa
to Key West you are sheltered from
westerly winds by Florida, so that for
two-thirds of the distance the sea is
almost always calm.
The entrance to the harbor of Ha-
vana is picturesque The steamer
passes within a stones throw Of the
old fortress which commands the har-
Dor, and whose frowning walls rise
directly from the waters edge. The
harbor is gay with shipping of various
kinds, and with little boats plying to
and fro, whose cabins are slightly sug-
gestive of the Venetian gondola-only
they are white instead of black. The
city has bright appearance because
of the white or yellowish color Of the
buildings, and the picture is appro-
propriately framed by the green noun
tains behind it. The cities of Cuba
ere quite unlike most of the cities Of
Europe. They resemble somewhat
those Of Italy, but there is something
about them which recalls the East.
The character of the buildings, the
strange windows and doorways which
some of them have, the narrow streets,
with, in many instances, a mere
apology" for sidewalk, The awnings
spread across the street from house
top to house top, the palms and banana
trees in the public square, remind one
of Cairo or Constantinople. Although
| believe Froude calls Havana "a city
of palaces it was only by comparison,
and there are few such fine public
buildings and dwellings and churches
as we see in Paris or Rome. The cap
tain-general's palace makes little pre-
tense to architecture, is Of a dirty
white and yellow color, and shows the
DETACHMENT of time; and the same
might be said of most Of the churches
One of the latter, near the bay, per-
haps in its proportions the finest in
the city, has long been used by the
government as custom-house. The
Prado is a feeble imitation of the
Champs Elysees in Paris. 1t is bril-
liantly lighted with electricity, and
has fine promenade to the sea be-
tween rows of tall trees. There the
guards are reviewed every morning,
and the band plays on certain even
ings of the week.
Havana is busy city, with teem-
ing population of 100000, who throng
its streets-at most other points than
on the Prado, stepping off the side
walk in order to pass each other, and
then being intent upon lodging the
omnibuses and drays and cabs which
have small regard for pedestrians.
The average width of the sidewalks
in the business part of the city is about
two and a half feet, and break
in the pavement often means a hole
of nearly twelve inches in depth, SO
that one needs to walk with care. Al
though there may be little of the
American push" and go" there is
plenty of activity, and evidently
much business doing.
Ifthere are many intelligent Ameri-