Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-20
HOUSEKEEPING IN CUBA
Cleanliness and Daintiness Within the
Dwellings, if not Without.
How the Natives Manage without Ice
Necessity to Guard Against Ants,
Lizards and Scorpions.

| use said a former resident of Cuba to
Tribune reporter, some of the Cuban
| houses have large wooden boxes, about
three feet square and six feet high, divided
| into two compartments. In the lower part
provisions stored. The upper part
contains a great jar of glazed clay, which
will hold about ten gallons of water. The
| top of this jar is a followed porous stone,
| which serves as filter for the water which
trickles through into the jar. The evapora-
ton of the water in the clay jar keeps it
cool and cools the compartment beneath.
This porous stone tank is scrubbed every
day. and occasionally charcoal or clean
gravel is put in to further purify the water
Though the streets of Santiago are so
dirty, tie Cuban houses that I visited in
that city were kept scrupulously clean. A
number of men servants were employed on
low wages-about s. a month. There are
few women servants. 1 never saw Cuban
woman engaged in any kind Of Homework
or in plain sewing. l do not wish to make
any sweeping assertion and state that they
never work, but merely say that those who
work never came under my observation.
stoves such as we have are not used
In the Kitchens that l saw open fire.
place rested on a foundation of masonry
three or four feet above the floor The
draught was supplied by an aperture that
ran from the front of the stone foundation
through the floor of the fireplace. The fire
was built around this hole and over the
flre was placed supported pot, griddle or
pan, according to requirements. Coal was
imported from the states only for manu-
featuring purposes. Charcoal for fuel was
brought around by peddlers.
In times of drouth we bought drinking
water from peddlers, who used to carry it
slung in goat skins on each side of their
mules. We could buy four or five gallons
Tor ten cents, and kept it fairly cool in lars
OF unburned clay. Artificial ice was sold
In the city of Santiago de Cuba for seven
a tc
tenn of waterworks in Santiago At one
time, when the water supply failed Mr..
Mlchaelson, of Schumann & Co., imported
water from Philadelphia in tramp steamers
as well as in the steamers of the Juraeua
iron Company. Mr.. Michaelson il will he
remembered, established the soup kitchens
In Santiago last year
THE difficulties of housekeeping arc ,,oucb
increased in that climate by the lack of ice
IN the cities, where ice can be purchased
oy the Well-to-do, good beef is seen on the
tdoles. But in the country the beef is tough
because II must necessarily be cooked al
most directly after the animal is killed.
therefore, poultry is the staple meat fowls
are abundant.
"A favorite dish is chicken ont IN s,,,
pieces and stewed with rice and tomatoes
another national dish is rice with fried
eSss rat Tor cooking is called 'manteca
FoodS are fried in lard oleomargarina mr.
olive oil. I would not venture to say tbot
mere Is no butter in the province of Santi-
aso, pul l never saw any. Though the cat
"a vr,ili-
densed milk is used
fslce with tortillas is a staple dish of tho
poorer classes. The rice. when boiled. an
pears with every grain separate and slight
=, Inn nara, though thoroughly cooked Tor
tiids are made of imported cornmeal and
resemble 'johnny-cake' Another dish is
ieu Deans and rice - arroz - cooked with
Daeoh-tocino. The peasantry are also in
oF0Ihately fond of sugar cane and if tbay
can get enough of it to chew they annar
entity want nothing more. The natives are
partial to fritters of bananas ora npes or
o ,. fruits, and to the red bananas cut in
sllces ana baked in fat. Toma toes with red
pepper are much used for sauces r.,
Norlte salad is made of tomatoes and Snan-
, ,5,1 oiilohs cut IN slices and dressed with
nIInesar' OH, pepper and salt. The onions
tiiat are SOLD here as Spanish onions are NOT
ilsaIiy so delicate in flavor as those I ate
IN oupa- The aguacate pear is much used
IN soups and salads. The bread is good
anu, So Tar as my experience goes is OIL
ways served fresh, but not hot A nen1,,iar
cream. 't'''e' iiAe ice
=. The Cubans have no meal corresponding
70 our breakfast A cup of coffee only 10
served to the women and the oan +aLo -
aappetIzer which they call 'manana.' The
breakfast = 'almuerzo' lis served at ~
of a. anu IN weii-to-do families consists
ot LFe or SIX courses-soup, fish meats
nee, pastry and fruits and French uinn
o enu rum plack coffee is always served with
tigars or cigarettes. Cheese and guava
"PPStii dl every meal and
served In the same course At q or : 49,,
comes the 'comida,' corresponding to ON
dlnner, and it differs from breakfast on1I III ~,
peihg somewhat heavier SOUPS meat
saiads, vegetables and desserts are sarI,a1
IN the absence of butter, jellies and nra-
serves OF various kinds are much usad
dhough have heard of the untidinass ~
I l houses. L must say that in ali Of
lhose mat l visited the table linen was
sPotiess and the meals were dointfI,,
served, though the housekeeners aIas,
threw the refuse into the streets for ~
.uitufes 10 deVour. Many delicious bever-
ages are made from the native fr,jts
1aVorite drink is the milk of the graan 90
coanut mixed with water w
Inc ants, ormigas' are among tho +r;o,
- Sueah housekeepers. 1t is most difficult
i ~ Aeep provisions free from them The
less OF tables and of bedsteads are oftan
20 III vessels or Oil, or water with oil on
eoP, 70 prevent their incursions Lizards
seoipioHs ana tarantulas also find their
way iEto the houses, and l have seen the
great land crabs in some of the houses Of
me tile poems IN the country. The bodies of
these crabs are about nine inches long with
legs or ten to eleven inches friend Of
ours VINO was engaged in the CONSTRUCTION
oI me Juragua railroad, at a place known
as crap summit on account of the enorrn
Gus numbers of these creatures told nc
that When he was encamped near tba suno
mt ne discovered one morning that soma
OF ms garments had disappeared and fond
them several yards away from the Camn in
ne possession or crabs, who were scuttIins
OH with them as fast as possible But this
may be only "A crab story These crabs
are not eatable.