The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-18
RS. FANNYIB. WARD'SlLETTER,
Special Correspondence

AVA m 2Ghio 1lSos sSff ~ atlitit ~. n -
Special Correspondence. X 'isst
WASHINGTON, D. c., April ia..The
last thing ] did before leaving Havana
was TO SO out TO tho cementatlo dc
sCflstcval Colon, to photograph the
! graves OF our men Of the Maine" for
the sake of their friends at home. It
was @ faultless summer morning, cool
ed and sweetened by trade winds,
waiting the odor OF flowers on their
wings-such weather as would make a
paradise of Cuba without these dread
.ful conditions OF war. The "cementar.
10 Hes about three miles from the
heart OF the, city. You may SO by horse
car as far as the suburb. Jesus del
Monte, and thence to the cato Of the
senciosure.in a ten-cent bus; or you may
axe q carriage, at the rate OF 81 80 per
hour, Havana..s 5000 or more public, car
sriagess carry you from point to point
anywhere within the city limits for
twenty cents each way: but they make
up for that cheapness, by charging five
times as much II they cross the line OF
demarkation into the suburbs, by so
much as quarter OF q mile. The stu
entsof human nature gets O good deal
more out OF the trip in the democratic
5horse-car; but as time was an object on
fout last day. in Cuba. VIC chose thu
quicker transit OF the carriage. The
drive Is a beautiful one-past city
parks and plazas, abloom with roses;
the great market house, with It's fac
Ing OF .portales," or covered urches-
under each arch regular curio-store
of shop; through intermlnable mar
row streets, built closely up with low,
sfat5roofed buildings. painted sky blue,
purple, rose-pink, pea-green. all with
Iron: barred windows. The retail trad
ierss placard their inhnitesslmal stocks
with high-sounding tHles-such as the
shoe-shop OF La Riena de las Flores,
G(.The Queen OF the Flowers"), the gro
Gerry OF the Lovers OF Venus, the old
clothes cleaner OF His Gracious Majes-
lty, Alphonsus VII. etc. Havana has
been correctly described as city OF
smells and noises. 1t Is q belief when
thetseYerlasting racket Of the cobble-
stones Is exchanged for the smooth
roll OF wheels over macadamlzed
road, though the latter Is deep in dust
and white as snow in "a glaring sun
shine Down the middle OF the road
statues stand at frequent intervals-old
marbles figures. quaint and weather.
stained. Dusty trees line the way; be-
meath them. on either side, little
stream bubbles along pebbly ditch
and the fields are hedged with organ
cactus, Its pipes" covered with sting
ing pines, growing close together, high
er than a mans head, forming q bar
rler which no living thing can pass.
u Governor Generals p aiace., / 4, ~. !,
The governor-generars country place
Is close 20 the city limits on the. Gene
terry road. It is magnificent estate
with towering palms, a wilderness Of
flowers and extensive park in which the
choicest vegetation OF the tropics -four
ishstp perfection. The mansion-large,
low, white painted and surrounded by
:latticed verandas-remains closed In
these troublous times; but formerly the
rulers OF Cuba spent most OF the year
here and gave frequent receptions
which were attended by the flower. of
iHavana's society. II Is said that the or
nate iron paling which, surrounds these
grounds was stolen from the municipal
.itySsbyi a former encouragement. It
enclosed the central plaza,with It's score
of entrances, and the good people were
very. proud OF 1t. But his excellencv
needed a new fence for his country
place and preferred to economize the
money in the treasury for other private
uses, So one night after dark, the
transfer was made by q company OF SOL
diers, and next morning the astonIshed
citizens could hardly believe their eyes
at the sight OF the denuded park.
Ad Joining this place is the botanical
garden, with wonderful avenue OF
royal palms, second only to that OF Rio
de Janeiro, In Brazil. A little further on
Is the Quinta (Garden) OF tho business
mems club-a one-storv, rambling, red
tiled building. surrounded by shrubbery.
Members OF this club, who keep up their
dues OF a dollar month, can 20 out 70
this place at any time for few days
rest and recuperation, or for nursing
when actually Ill. Another Interesting,
institution on this road is the retreat OF
a Catholic sisterhood, corresponding to
the order known in the United States as
THE Little Sisters OF the Poor: The
valuable estate, with its fine old man.
(; sion set far back from the highway be-
hind green fields and royal palms, was
jbequeathed to the order MANY years
ago by a wealthy Cuban lady, and the
Little Sisters, now very aged women,
are logging toward sunset" In peace
fulsretlrement. Z:
Rustic tlendas are scattered along
1.-THE way through whose open doors
white; draped tables are seen; and the
5cllnking Of glasses indicate that the
2refreshment is mostly in liquid form.
SDonkeys ore constantly met-some
times sinSly. come times tandem, half
a dozen In line, hauling heavy load
always wonderfully caparisoned with
jIngling bells and scarlet tassels and
huge rolls Of white wool atop the shoul-
,ders and harness thIckIy studded with
[ big brass nails. Ok teams are frequent,
long trains Of them, yoked two abreast,
their poor heads bowed almost to tho
earth by the load OF wood upon the
horns, held In place by q cruel rope
Z drawn through the nostrlIs. 1t makes
ones heart ache to witness the treat
ment OF animals In Cuba-and nothing
Z seems to fare worse than oxen. the
most patient and faithful OF all beasts
OF burden. How their heads must ache
under those heavy yokes, staggering all
day long. dashed and goaded at every
step, though pulling the utmost ounce
< ofiwhich they are capable. When tho
: days work Is done. the suffering beasts.
often without water and grudginglv fed.
: only to keep strength In them. must stu
1 retain the yoke, for It Is too much trou-
Z bic for the owner to take 1t of and put
Al ION In the morning.
4 Tho Cemetery.
.S7sl No,rtno, tbai rcmefpry wo nassnd z n