Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-19
l PEN PICTURE OF HAVANA
And the Molly ThrongS Of Residents
and Visitors

Who Make Up the Population
Of One of the Most Cosmopo-
Titan Cities on Earth-Bright and
Gay Are the Streets and Parks.
But the Backwards and Alleys
With Their Filth and Foul Smell
ing Garbage, the Lowly, Famine
Ridden, Disease Infected Homes
OF the Poor, the Prisons and Hos
pitfalls Present a Pathetic and
Tragic Picture--A Word of De-
scription Of the Men Whose
Names Are on Every Tongue.
Havana, March 14-Skies of tur-
1.loise, royal palms with trunks OF
silver and crowns of green. many
eharming looking women and fine
looking men, bands thoroughly melo-
dic. houses whose outer ugliness but
accents the statue haunted, flower en-
bosscd beauties within, occasional
flashes of monday heat rendering the
siesta time almost a necessity. ozone
laden morning and evening breezes
that make ones lungs a luxury, semi
occasional showers with sub-tropical
down pourings-these are some of the
attachments and attributes that mark
Havana, as retaining some of her old
time charms.
Narrow, ill-paved streets, unsanitary
and fcul-smelling garbage, uncleanly
alleys and back-yards, lack of modern
c0nvenienees a super abundance of
glare. a surfeit of squalor, misery,
starvation, disease, death in countless
ana appalling forms, stagnant business,
regnant ofIicialism, crowded hos
pitfalls, gorged prisons-these,
THE SEAMY SIDE
OF the tapestry of life here and to the
cbservant the sadness makes dscord
of the joyful notes. A visit to a relief
station makes the laughing crowd
around the band stand in the 'Parque
Central" a mockery, and the gay equip
age of the rich officer or merchant only
brings into bold relief the mean death
cask Of the pauper and the pacifico.
1t is cosmopolitan city in way,
Jut while the Latin, the Gallo, the
Indian and the African predominant
in numbers, the Anglo-Saxon holds, as
usual, his share of public attention.
The most animated conversation
among the voluble Cubans is hushed
into quiet observation if Sigsbee, of the
engufed Maine, comes into view.
Sigsbee, alert, pleasant faced, kindly
voiced. medium in statue but erect in
carriage, keen Of eye, ready Of tongue,
almost debonnair when off duty, but
incisiye, yigilant, politely peremptory,
sure in command, quick in foresight,
when on board; the first man
THE STRANGER WANTS TO SEE
and if so fortunate as to meet him,
the last to whom adieuX are made.
Then there is the court of inquiry
Sampson, tall, slightly bent as TO
shoulders as he gravely listens to
question or suggestion, with a face
marked with thought, lips, shrouded
by grey mustache and beard, courte
Gus but cold, quick to detect assump-
tion and quicker to grasp a point of
moment, a very ideal president Of a
court for whose decision, it is not too
much to say, Christendom waits with
eagerness. Chadwick-ruddy, semi
p0rtly genial suaye, fluent, hearty,
with eyes none the less keen that they
grow merry on occasion and lips that
can close in lines of iron though well
acquainted with laughter. Potter
brunette, soldierly, quiet but kindly,
self-ettacing but with the weight of
high intelligence in glance, speech,
gesture; the model of the executive Of
licer, diplomatist, man of the world.
MatriX-a potential of high value in
any deliberative body, looking as if
he could address court or jury to
marked advantage should occasion
serve, posted in every detail of his
profession (as indeed are all his en-
Ielees), man
NOT TO BE HUTMBUGGED,
and in the habit of weighing even his
own thoughts before he gives them
utterance. Certainly quintette
lSlgsbee always being included), OF
which the United States is proud.
Pencil pictures might be made of
Lee-that dashing cavalry soldier and
unblutfable Consul General-of Elwell,
Miss Bartons chief of staff, with the
face and form of Pickwick and heart
as kindly as that dear creature-of
Springer, Vice Consul, who knows
Cuba and it's people as he knows the
game of whist-of half dozen other
officials whose names are now almost
household words in the States; but
suffice it that all men are to be ad-
mlred for strong and manly qualities
interesting too. to a Dickens,
Ihackery, Dumas, or a Kipling,
would be the better class of cores
pondents to whom Havana is now the
habitat Of hope-alas for them that it
is hope deferred. They must join the
vast multitudes who read their dis
patches in playing the truly Spanish
game Of set down."
PATIENCE IS HARDER HERE
than in the North, for the Islander is