The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-30

as hot as possible. The price varies witt
the number of courses desired-from thirty
TO fifty dollars the month. In all Spanish
| America, you know the customs of South
ern Europe prevail fn the matter of eat
ing. the late breakfast and early dinnel
! consisting of about the same articles, eacf
served by itself, making the simplest mea
| a cerenonioue affair of several courses
The canteen arrangement has its advant
ages, as well as its drawbacks. Some as
sentials are sure to be forgotten, such as
| salt. sugar, knife or spoon; the food is
! likely to be unpleasantly cooled in tran
| sit, and in time everything tastes alike
| of the tin, tinny-from soup to desert. On
| the other hand while men may fare well
! in clubs and restaurants, women VINO are
! alone in these lands where the medieval
idea Of seclusion for females still prevails
cannot appear unaccompanied in public
places without great embarrassment to
themselves and frequent insult.
One who has acquaintance in the city
may be certain of invitations to stay in
private houses, but you should remember
that these proverbiaIly hospitable Havan-
csc have now little ready cash. Despite
palatial city homes and extensive planta-
tons in the interior. the presence of a
guest at the board for weeks or months
might prove severe tax upon the family:
and 10 offer money in return would be TO
wound their pride beyond reparation.
Therefore. undeterred by gruesome reports
Of fever your correspondent went TO her
old home, the Pasaje Hotel, whose pro-
prietors speak English and make a spe-
cial point CT caring personally for their
guests.
Luckily for recent arrivals, the panic
that ensued in the Pasaje after the sixth
American yellow-fever patient had been
taken out of it left few unoccupied cor
ners. The truth is. there is no more dan
ger Of fever in one house than another.
public or private, in Habana. Danger is
present everywhere, and the worst time
is yet to come when American sanitation
begins in earnest. In all fever-haunted
places, from Mexico to Brazil, the ex-
perience of centuries is the same, that
the germs seem to Turk in old walls, drains
and sewers and wherever the later are
disturbed Yellow Jack is sure to break out
in that vicinity. Even in the always COS
mopolitfcal Pasaje a great change is ap-
parent. During the last year or two 1t
has become the favorite plact of our coun-
trymen in Cuba, being a newer and near
er to date than once fashionable Ingleter-
"a; and Just now, with its table full OF
officers, capitalists and business men from
the United States, one would hardly know
it from a New York caravansary, except
for the marble floors, pillared salons. and
yellow satin-canopied bedsteads.
The SWEETEST officers of the Spanish army
also made 1t their headquarters; but it is
noticeable that those who yet remain do
not swagger so much as formerly, order
less expensive wines at dinner, and glover
upon American pigs with a different ex-
preston Of countenance.
In the Prado in front of my balcony,
bands pay every day. The evening paseo
in the beautiful Parque de Isabel is filed
with well-dressed, chatterirg crowds, and
the theaters are nightly crowded. But
under all this apparent peace and good
will the volcano smolders. '"Fhe shadows
murmur. but the deeps are dumb" Bust
ness proceeds in its usual routine, and the
town goes TRANQUILITY to bed-past mid
night. because the typical Havanese is
not given to over-much slumber, and it
gets up before sunrise wondering what
dreadful; things have happened over night |
and holding its breath in anticipation of
possible occurrences. Thanks to'strict CEN |
sorship. the newspapers tell US little of the
of crime that is going on in Cuba
of nightly murders and robberies and |
outrages of every description. The Spanish |
system of press control would hardly be
tolerated in any other country, even Rus |
STA; but here it is as rigid as memorable. |
They assure us that correspondents are
not coerced but are free to write what
hey like. True enough; they may write
lUres and reams Of too-literal correctness
% please the powers that be; and when
he blue pencil gets done with 1t a dozen |
ines remain for the publisher. Yes it is
said that Don Carlos Moreno the present
press censor, is much too lenient toward
American correspondents. Therefore there
5 talk of displacing him in favor of Colo
lei Girauta, secretary of the Spanish COM
mission of evacuation-a second Congosto,
,r prompting Mephistophles.
The worst menace to society is General
8lanco's latest act. alleged mercy. This
vas to bring back to Cuba the ''Nanigoes,"
Is they are called, under the pretense of
lberating political prisoners. They are
'eally the worst criminals that ever in
ested this unhappy is-and-while thou
ands of real political prisoners, men of
tanding and character, whose only crime
vas love of liberty-yet languish in the
dungeons of Ceuta. The Nanigoes are all
negroes. or, at best, with but a slight
.dulteration of Cuban blood. Before the
q raot1lor or-ora 7 fiOr, for
he perpetuation OF crimes, with initiation
ties. pass words and other secret methods
f communication Candidates for mem
ership were first required 10 drink the
warm blood of a rooster. and then to draw
from box containing black
White and yellow balls. If he drew a white
ALL he must go out into the streets and
tab a white man. if black ball. negro;
: a yellow ball. mulatto. And then the
Initiation was complete and the new men,
er entitled to the protection of the society
nd a share in its plumber. The murders
nd Expectations committed by this class
-ere innumerable. until the Orden Publico
united them down, and the majority were
ent TO the penal settlements of Africa.
Tow that the police have in turn been de-
orted. Spain sends back the Nanigoes and
Irns them Dose upon a defenseless COM
lunity Il is matter Of deep concern to
he American government as well as TO
he people of cuba. Our military COM
Mission remonstrated-only 10 receive the
olite but sneering reply that the Nanigoes
re our friends, the Cubans. whose release
rom Spanish oppression the United States
as desired.
The other day $40 Nanigoes arrived in the
hip Isla dc Panay- None OF them had
5nt Of money or anywhere 20 go, ;heir
My possessions being small bundles OF