The Republican journal., 1899-04-13
e,1dlrLAR cosAs DE CUBA.

..-r.spondture of The Journal
March IA, 1899. Early yes
N' ps we aame over from Ha-
Gr3'' baars run by the Central
b'''~ otucss the annual fiesta of
'- oegla. the negro Virgin,
A .aaa.5ted with greater eclat in
Than anywhere else on the island.
A'''- .o,. tb.e to account for a color
N'' .tthIst except the dusky race
... contend that theirs is the
Pr -4-5.a.l..Mto man and the lighter
~ .., miserable deliberations. l
'.'' severn presentations of her in
l' ...s Mexico, Peru and Brazil,
i' ..s~- tley exist in other Spanish
''- ...-lss one is prepared for
..4 ~uo Augustine as that
e.s NooD but the raison d etre
.- rJlu remains mystery. She
..,4t ia The Cuban Capital,
.... .-A res abound, but in Ma
" .t...-s SONS and daughters of
... t1ey few, there is
l.I. .nG 1t stands just be-
..s 1l the city, on top of
i}iies the valley. 1t was
.u. euuries ago, by pious
...... ..-l,, ZAP commemorate some
...-. ..D40nng In the history of his
~. 49,. tnloe year are services
.. , ,tuctuary-on March 18th
...u..r -.l-but its doors are al
... que believers, mostly of
.....+o a.. ONE daily to invoke the
,.... ..-.sg and leave before her
.....u 9ye offerings of shells, first
--. a.,e- and fragrant flowers.
..... station We selected the least
...r. .l,e 70 sight and drove out
...... .. aAe look at the famous Vir-
.u5u.a t the crowd. Rattling
.... arrow city streets, across the
... ..-- I'd san Juan, through the
-.. ,gAusb Of Bellamar and the
..". 1e4- beyond, i've found the heat
5..- -r- intense, like that of mid
Maine But hi 5her up on the
. ...- i..ezt blew fresh and cool
7..r.r ... artbean sea, and we won
ae 10y the good people of Ma
,.-,. .- erect their homes above the
I'll m 1T La Virgin Negra is
...r .l.lre OF time mellowed stone,
rn .ilt cross and surround
ar NgIs " masonry. Because of
Is, mmanding a wide view of
H l ml adjacent country, the
laa. 5e> made it redoubt, at the
eT IA. ne when BlancJ's mule met
sl5l r american guns. Among
..3.# IT'S they cut down many of
a n. aks mat once shaded the
.sa a.e-a, hen baby trees from
h. Nd- ind knocked out en-
a..u Walls. To- day the interior
-r.t~s beyond compare. We
. -aped with sea shells, and
4ttd To represent a sub
4r- gnihoant Of some incident
.-.00 s.l the Virgin, who is believ-
.r.- dIil mindful of sea faring
-H .sd image of wood, is
a'l .al square, with face and
a.. akness and the incongru-
H . t Niue eyes and a blonde
f- -Utr0ly dressed in purple
t -ere' with gold, a jeweled
aa ..r tr Yellow curls and a great
lJ .- UP The wooden fingers and
a ain around the neck-the
-.0 followers.
Hl Eae lettering stairs to the
.r'. tapaid for our toll by the
1'. H molded. Sitting among
'I5t .e.s tile largest of which was
rs, E.e'e ma W. years ago, amid hun
lt ameleons, darting about the
d 4i tgaFding us with bright, in
-sf. -f-> we looked over two lovely
oload expanse of shining wa
/. '4 the shabby old town, asleep
substitute it's forty eight thousand
l-aL-aH apparently all dead or gone
'-a1 the tranquil bay in front,
-. asat4 mountains yelled in mist, re-
4-4 as f the Berkshire Hills or the
'-' l--= " u Virginia. On the left of
1'-ia-e Az Tie far famed Vale of Yum
''. eA witt palms, carpeted with rich
' st.alU md adorned with streams
~ uhhons; on the right, Matan-
' 'a'.7T stretching westward till merged
-s .''Feal Jungle. No forests are left
1'' part et cuba. The mountains, So
''7- l'agb none Of them are more than
-Fft nigh, are covered with prickly
-'4'.s' SD think that it can be penetrat-
us5 of the machete. 1t was a
.'''' Summer day, except that there
'' '7V gus If insect life, and one miss
VIE s'1g, IF birds. No cheerful note
.'''l "Hippoorwill or phoebe made
" az "e-odious, not even the shrill
l.. WI Inc Paroquet or the gentle voice
lp' was to be heard. Cuba used
'-'a "-'tS galore cardinals, orioles,
.'9-.aes iuail, plover and countless
N.1q> what has become of them
The horde of starving recon-
aHI almost equally hungry pat