The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-07-25
EVANSVILLE. w. VA, TUESDAY, july 25. 1899

IL ls occupied by the petty met. hautS
! and the prospective customers. II is
thriving beehive that is never empty.
and the money changing hands in the
course OF twenty-four hours is no in
considerable sum. One can pass
through the entrance and emerge
again fully clothed, fed and satisfied.
There are STILLS Offering tor sale fish.
boots, ne-bottomed chairs, waikiki
sticks, medicine aud lottery tickets.
Cheek by iowl will be found n jewelrv
booth carrying valuable stock and
one displaying ten bananas at three
cents the lot.
Probably one of the most peculiar
customs noticeable in the Cuban
markets Is the extremely small pur-
| chases made by the natives. Small
gourd cups holding scarcely more than
tablespoonful are used in measuring
rice, flour, beans and peas. Cabbages
are cut into wedges the size of n cigar.
turnips into eighths, squashes into
minute chunks and onions in halves.
Potatoes are sold by number. 1t is
no uncommon thing to see "A woman
buy piece of meat Weighing a couple
of ounces, then pass through tho
market purchasing tablespoonful of
vegetables here and piece OF garlic
there, and, finally, after an hour o.;
gossip, depart with food worth five or
six cents.
An odd feature of the mark ets is tho
temporary restaurants found in every
nook aud corner. They do not oc.
cupy stalls, but are conducted wher-
ever bit of space can be secured. As
the sole equipments consists of n
small charcoal brazier. frying nan
and wicker basket not much room is
required. The proprietor is generally
an ancient negro woman, one of the
toothless, mumbliug kind sometimes
found I'm tho South. The menu is not
extensive, rarely exceeding three arti-
cles fried plantaius, tortillas or corn
pancakes, and friioles, black bean.
There are no dishes, no cutlery, no
napkins. The beans and cakes are
sold together and the cake acts rs a
plate for the beans The fried plan.
tains are served in husks and are eaten
much as n banana, tho husk being
peeled off by degrees. 4 breakfast OF
this kind consistiu9 of two portions OF
cakes and beans and three plautains
Is sold for three cents. There are fried
fish stands aud places where icrked
meat IL the chief dish. but they are
reserved for those who earn n DAVIS
wages or who have money left them.
There IL tradition in the Santiago
market that man from Jamaica once
started an eating place with real tables
and plates, but only the Oldest fire.
quenters tell it.
a new businessin Cuban mercnn-
, tile circles is the selling of pledged
articles to the American soldiers and
visitors from the North. Shortly after
the surrender some one started tho
rumor that the pawnshops Of Santiago
were filled with valuable plate and
Jewels pledged by the inhabitants dur
ing the siege. This may have been
true to certain extent, but the uuan-
tlty OF alleged family hcirlooms carried
from Cuba during the past six months
would stand for three peri IDS of
Spanish history, Last June there
were two pawnshops in Santiago. To-
day there are at least six, and they are
sprlnglng mp, fully equipped, all over
the city. 1t is quite the thing for the
tourist to ask after their location on
reaching shore, and his purse must be
small If he caunot carry away one or
more pictures, caudlesticks, silver tea
| pots or inaid machetes. The painful
truth IL that these articlc7 are pouring
into the coast cities from the interior
and from adjacent islands in an in
creasing stream
A volunteer signal officer lately re-
turned from Santiago took great pride
In exhibiting to his envious friends q
curiously worked sword he had secured
at price from dealer down there
He told its history aud how it had
been worn by an ancient grandee from
Spain, until one day an inquistive
/ acquaintance found a little mark on
the lower part of the hilt which read
Made in Germany, 1897 New York
! Sun.