The times., 1899-02-05

and theatres, and noisy persistency of lot
terry vendors. Bullfighting is as dear to
the native heart as ever though owing to
hard times, the expensive amusement is
now confined to a few OF the larger cities
and certain seasons of the year. But the
Cuban village must be poor indeed which
has not its several cochpits, in full blast
at least one day in seven, wherein crowds
of men bet their last real on favorite
birds, and go wild with excitement over
the edtfying spectacle of two miserable
roosters ciawing each other 10 death. The
inveterate gambling propensity of the peo-
pie also finds vent in dominoes, chess
baccarat, and a thousand other games of
chance and skill, in which ladies may also
indulge in the privacy Of home-and sell
dom without stakes. The Cuban female
goes into gambling with the same innocent
zest which distinguishes her sister-women
OF northern villages who find their highest
ambition realized in the .'lone-hand'' prize
of progressive euchre. In this part OF the
world every table in hotels. barrooms,
clubhouses, and cafes is in requisition all
day long and far into the night on Sum
days for gaming purposes.
The Cuban BnrLecp-r
In these January days it looks odd
enough to eyes fresh from the snowy
north to see the marble floors of all the
finest cafes sprinkled with dampened saw
dust, with view to coolness, like Bowery
beer halls in the thirsty days OF August.
have excellent American authority for the
statement that the Cuban barkeepers out
Herod Herod in the matter of manufactur-
ing cocktails with energy and dispatch.
The native compounder seiZes Two glass
es-one very large and heavy, the other
small and thin. With frantic haste he
or W ne he. nj
ter with the liquors, bitters sweets and
whatever else may be required in the COM
pounding of cocktail. Then, with
swinging movement which can he acquired
only by long practice, he dsshes the ice
and fluids from glass TO glass, if his
| life depended it, clicking the crystals
! like pair OF castanets until all is thor
oughly amalgamated in the big glass
Then, without losing a second of time, he
filings the mixture through a strainer into
the little glass, which must be exactly even
fun and then the recipient is expected to
dash it down his throat with the same
furious energy, to smack his lips and say it
beats New York all hollow and call for
more.
The Popular Drinking Vessel.
The funniest thing in the line of drink
ing is TO see the Cubans imbibe water
from monkey jug" or perone. The yes
sci, by the way, which il found in every
house and hotel bedroom, is a delight 10
, the foreigner, not only by reason of its
artistic beauty, but because IL keeps the
water cool in a comparatively iceless
country. There are jugs and jugs, of va
rying shapes and siZes-all OF gray clay
nodded in quaint design. The commonest
are round and slender, with two holes in
each near the handle, which is on top
One hole is perhaps inch in diameter
through which to pour the water into the
jug; and the other, in knob which
marks the place. is not larger than the
hollow OF goose quill. IL is the old story
of the bung and the spigot. Filled with
| water, the jug is hung on a peg or any
convenient projection. in a spot that is
draughty. The currents of air cause the
thick, porous clay to perspire like pa
tient recovering from Santiago fever, -
and the result is that the water is rem
dered cool and wholesome The Cuban
fashion of drinking is not to touch the
vessel with the lips, but TO open the
mouth wide and holding the jug up TO tilt
II until tiny stream tricltles down the
throat. describing a siX-inch curve and
striking square on the root of the tongue.
The Charming Cubnnns
Apparently the highest local institution
OF Cienfuegos Is the Sunday evening prom
enade In the plaza; and without 1t really
do not know how the young people of the
aristocracy would manage to mate and
| marry. During all the week senoritas OF
the upper class are kept under rigid re-
striction, never permitted TO walk abroad
alone, and constantly Watched by parents