The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-06
A CUBAN TRIP.
Havana Seen by Portland Eyes-Mr.
Coombs's Visit TO the Tropics.

Maine.
Ardon W. Coon bs, Esq, OF this city has
just returned from flying trip to
Havana. He was called up by telephone
one morning and asked to &c to Cuba for
q company of Boston and New York
capitalists That afternoon he was told
be must start for Cuba by the next morn
ing aud had barely time to pack his grip
and get to New York at the appointed
time for departure. He went to Havana
as fast as train and boats could take him
and came home when his business was
completed in the same rapid way. He
says that his time was fully occupied
while in the old Cuban capital attending
TO the business which called him there
and that he did not know as he had many
things to tell which would be of interest,
but when Yankee lawyer goes into
strange city his eyes are usually wide
open and in the case OF Mr.. Coombs the
TINES man found that he had far more
| interesting things to tell than space will
allow of being printed at this time.
II went to Tampa as fast as railroad
trains could carry me for my business
was urgent" said MIR. COMBS. Here
III took steamer for Key West and
Havana. A fine boatY Not by good
deal. / never in all my life had such an
uncomfortable trip. Probably the steam
er which 1 caught for Havana had made
as many as thousand trips to Cuba and
back without once being repaired. As u
result she was pretty we'll worn out and
In horrible condition as far as convsnien-
ces and comforts for passengers was con-
cerued. If one had money enough u state
room could be obtained but IL was not
much of a luxury. The dining saloon on
the steamer on which l was a passenger
was down in the forward part of the YES
sci where the negroes, Cubans and SOL
dieIs, who are too poor to afford state
rooms are quarteTed. This place was alb
solutely filthy and TO tell the truth
couldn' { eat morsel while on this boat.
Then TO make matters worse the captain
Of this steamer got her aground about ten
miles out in the Gulf and we staid there
sixteen hours without an attempt being
made to get the steamer off. A tow boat
came along and offered to pull the steam
er off the sand bar on which she was
stuck but the captain would not let her
try to do this because he wouldn't pay
for It, Finally the passengers united,
demanded that something should i've done
and after most vexatiousSdelay we got
started Sgain.
My fellow passengers wero about the
most cosmopolitan, heterogeneous lot |
ever saw. There were capitalists and
lawyers. doctors and soldiers, priests and
scoundrels, al venturers and literary men,
black and white, aristocratio and dirty,
and representatives from every part of the
civilized world including few Yankees
and many commercial men from the Mid
die states One could spend a month or
more in studying this various phases OF
character here presented and yet lind
amusement in this line for still another
| month.
From the cold blasts of Portland and
the snow covered country we plunged
suddenly into a climate with the temper
allure up to eighty degrees where ice was
in demand and only TO be had at 81 eat
cost. From heavy winter clothing we
changed to summer hannels and crash
and still were uncomfortably warm even
into the coolest part of the day.
| Havana is "a beautiful place to view
from the harbors mouth and AS our
steamer sailed in beneath the grim and
frowning walls of MORO Castle, by the
wreck OF the battleship Maine and up the
hnrbor, the long lines of houses, all look
ing alike from where we were. the cream
eoloIel walls glisteuing in the sun, in
the background were the green trees.
and above ali the blue cloudless sky, all
com biued to make picture which makes
IA deep impression ON one who secs II Tor
the first time.
4 1--WE were taken 70 the shore in lighters
padded by Cubans or negroes and landed
upon tine dock. A once We were beseiged
by multitude OF beggars, some with
hideous deformities, many OF them OF
artificial construction have no doubt.
10 give any silver to one of thess means
"A mans ruin and my companion, who
knew the country pretty well gave me
some good advice about this matter
| which | found IL wise to follow. The cab
| service in Havana Is very good. For about
| fifteen cents, American money, one car
ride anywhere in a comfortable carriage
not unlike our victorias here. 1t is
cheaper TO ride than TO walk for the
weather is so uncumfortably hot that one
| who is not used to the climate suffers
much at the least exertion. AS have
| said the streets are very narrow and on
each side rise three storied blocks, with u
cream colored facing and tile roof. Be
meath each window Is "a little balcony
which is usually occupied by some dark
skinned senoritas or others when the sun
does not shine upon it. These blocks are
all built about the same way ana are
nearly all occupied on the street floor for
shops and in the upper stories as dwell
ings Through the middle of the block
runs AN urca1e to "A court yard within
which is usually pleasantly ornamented
with flowers fountains and soneti mes
with statuary.
1--WE went to the Hotel Ingletarra
where we had engaged rooms by cable a
week ahead. We got one room with two
bsds IN il for 81 IA day. The hotel is nlled
with foreigners. all of whom are in
Havana on business of some kind and
who are working all kinds of schemes and
deals. The upper stories OF the Hotel
Dr. M;tcheu Saus In diff