Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-02
HAVANA AS 1T Is TODAY
Interesting Account of Life in the Cuban
Capital.
A Spanish House In the Suburbs
Dance on BOARD an American
Man-Of-War.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

VEDACO, Cuba, April 90 1899.
What charming little suburb this is!
We are Only three miles from Havana, but
what a difference in temperature! The
houses are low. with broad veranGas open
ing into palm-shaded streets, and over
looking the sparkling blue sea, dancing and
glistcniug under the fierce rays of tropical
sun. which. however hot, is always tenn
pered by a breeze, soft and caressing, fresh
and pure.
In this American Riviera. Gen. Brooke
has established his headquarters on the
trocha. and here. too. are the officers of his
staff and other United States officials who
are temporarily located in Havana. The
United States hospital for civilians over
looks the village and commands fine view
of the sea. which watts to the invalids an
iEcassant stream of health-giving air. In
deed, so fresh and pure is the sea breeze
that ii seems incredible that disease should
ever affiiCt this beautiful island.
The cemetery is not far from Vedaio. We
visited the graves of the victims of the
Maine disaster. and found them decorated
with wrGaths and crosses of porcelain !low
ers. really very effective and quite sensible
under a sun which would quickly parch cut
flowers
we found the hotels in Havana 50 poor
and the charges eXorbitant that we Sc
cured rooms in the mansion of Il pompous
Spaniard in Havana. The marble floors
are bare. the curtainleSS windows rise al
most to the height of the twentyfoot cell
iTg-indeed. they are like Stat doors, open
ing on a balcony where one enjoys a final
cigarro before crawling under the mosquito
net for the night. The fine wire springs of
the be3stead are guiltless Of mattress, but
covered by thin quilt and a pair of linen
sheets. the toughest bolster imaginable
completes the bed furnishings.
As the Cubans Live.
As we want to live as nearly as possible
like the CubaHs. we take our desayerno or
genuine breakfast a am. a cup of cafe
con leche, with fresh French rolls and deli
cioIls cream cheese, in lieu of butter, which
is invariably bad At l. m. we get almuer-
20 breakfast. without the hyphen, and
at $50 = m. a very good cOmida. We try to
enjoy the garlic-seasoned quis&dos or
stews and really relish the delicious fresh
fish and always enjoyable guava paste.
Whilst SIMPSONS fleet and the French
snip Flax We're in the harbor Havana was
very gay. Captain SigSbee gave u splendid
ball on board the Texas, and every one
who was anybody was there. The main
deck was brilliantly Illuminated and pretty
Cuban and American girls in gay parti-
coiOred costumes danced and promenaded
with naval officers in full dress uniform
The fleet band is fine. but no danzas were
played. much to our regret. The musicians
had evidently not caught on to the erratic
measure "A la FaIoma," of the Cuban
DANA. But at the entertainment given at
the United States Club. in aid of the So
corro.' | noticed that many of the United
States officers on duty in Havana had taken
very kindly to the slow, graceful movement
of The danza, less fatigUtng than the ener-
getic waltz ana more conducive to CONVEX
sattou and mild hirtatfons.
Never in IA Hurry.
There is a delightful lack of hurry in all
things in this dolce far uiente island: even
a. t.,, ~ .,,;- ,:,.,.-+-,. 1,,,;r,.
'ii' TX 91f'9 9ii'o-' '''''t '''-.''
sGuattins on the ground ana leaning
against the pillar Of an arcade by which
most of the broad streets are protected
from, the SIN. Obispo the principal street
of rhe cftv rms from IittIa Central park
v-bsnce rfc stat,ta Of isabel. has bner do