Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-26
ny TWO or THE BOYS OF THE
FOURTH.
SOME OF THEIR EXPERIENCES.
The shops md Shopping-Took
Family Suppcr-Guests ut n We'd
Mail Facilities.


but passes for this excursion are very
rare. much more 50 than s. bills. and
everybody knows how much these curl
osties in a soldiers pocket are Ike Tea
theirs on a dogs back.
To any one accustomed 10 none but the
practical commercial and manufacturing
towns OF the United States. with tall
houses. numbering from two to twenty
stories. as many bricks being piled up IN
n small space as the ground VIII hold'
and with wide drives and walkways the
sight Of Habana suggests a slight altera-
ton TO the extent Of pulling il up by
the roots" and building another city.
\ modern town can't be made OF IT, al
though the picturesque scenery and
healthier location among the hills around
foreten a new Habana in the Suburbs
distinct from the present city, as tar as
appearance and general layout are con-
cerned. The oldest part Of Habana was
at one time surrounded by wall running
10 the PradO. and that portion between
the wall and the harbor was called IN
side OF the town" while the part OUTSIDE
was spoken Of as Outside OF the town.
Most all Of the streets are not Wider
than the eood-sized alleys of Richmond.
corresponls 10 our Broad street ana
where centres the best trade and the Ia
dies 90 their shopping. get the latesl
! fashions and talk about others mishts'
IS about twenty feet wide. with sidewalks
the width of an ordinary hearth. Inc
! stores exhibit their whole stock at Il
! glance from the street Tor their lehs'h
is nearly always parallel with the street.
MAGNIFICENT displays are IN TINS way
.nara.. arrHH. NHAfH
| The Habana ladies' have the advantage
| I'm shopping over their American proto-
| tvnes i'm not having their breath taken
away riding on fast elevators, or being
hustled far back TO the dark portion or
/ store n half-block long. stumbling over
| boxes. and breaking china. space is
economical by having no side entrances
| or alleyways in the rear. what can
come in the front way has TO stay out
| The Hlbanese are open ana aDoFe
| board" about everything i'm the way Oh
| living. A great many OF the best houao9
are built without doors between me
rooms having archways instead, when
enable q visitor to see from the parlor 10
! the rear without obstruction 60 view. IN
many of the restaurants the meats. hsh'
| vegetables. &c, are displayed on the
! counters to the customer before ne OF
| ders while the chickens walk around
among the tables I'm the dlning-room Tor
! inspection.
The rich families can't be pointed ont
bv the neighborhood in which they i've
as I'm most American towns, Tor next
! door TO the mansion OF rich sugar
broker or a great tobacconist can often
be seen the humble abode OF family in
! want
Two Of the Fourth Virginia warriors.
whose names the boys have translated
into Spanish as Joseph Non de Puma
Company I'D and r.. r. Riddiccula
COMPANY 30. went 10 the city day or
so ago and their experiences Illustrate
the way a soldier generally does Ha-
| bana."
After they hal prepared passes ana
stated most ure. reasons for desiring
10 visit Habana. such as an important
collection 20 be made at bank, some one
al the point Of death. or attention or
medical specialist wanted, etc, and run
the gauntlet Of the various officers regi-
mental and division, who have TO sign
the pass. the station Of Buena Vista was
reached.
TEST OF PATIENCE.
There Is no use Of calculating on reach
Ing Habana before the middle Of the day,
however early YOU start. for after the
time consumed by the formalities OF Sc
curing q pass. etc. there's always likely
to he q DELAY of from one 10 four hours
I'm catching the train. which is scheduled
10 run every half hour. but is generally
DELAYED by a breakaee. wreck, or loose
rail or because the engineer is taking a
nan or the fireman has q cinder i'm his
eve In Habana. while walking, progress
is slow. on account of frequent stoppages
bv provosts for examination of passes
and the difficulty of finding the places
Won are looking for. This time Private
! De Plume and Riddiccula. after waiting
at the depot for an hour and halt'
boarded the train. and after riding Two
miles TO CerrO. owing 10 a wreck aheau'
the rest of the journey had TO be made
on q strcet-car. and although the driver
Of the three poor recOncentradO-looking
horses growled and didn't want TO bother
! about stopping for more passengers, they
! funped aboard. and in the course Of an
| hours ride through the rocky and tor
tuOus streets, were put Off IN the centre
| Of the town Of Habana. They first bought
| s4O5 in Spanish money for 81 I'm Aineil-
can. which is the regular rate OF eA-
| change with the brokers The prices SET
by most Of the merchants are I'm Spanish
money. and as a general thing they re-
| Quire the same in American While u tle
price IS made for American money The
Il
same price in Spanish.
! A "coche" was hired, and the city was
! seen inside and out. The drivers OF these
| two-passenger carriages charge one pc
| seta go cents to take a passenger any
| where in the city
The politeness Of the people IS some
| thing remarkable. Private Riddlccula'
who has the audacity Of an army mule
made bold to call two Spanish dudes
| from across the street and ask what they
| Maid for the fine Panama hats they were
wearing. Instead Of knocking him down,
&c an American would have done they
renlied politely $50 each. but that was
! tbe price during the war, and they could
! ne hought for less now. This statement
which was made in Spanish, was veri-
| fed I'm good English by 4 bright senorita
who happened TO be passing. This, OF
| course. called for the securing Of the
| eenorita's address. and a visit across the
| ferry TO her home that afternoon, but
| her father stuck by like "the old man
of the sea" throughout our visit
THEY TOOK SUPPER.
Supper was taken at the home OF
wealthy tobacco manufacturer, who was
exceedingly hospitable The custom pre-
walls Of giving freely of everything in the
| larder to a guest as long as he Will SIT
at the table. There no abrupt ending to
| a meal as among Americans. According
". although these high .prlvates' just
| happened TO drop in al an early day sup
per. they were helped freely to all sorts
Of vegetables. meats, fish, egg omelet,