The times., 1899-01-01
VEDADO, FASHIONS RESORT
Bad Roads n Characteristic-Wh
American Soldiers Are Encnmpcd
The Rural Glorieta - Tne Cele-
bratcd Baths-Features of Marian
ao-Improvements Already Begun

governed by neither, Cuba is as unlike the
fair island of former days and what We
hope she may soon become, as the tad
pole shedding its superlluous tail is unlike
the finished batrachian.
Before the war, the Vedado was the most
fashionable resort in Cuba-the Cape May,
Dieppe or Scarborough of the island, to
which wealthy planters and their families
came every Summer for the bathing. Only
three miles from the city and reached by
steam car, many of the richest Hayanese
have villas there as well as business men
who go in and out mornings ami even
ings. So far as nature can make 1t, no
more charming resort exists in the world
than the little seaside place which now
looks so forlorn and deserted; and in an
other year or two, Ender civilized manage
ment, it will doubtless become the winter
Mecca of Americans. The drive thereto
is delightful, after the dirty purlieus of the
city are passed. There are two routes-the
San Lazaro way. which lies mostly along
the sea- and the Jesus del Monte road,
leading past the cemetery where our
Maine boys lie; and it is well to go by
one route and return the other. First
along the Prado, thronged with soldiers
and civilians, beggars and hidalgoes of
high degree; past the Parque de Isabel.
where bands are always playing-tne Ia
con Theatre, the Ingleterra, the Spanish
Casino the lepers' hospital-until the
northern edge of the island is reached and
the Atlantic lies sparkling before you
In the Ancient Streets.
The road is about as bad as road can be,
deep mud holes between its broken stones
alternating with dusty stretches. Under
General Greene's energetic treatment II
will presently be somewhat improved; but
though paved and drained and cleaned to
perfection he cannot make the old town ut
to drive in without tearing down half its
houses. All the streets, except two or three
handsome avenues that lead through parks,
are literally too narrow to swing cat
in" From twelve to eighteen feet Is the
rule. the walks on either side included. In
the principal business thoroughfares two
carriages can barely pass By tight squeeZ-
ing at the risk of locked wheels and en-
tangled harness.
In many of the streets wheel traffic is
regulated by law, carts and carriages being
| forbidden to enter during the hours when
| most frequented by pedestrians AT other
| times certain of the streets are used for
vehicles going north and others for those
going south. 1t frequently happens in
| driving about town that your carriage can-
not proceed until some obliging policeman
has cleared the street of people on foot, or
maybe there is a regular Broadway DOCK
ade. caused by a mulecart ahead or half a
| dozen donkeys hitched in line, the nose of
| one donkey just touching the tai OF the
next The sidewalks-if the scanty STRIPS
| of tagging which face the house fronts
| can be so called-match the proportions of
| the Streets twenty inches being generous
| average. Two persona cannot possibly
walk side by side upon them. and in pass
| ing one must step into the gutter.
! The City's Best Part.
| It sounds like an Irishman's remark, but
! 1t is nevertheless true, that the best part
of the city is outside of it-that is, beyond
| the limits OF the ancient walls, where the
| buildings, being of later date, look nors
| in keeping with the times. Portions o!
| the old walls are yet extant, crumbitns
| and deeayed, but eninently picturesque
| Increased population and business long
| since extended their structures far out
| into what was once the suburbs. leaving
| the walls and their bitches in the heart Of
| the modern city. Much of the space they
| once occupied is now filled with Havana 5
| handsomest residences. Building room IN
| that section is very scarce and correspond
! ingIy expensive-say $4,000 for lot, TO
| be entirely enclosed by the housewails,
with no yard except the central patio.
| Leaving the Gale San LaZaro the Feia-
| do road winds close along the curling surf,
with low bluffs on the left. On one Of
those hills sits the Castillo del Principe.
| the chief fortification of the city, and 9TH
| ers are crowned with the newer forts. in
tended for the annihilation of Americans,
which the Dons had no opportunity to use.
| Anon you are bounced over huge boulders,
| partially hidden in the earth, and you Won
| der what the roadmakers of Cuba have
been about during $50 years. These coral
rocks are the foundation of the island,
| built up from the bottom of the sea and in
many places yet scantily covered with soil.
| Some OF the rocks are overgrown with the
stunted grape trees of the region; but
there is no shade, no grass, no vegetation
worth mentioning except here and there a
| stately palm tossing its piumage against
the azure sky.
After n time you come to houses set
close together in rows. and by that token
| YOU know the Nedado is reached. Ameri
can soldiers are now encamped on the
common that used TO he called a ball
ground the principal hotel has been con-
verted into military hospital, and a nsar-
by glorieta serves as temporary barracks.
= Peculiar Institution.
\ glorieta, by the way, is an institution
peculiar to rural Cuba. 1t is little more
than large square platform, with open
sides and roof of tiles, thatch or canvas.
but wonderfully bedecked with flags.
strcamers and garlands of paper flowers.
In il people OF the lower and middle classes
amusc themselves on Sundays and other
holidays with music and daylight dancing.
In this hot climate, strange TO say, there
is as much outdoor amusement-and even
violent exercise not in the line of work
as in colder countries. Racing bull fight
ing dancing and riding are the customary
diversions of Sundays and saints days.
and the latter comprise nearly every day
of the 800.
The pink, blue and canary -colored villas
of the Vedado are nearly all set back from
the street. with verandas in front and sur
rounded by gardens, in agreeable contrast
TO the city houses. flush with the side
walks. their windows bulging in the way
of pedestrians. Every garden has its
dwarf oranges, low trees covered with
scarlet blossoms and oleanders perfuming
the air.
The celebrated baths, at present quite
deserted. are the uueerest l have ever
seen-unless it be the Mexican cenotCs.
long. high coral reef has been cut and hoi-
lowed into dozen separate wells just
where the surf comes tumbling against
the shore. These cavities are from twelve
to fourteen feet square and six to eight
feet deep. In each of them is hole open
ing to the sea, somewhat larger than the
port hole of a ship. Through this opening
the water finds entrance and stands per-
haps four feet above the floor A wooden
roof stretches above these pits and each
is partltioned OFF by itself above the water
thus converting it into an excellent pri-
vate bath room, open to the broad Atlantic
At the entrance is a wooden floor and a