The times., 1899-06-25
few $3.50 and IS Shoes, Sl.9S.
CROCKER'S, 2ss So. Pa: ';,:. Ave-. ',..

better than the average hotel in viii
lagos of the same size in America. The
Spanish boniface cares little for the honor
Of his profession or the comfort of his
customers; but he has learned that there
is profit in keeping a good inn. Awhile
ago the Bodegueros were fierce in their
hatred of the Cubans, and clamored loud
ly for annexation; but since they have
seen the methods Of the Americans, their
abundant capital and steady persistence in
business, self-iDterest has caused them to
sing another tune. Now they have painted
their store fronts the Cuban eolors and
haunt the Cuban flag, in order to keep
the Cuban trade and accentuate their hos
tility to American military occupation.
The order of General Brooke. forbidding
the bodegueros and cafe owners to sell any
alcoholic liquors to American soldiers,
added fuel to the flame of hatred. From
time out of mind they had turned many
honest pennies by selling drinks to Span
ish soldiers, and now that those good Gus
tomseTs have gone, why not to the Amer
leans? When a few of the bodesas and
posodas were closed and their owners
heavily fined for breaking the law they
became intense in their hostility to Amer
lean control, and the climax was capped
when the finest cafe In Havana was shut
up without legal process, because one OF
its walters sold gin fizz to drunken
drum major. 1t was no use to plead that
the ignorant employe mistook the drum
major for a major general; the proprietor
had no recourse until the military author
tiles having made sufficient example"
of him, permitted the place to reopeo.
In spite of his ignorance and avarice,
the Spanish property owner in Cuba, being
thrifty. Woodworking. honest n his way.
and disposed 10 be peaceahle. has in him
prH nf hp 81 nj ri
than the average Cuban. He came from
Catalonia, Asturia, or the Basque prov
iucss, or his father did, usually with no
capital but strength and industry. He be-
gan as chora boy or farm hand to some
Bodeguero or planter, who had teen few
years ahead of him in Cuba. wiling 10
work from 4 a. m. to II p. m, until the
inevitable end was attained OF a shop or
land, or inn, of his own.
The Spanish word, bodego means wine
cellar; but here it stands for any sort of
, general supply place, where everything
eatabIe and drinkable is sold from jerked
beef to claret. In all cases, the Spaniard's
dignity has kept pace with the advance in
his fortunes. from chore-bOy to merchant
or landed proprietor, and though he may
not be able to distinguish the price mark
on his own goods and signs his name
with an X, he rides in his carriage at the
head of island aristocracy. 1t is an actual
fact that many of them have no system
of keeping accounts, but by chalk marks
on the door Where the merchant is IN
able to read, write, or cipher" all busi-
ness requiring those accomplishments must
be deputed to hired clerks. But the Span
lard. having plenty of native shrewdness
rarely gets left" as they say in America.
You may be certain that he has good
margin OF profit on all transactions, and
though giving credit in what looks like a
loose sort of way, he invariably collects
the interest on his mortgages, while wait
ing for the default in principal which will
ensure the whole thing falling TO him in
the end. Checks and drafts are rarely used
though many of the mercantile and ship
ping firms do banking business as well.
Shylocks by nature. their standard of COM
mercial integrity is so high that every
mans word is as good as his bond and
verbal contracts usually serve for written
ones. Former Consul General Williams
says that when he was a merchant in Ha-
bana 1t frequently happened that trans
actions involving many thousands of dol
lars, with complicated provisions that
might easily lead to dispute, were carried
on without scrap of writing, and were
always promptly settled.
The patriarchial way in which the Span
Ish merchant, great or small, manages his
/ business in Cuba is curious and smacks of
medieval Spain. Going into any shop or
store between the hours OF 10 a. m. and
noon. you may see n table spread for
breakfast in some dingy back corner
among the boxes or barrels. meals or gro
ceries.' with small loaf of bread at each
plate and the inevitable bottle OF claret
in the middle. In all cases the clerks and
employees live with the shopkeeper and his
family, eating at the same table and sleep
ing somewhere in the place of business
Many OF the larger mercantile establish
ments of Havana have especial dormitories
for their worlmen. 1t is an economical ar
rangement on both sides, for, though the
wages are smaller, the clerk can save
more who has no outside expenses, and
sooner arrive at the goal for which all
are striving-a business of his own. The
best of feeling always prevails tetwean en-
ployer and employed though the hours are
long and the work hard, and both master
and man are polite to serviiity 10 custom
ers But for shrewd bargaining they beat
the Yankees ''all hollow
With the exaggerated courtesy OF the
Latin race and many verbose compliments
they may haggle for hours over some small
difference in price, and then put off the
trade to manana, hoping the prospective
buyer will return another day and yield