Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-01
J..J. MARSH In CUBA.
An Interesting Description of His Trip
to the Sunny SOuth.-Meets De-
corah Boys-The City of
Havana, etc.
Washington, ID. c., Feb. %, '99


Washington, ID. c., Feb. %, '99.
EDS. PUBLIC OPINIoN:-
With your permission for space in
your paper, will try and give your
readers memoranda of my journeying
in Cuba When leaving home, jan
uary 25th, for business trip, 1 had no
idea of going there. but meeting three
gentlemen on their way, DR.. Peters of
Upton, Ia; D. Foushee, eA-mayor of
Lexington, KY, and @. Swift Josce-
Ign, Of New York City, 1 was pur-
suaded to accompany them, and will
say here that am under many obi
cations to them for the many cour-
tesies extended to me which added
both comfort and pleasure to my jour-
ney.
We arrived at Tampa, Florida,
Feb. 2, took passage on the Olivette
and arrived at Key West on Thursday,
the next morning, distance of 240
miles. Here we spent three hours,
many of the passengers going ashore
and buying linen suits and Panama
hats preparatory for the Cuban eli
mate.
After nine hours of rough sea across
the straits lS5 miles,, we arrived in
Havana harbor. Feb. Sd. Here ten or
more scow boats transferred us ashore
and delivered our baggage to the Gus
tom House. After we had gone
through with the usual custom of hav-
ing our baggage examined, we took
cabs and got located in a hotel.
Havana is city of two hundred and
fifty thousand Inhabitants. The first
thing that attracts ones attention is
the narrow streets and the large, mas
sive stone buildings, most of which,
both business and residence, are built
with two-foot walls with ceiling 20 and
30 feet and all doors and windows Is
to 20 feet long. The doors are 80 made
that they may be folded back in. sec-
lions, SO that the whole front of the
stores may be thrown open to the pub.
lie. Most Of the streets, in fact nearly
AL Of the best business streets, are only
20 feet wide with sidewalks Is to 20
inches. These narrow streets are con-
stantly thronged with mule and OK
carte, three passenger victorias drawn
BY one small Cuban horse, negroes
and Cubans, each Heading a horse, or
jackass laden with fruit, vegetables
OF milk. Half Of the population are
negroes, and black as the ace or
spades. Y
Havana is noted.f for its many beauti-
fnl parks, all filled with laurel and
palmetto shade trees. tropical plants
and Towering shrubs. They are now
green with foliage and the flowers are
all in bloom, which gives the city
charming appearance. The largest of
the parks Central Park) is located In
the center Of the business portion of
the city. The park proper covers
about four blocks in space and ex-
tends to the Governors palace, OPP
posite MORO Castle, distance one
quarter Of mile. Here can be seen,
every Saturday evening. about two
thousand Of the elite of the city cut
promenading around and through this
park. The young ladies are accom-
panied with their mothers. wives with
their husbands. This is o custom fol-
lowed from time immemorial. In this
large gathering one could not see any
one who was Intoxicated, but all SEEM
ed to be having grand social time.
We visited many points Of interest:
The MORO Castle, old Cathedrals from
one to three hundred. years old, the
Cemetery, where 100 poor boys of the
Maine now lay, Fruit Market. went
aboard the Texas and the Brooklyn
cruisers, also the wreck of the Maine.
Called and SHOOK hands with General
Fitzhugh Lee and Col. bows, then
went cut to Columbia Camp, where
1900 soldiers are tented. There 1 met
and messed with tbs following De
eorah and Waukon boys: Lieut.. r.
A. Nichols, Lieut.. w. 8. Hart, b. l..
Nartindale, Nicholas Colsch, Jas.
Cummens, Fred Robey, Dan Ragen,
C. L. Gullrud, w. J. Thill. s. E. Bar
ron, b. A. Steffen, J. e. Briar, e. f.
BAndle, r. f. Pratt, A. J. Carpenter,
81 r.. Coffrain, Chas. Colsch, Dean, M.
r. Deere, A. #. Deite, +. III. Green. f.
H. Anson, A. Stone, N. f. Wigton, c.
J. Wigton, w. e. Williams, of Wau.
kon, Iowa, and w. J.. Coan. C. f.
Drake, q. r. Dryer. N. Oleson, r. f.
Reynolds. J. O. Schwartz, of DEBORAH,
snd e. K. DAILY, J. III. Hovey. of CAL
mar, and L. Elzea, Of Button.
/ assure you, It gave me great plea
sure to meet SO many ofour boys and
to see them 80 we'll and happy. They
too, were delighted to hear from home.
Their camp L. ia . beautiful location
on the ocean beach. We also visited
the Division Hospitals. There were
only $50 patients there, and most of
these were convalescent, which shows