Evening star., 1899-03-11
TRAVEL IN CUBA
Means and Modes of Getting About
the Island.
POOR SERVICE ON THE RAILWAYS
Use of the Volante and the
Stage.
THE CARMEN ARE RAND1TS
THE CABMEN ARE BANDITS
Copyright, 1899, by Charles NJ. Pepper.)

Written for The Evening Star.
Getting about over the island Is some
thing that puzzles most of the visitors to
Cuba. Many of them eefne with queer no.
tions regarding the means and modes OF
travel. Since more are coming, little in
formation on these points may be timely.
1t is possible to go from Havana on the
railroad directly west to the town of Pinar
del Rio, a distance of 40 miles. A railroad
also runs from Havana to Guanajay, thirty
five miles out, in the northeastern part of
Pinar del Rio province. These two railway
lines traverse the Vuelta Abajo tobacco
region and also a portion of the Partidos
district, which is in the province of Havana.
Coasting vessels make voyages from this
city along the north coast west, touching at
eight or ten fishing villages. From these
villages journeys may be made to the hills
of the interior on horseback. Sometimes
there is a passable road, but it is usually a
short one. On the south coast of Pinar del
Rio there is nothing to see except keys and
swamps. The only port, which is entered
by hght-draft vessels, is Coloma. From it
a very good macadamized highway trav-
erses the fifteen miles to the town of Pinar
del Rio.
The railroad system extends east from
Havana 30 miles. BY this means it is pos
sibIe to visit the coast towns without the
inconvenience of sea voyages, for there are
branch lines running both north and south
At this season there is not much to see in
the interior. Some of the sugar mills are
grinding, but agriculture generally is re-
cuperating slowly. For the tourists the
most interesting town is Matanzas, with
the hills of Cumbre and Monserrate. the
valleys of Yumuri and San Juan and the
caves of Bellamar which run out under the
sea.
High Railway Fares.
Railroad travel in Cuba is not luxurious,
yet, considering that the distances are
short, it is fairly comfortable. Fares con-
tinue very high. averaging or cents a
mile in gold, first class, and half as much
for third class. with the second class mid
way. Americans naturally prefer to travel
first class. The passenger coaches on some
of the lines are relics of by-gone periods.
On others they are modern and adapted to
the climate. Everybody smokes without
first asking permission of the women who
may be passengers. 1t is a custom of the
country, and smoking compartment would
not be appreciated. Everybody piles his
baggage in the spaces between the seats or
in the aisles. Often the regular passenger
coach might be mistaken for the baggage
car. The reason is that baggage is not
checked free. The charges for carrying
baggage are quite heavy. No limitation is
put on the number of pieces which a pas
senger is permitted to carry with him in a
passenger coach. So he usually slows away
all his belongings and perches himself on
top of half dozen yalises and telescopes.
Live luggage is also permitted. Chickens
travel either first. second or third class
without paying fare. Generally pair of
them is tied together by the legs and
thrown carelessly under the seat. Often
they get free from their fastenings and
then there is a lively time in the car The
story of the hen which paid its fare in eggs
is not fiction in Cuba. That has been
known to happen,
Buffet Car Provided.
The railway lines which do not have regu-
lar eating houses along the route have
buffet lunch on the train. 1t is located in
the car given over to the third-class pas
sengers. A hungry traveller who finds his
way there can have a choice of poor wines,
good bread and cold baked fish. There is
also case of "graciosos," or pop. with a lit
tie fruit. Beer is sold. Cubans who have oc-
casion to travel generally carry their lunches
with them. The practice is not a good one
for American visitors to initiate. Three
Americans who were going on days jour-
ney had the hotel prepare lunch for them
1t consisted of skinny chicken, two loayes
of bread and two bottles of cheap wine
When they came to settle their hotel bill
they found charge of S13 for railroad
lunch. Others have had similar expert
ences. 1t Is better and cheaper to go hun
cry than to have a Havana hotel prepare
a railroad lunch.
Walking with the Freight Trains.
Most of the railroads now run what are
called ''trens de cargo" or mixed local
freights. Sometimes the passenger coaches
are the chief part of the train, and some-
times they are merely the caboose These
local freights give an excellent chance to
see the country. good walker can keep
up with them when they are going at or
din1rV Snpa1 he
ing, it is possible to take an occasional ex-
cursiOn into the fields and back again. The
engines are always very thirsty for every
other stop appears to be at a water tank
At the stations the start is announced by
the primitive method of a hand bell. A
porter walks up and down the platform and
rings the bell two minutes before the de-
parture. Five or six minutes later the
train pulls out.
1t is the literal truth that no train in
Cuba is supposed to start on schedule time.
The line out of Havana which has most of
the suburban travel has a time schedule on
the exact hours. No Cuban or Spaniard
thinks of getting to the station on the hour
he allows himself five minutes with the
certainty that he will have two or three
minutes to spare. The manager of this
road was once asked what would happen
II ne were TO start the trains for three or
-FOUR days in succession at the advertised
time. No passengers was his laconic re-
Sponse.
one morning at Matanzas / had left word
with the hotel keeper to have a cab to take
me to the train which was due from Ha-
vana at half-past o. The cab was ready
a quarter after 8. Just then a party of
friends arrived direct from the train with
reproaches for the failure to meet them.
1t was all the landlords fault He smiling
iy explained that. while the schedule time
of the train was o'clock, it never arrived
until hah-past 8. How il happened to eet
In on time that morning he did not know
but he was sure the mistake was not inten-
tional. The Cuban railroads are passing
into the control of American capitalists and
within year or two 1t is likely that there
will be some improvement in their manage
ment
Horseback in the Interior,
For the travellers who want to leave the
main lires of travel and prospect in the in