The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-30
in THE CUBAN CAPITAL
EFFORTS or SPANISH PAPERS TO
FURNISH NEWS ~ ENGLISH.
The Microbe Theory Has No Terrors
for the Natives-Brig andaEe RAM
pant I'm the Interior.

HAVANA. April I7.--This good year $50
seems 10 present singular misfit Of sea-
sons over all the western hemisphere. and
the summer in Cuba is as uncommonly cold
for the latitude as was last winter In the
United States. The oldest inhabitant OF this
sunny island does not remember another
April when double blankets were needed at
night and when everybody who was so for
tunate as 10 possess an overcoat wore IL In
the chilly mornings and evenings Al
though the rainy season was scheduled by
the almanac 10 begin a month ago ana
clouds threaten at intervals every day, no
showers have yet descended TO refresh the
thirsty earth. After seven months OF unin-
terrupted dryness the face OF the country
is like the desert of Sahara. dust blowing in
binding clcuds-trces. hedges. houses. peo-
PIE. every object, animate and inanimate.
powdered white as the miller in his mill
To keep halfway clean is impossible and
ones traditional peck of dirt" is all too
quickly acquired and increased. No house.
wifely care can prevent the floors and fur
niture and every object you touch and taste
from being perpetually coated with the fine
white powder every grain OF which carries
an infinitesmal but exceedingly active flea.
Yet the bakers so about the streets with
their loaves i'm open wagons. or in uncovered
baskets. carried their heads. and food OF
all kinds, cooked and uncooked. is exposed
for sale outside the shops. unscreened from
dust and vermn. The strongest anti-vege-
tartan is soon cured OF his appetite for meat
i'm Cuba. The sight Of reeking chunks OF
flesh. blackened with flies. suspended I'm the
sun beside shop door. is bad enough-but
worse to see 1t delivered from the butchers
cart. Having received his order for so many
pounds OF carne (meaO per diem. as We or
der ice, the butcher drives around in the
morning. toots a horn 10 announce his ar
rival. selects chunk OF the proper weight
and throws AZ I'm at the door. with the long.
sliding roll of a champion tenpin player.
The raw mass bounds along the dusty floor.
losing nothing in transit. yet leaving a
bloody trail on its way 10 the patio. where
ii often lies long unnoticed. until a servant
happens to stumble over II. Only one thing
in the line OF food can be counted on as alb
solutely clean in Cuba, and that is iecke
pura. as the milk is called. which Is taken
| direct from the COW, before your eyes. at
the door. 1t sells for Is cents the glass; but.
alas. is said to be more unwholesome even
than the meat. as all the cattle OF Cuba are
| diseased BY the way, change for the bet
| ter in this line is promised for the near
stock yards in Augusta. Ga. and Mr.. ]. A
| Darwin owner OF the Charleston. S. c..
| stock yards. have recently formed a part
nership for importing cattle from the
United States to various points in Cuba.
| The stock handled will all be raised in Geor-<
| gia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. up-c4SnS
| try cattle to be shipped to the island for
slaughter. and those from the lowlands ex-
clusively for breeding purposes Their first
shipment of three hundred head was made
! about a week ago.
THE BREAD IS GOOD.
Butter you would better eschew while I'm
| Cuba. as none IS made here and The i'm
ported stuff is generally too rank to be
tolerated. The bread, however. IS excellent.
! IL one can overcome his natural repugnance
OF the tiny black specks with which II Is
| literally peppered. each speck meaning
well-baked flea. Each small, sweet loaf is
wrapped in a banana leaf before baking.
which gives to the crust its delicate brown.
You may furnish the -four yourself IL you
like. receiving from the baker an average
OF ninety pounds OF bread for one hundred
| pounds of -four.
Speaking of the dust, which gives to
everybody an irritating throat trouble. pro-
ducing a hacking cough and intolerable
1
promulgated by Chief OF Police Menocal.
Some time ago his force were deprived OF
cigarettes. which are to the Cubans as the
| very staff and mainstay Of life. and now
| he has forbidden the men TO drink even
water while Oh duty. under penalty OF 50
| fine for each violation OF the law. IL the
poor fellows obey IT literally they must suf-
| fer fortunes while on duty I'm these hot and
| dusty streets and IL each drink OF water Is
| TO be purchased at the price OF 81 the whole
| OF their meas ger salaries will supply each
| man with about two drinks a week Prob
| ably the reason for the singular order 10
| found in the rumor that the departed Span
iards poisoned the wells OF Moro, Cabanas
| and other parts OF the city Havana's com
| paratively new waterworks are all that
| could be desired in the way of healthtuiu
ness and abundance, but there are many
ancient wells in the poorest and most un-
| sanitary sections. whose contents have long
been deadly without the aid OF Spanish
| poison. The first reservoir. erected by the
Queen of Spain for the loyal Havanese sub
jects about fifty years ago. was greatly
| enlarged and improved in 1880 and now no
city i'm the world is more bountifully sup
piled with pure. living" water. The reser-
voir crowns a hill in the outskirts of the
/
! new headquarters of the American National
| Red Gross. Walking out TO look at H. one
| pleasant evening not long ago. 1 found a
| vast, marble-foored tank OF beautifully
| clear water, forty feet deep. fed by the
| Tuiipan river. Front and rear are faced
| by a lofty and somewhat spectacular arch.
| whose strawbcrry-pink facade sets forth IN
| big. black capitals the glories OF the royal
| family OF Spain. from away back down TO
the young Alfonso XVIII. and incidentally
Of the Spanish governor general under
| whose regime the improvements were made.
REMINDERS OF ROYALTY.
| Speaking OF royal family. none in Cuba
| are now so poor as TO 90 them honor. the
erstwhile humblest sycophants being now
| foremost I'm heaping insults on their men,
| ory. The stately figure OF Isabella la Ca
tolica longer dominates the Prado Park,
! which still bears her name. and In all parts
| OF the island numerous other empty pedes-
| tails speak mournfully OF overthrown ana
mutilated statues; and everywhere the
| spanish coat-of-arms-on street corners.
| sign boards and above the doors Of build
| ings-has been wantonly defaced and mud
| bespattered. The other day / accompanied
some friends on a tour Of inspection through
the old "Palacio." so lately vacated by Gov
ernor General Blanco. The great yellow
| walled building. with its innumerable TN