The times., 1899-05-05
EVERYDAY life IN
THE CUBAN CAPITAL
Brigandage Rampant in the
Islands Interior.
The Native Newspaper and Its Pc
culiariiieS.
A Semi-.mericnu Press-Some Lu-
dicrous Items-Buccaneers
in Army Uniforms.

Tulipan Suburb. Habana. April 25.-This
good year 80 seems to present singular
misft OF seasons over all the Western
Hemisphere, and the summer in Cuba is
as unoommonly cold for the latitude as
was last winter in the United States.
The Oldest inhabitant of this sunny ISL
and does not remember another April when
double blankets were needed at night, and
when everybody who was so fortunate as
TO possess an oyercoat wore it in the chill
ly mornings and evenings. Although the
rainy season was scheduled by the almanac
TO begin a month ago and clouds threaten
at intervals every day. no showers have
vet descended to refresh the thirsty earth
After seven months Of uninterrupted dry
ness, the face of the country is like the
desert Of Sahara. dust blowing in binding
clouds-tress. hedges. houses, people, 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 housewifely care can prevent the
floors and furniture and every object you
touch and taste from being perpetualiy
coated with the fine. white powder. every
grain of which carries an infaiicsimal but
exceedingly active nea- Yet the bakers go
about the streets with their loayes 10 open
wagons. or in uncovered baskets carried on
their heads, and food of all kinds. cooked
and uncookcd. is exposed for sale outside
The shops. unscreened from dust and yer-
min. The strongest anti vegetarian IS soon
cured Of his appetite for meat IN Cuba
The sight OF recEing chunks OF flesh. black
ened with flies, suspended in the sun be-
side shop-door. Is bad enoagh-but worse
TO see 1t delivered from the butchers cart
The Butcher.
Havine received his order for so many
pounds of carne (meaD per diem, as we
order ice, the butcher drives around in
the morning. toots horn to announce his
arrival, selects \ chunk OF the proper
weight and throws il in at the door with
the long, sliding roll OF a champion ten
pin player The rsw mass bounds along
The dusty floor losing nothing in transit
yet leaving q bloody trail on its way to
the patio, where ii often lies long unno-
ticed until servant happens 10 stumble
over it.
only one thing in the line OF food can
he counted on as absolutely clean in Cuba.
and that is lecke pura. the milk is call
ed which is taken direct from the COW, be-
lore your eyes, at the door. 1t sells for
l5 cents a glass; but alas. is said 10 be
more unwhoiesome than the meat. as all
the cattle of Cuba are diseased. BY the
way a change for the better in this line
is promised for the near future. ". G..
War; proprietor of the stock yards in
Augusta, Ca, and ]. 4. Darwin. owner OF
the Charleston, s. C. stock yards. have
recently formed a partnership for import
ing cattle from the United States to va
rious points in Cuba. The stock handled
will all be raised in Georgia, the Carolinas
and Tennessee up-country cattle to be
shipped TO the island for slaughter, and
those from the lowlands exclusively for
breeding purposes. Their first shipment,
OF three hundred head was made about a
week ago.
Butter YOU would better escheg while
in Cuta, as none is made here, and the
imported stuff is generally too rank to be
tolerated. The bread however. is excel
lent, IL one can overcome his natural re-
pugnance Of the Jiny black specks with
which it is literally peppered, each speei'
meaning a well-baked flea. Each small,
sweet loaf is wrapped in banana leaf
before baking, which gives 10 the crust
us delicate brown. You may furnish tbs
-four yourself, if you like, receiving from
the baker an average OF 30 pounds CT bread
for 100 pounds OF four.
New Police Orders.
Speaking of the dust. which gives TO
everybody an irritating throat trouble
producing a hacking cough and an intol-
eIable thirst. reminds one Of a new ordel
lately promulgated by Chief of Polio,
Menocal Some time ago his force wa.
deprived Of cigarettes. which are 10 tbs
CupaBs as the very staff and mainstay o.
life. and now he has forbidden the mel
to drink even water while on duty. undel
penalty of 81 fine for each violation o
the law. II the poor fellows obey 1t liter
ally they must suffer tortures while OF
duty in these hot and dusty streets, ans
If each drink of water is 30 be purchase
at the price of 81 the whole OF theii
meagre salaries Will supply each man witt
about two drinks a week Probably tn
reason for the singular order is found il
the rumor that the departed Spsniard
poisoned the wells of Moro, Cabanas. an
other parts OF the city.
Havanas comparatively new water
works are all that could be desired in tn
way of healthfulness and abundance; bu
there are many ancient wells in the poor
est and most insanitary sections who's
contents have long been deadly witncu
the aid of Spanish poison.
The first reservoir. erected By the Cuee
of Spain for her loyal Hayanese subject
about fifty years ago was greatly en- arge
the world is more bountifully supple
with pure, living water. The reservoi
crowns hill in the outskirts of the Cerr
suburb half a mile or SO above the ne'
headquarters of the American Nationa
Red Cross. Walking out TO look 81 IL. on
pleasant evening not long ago. | found
vast marble-foored tank of BEAUTIFUL
clear water forty feet deep fed by the Tu
lipan River. Front and rear are faced b
lofty and somewhat spectacular arch
whose strawberry pink facade sets fort
in big black capitals the glOries Of tn
royal family of Spain from away bae
down TO the young Alfonso XIII. and in
cidentally OF the Spanish governor gener.
under whose regime the improvement
we're made
Royal Statues o.erfhrowa.
Speaking OF the royal family. none
Caba is now so poor as TO do them homo
the erstwhiIe humblest sycophsnts bein
now foremost in hcaping insults on the
memory The stately figure of Isabella
Caiolica no longer dominates the PTa1
Park which still bears her name. and !
oil parts of the island numerous othS
empty pedestals speak noIinfuliy
overthrow and mrtilate1 statues; an
everywhere the Spanish cost-ot -arms-o
street corners, sign boards ahd above Z
doors OF buildIngs-has been wan;only dt
faced and mud d-bespattered.
The other day | accompanied SON
friends on a tour of inspection through Il
old "Palacio" SO lately vacated by Coz
ernor General Bianco. The great. yellow
walled building. with its innumerable in
inense apartments. is being thorough
Ia - nrsks aud Ftn ~