The times., 1899-01-01

and delightful. You have an unobstructed |
view of the ocean, blue as the sky that |
leans TO meet it at the horizons rim. Trad |
winds blow in soft and cool. and the water |
itself. though stimulating and celebrating |
leaves none of that stinging sensation |
upon the skin that salt water often pro- |
duces. The roof is fifteen feet above high |
tide, but in stormy weather the breakers |
often surge over it. and many times the |
wooden structure has been swept away.
Delights of the Baths.
To rise at O'Clock in the morning AMI |
spend half an hour in one OF these old |
crannies of the coral reef IS the best pos
sible preparation for a Cuban Summer day
Parties of gay young Creoles used to come
out from the city on ponies, horses and
riders caparisoned as for the circus, bells
jingling and whips cracking. There is an
other glorieta down near the baths. and |
several places where an excellent breakfast
or dinner may be obtained. The fashion,
able hotel of other days was kept by an
American from Louisiana. It is a long
one-storied casa, at the junction OF two an
paved roads. wide piazza runs around
it, into which the great windows open from
floor to ceiling. You enter the establish
ment through a brick-paved court, in
which a carriage is always standing. But
that is no indication of horse on the
premises.
1t is the fashion in Cuba to keep your
carriage in the entrance hall. whether you
possess a horse or not; and these who do
not own carriage frequently hire one for
this purpose. At little tables in the coach
house the guests of this hotel take their
meals. Another VetIado hostelTy is called
the Lay house in honor Of its builder
Colonel Lay. of the Confederate Louisiana
Zouaves. The newest hotel is managed by
a Frenchman-and very well managed. in
deed. II is oHe-storied wooden structure.
with a flight of stairs leading to the sur
rounding yeranda. The cool, briek-paycd
space beneath the house. which we should
call a cellar. serves for dining room and Of
flee. Here l had an excellent midday
breakfast of several courses. with claret,
and after cafe noir and such salad as only
a Frenchman can make. and dessert OF
pineappel soft enough to eat with a spoon
tone never sees decent pineapple in the
United Statesl, all for lot of Spanish coin
which in our money would amount to about
80 cents.
| Features of NarIanao.
Marianao is seven miles from Havana in
the other direction, and reached by rail-
way from the Jesus del Monte station. 1t
is conservative English road. with con-
/ servatiye Scotch manager. and it takes just
forty-seven minutes TO make that seven
miles. The line passes through some beau
tiful suburbs and skirts the famous Toledo
sugar plantation, whose oid-time Spanish
| proprietor owned countless slaves and died
a tragic death aione amid the wealth he
had created. Marianao lies on the hills
and its low stone villas give the stranger
| a correct idea of the best country homes in
| the tropics. Before the war families lived
4
millions, but most of them were Cubans.
and by Weyier's order their residences
were destroyed. Though so close to the
capital. Marianao has had its long chapter
| Of brigandage. \ gang of gentlemaniy
| freebooters resided here. who were wont
! to disappear from time to time and then
| bobbed up sereneiy and lived in luxurious
| idleness. Now it is said that the town is
| about to have big American hotel. to be
! built somewhere on the hills that overlook
| the sea. The New York capitalists who
| wish to invest a million and a half in q
Cuban hotel sent their agent to select the
site in Havana; and he, after looking the
' ground over. decided that Il was best 10 To-
| cate the hotel in Marianao. The same
American capitalists are going to con-
struct the electric railway from Havana TO
| the Nedado. II is three miles from the VII
| lage of Marianao to the playa. or beach.
anu II lS WOTIu EOiHS Oul- dS lueIs
is little to see but swamps and marshes.
The pier which the United States has lately
built at this point is rot an extensive piece
| of military engineering. II runs a few
hundred feet out into the bay to within
stones throw of the old Confederate block
ade runner, whose hulk has lain here
| thirty -four years.
| Insurgents Take Possession.
When the Spanish troops evacuated the
! playa. a few days ago. they were kind
enough to send word to the insurgents,
| and the latter took possession Immediate
| ly afterward, though their camp remains
| back in the interior. Gen. Menocal who
commands the corps in the provinces OF
| Havana and Biatanzas, has taken the
yacht club for his headquarters. A big
silk flag, bearing the lone star OF Cuba
| libre floats above the eiubhouse-a change
indeed from few months ago, when 10
| have been suspected OF possessing Gu
ban fsg, even locked away in ones trunk,
would have been to invite Imprisonment
| or death Gen. Menocal is under forty
| years OF age, a civil engineer by profess
| sion, who was educated in the Unitsd
| States and graduated at Cornell The
| American soldiers are camped at Vento
several miles across the hills, and very
| glad to see them were the people cf
!
who had villas along the beach, are gong
TO occupy them again; bat until the
| swamps are drained there is too muCh
malaria hereabouts to make it a safe
abiding place for Northern people. Fort
| Matabele which was not quite finished
when the war began. and was afterward
occupied as a Spanish garrison. has lately
been burned to the ground. for fear of its
yellow fever germs. 1t commanded tie
1 Sr,t,.a aoh
Playa, but though uncompleted had be-
come toppling ruin of rotting wood and
| crumbling stones. The old round tower
| OF coral rock. from which for two hun
! dred years sharp lookout was kept TO-.
| pirates and buccaneers. still remains. a
| lonely relic of days that-thank heaven.
| will never return.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD
| GENERAL BROOKE CONFIDENT.