The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-24
A DRUMMER IN HAVANA.
Thinks the Field Open For American
Goods

New Orleans Times-Democrat.)
Last evening Mr.. u. M. Johnson, New
Orleans boy. and a prominent member of
the Travelling Mems association (some-
times known as drummersl arrived from
Havana, whittier he had gone to scoop
Mr.. Johnson is quite enthusiastic at the
prospects which are open to New Orleans
in the way of trade with Havana and the
island of Cuba. The people of the newly
acquired country have to be educated,
however, to the styles and kinds of goods
manufactured in America. They have
from time immemorial been trading with
the former mother country, Spain, per-
force and have become so accustomed to
the styles and character of European
manufactured goods that they will have
as to how to use and appreciate goods
of American make. AS Mr.. Johnson was
interested principally in the line of foot
gear he. of course paid more attention to
people of Havana have been accustomed
to wear broad-soled fiat shoes with high
insteps, and without any spring in them
at all. The shoes of American make Eek
cept such as are made for the southern
trade) are long, narrow, and nave low
instepS, and these become almost a drug
on the market in Havana. Shoes made
for the southern states find better sale.
although they lack the fiat. wide soles to
which the Havanese have become accus-
toned
MT. JOHHSOH IOunQ the AIlGIiCdiIS III
Havana hard at work cleaning up that
city and placing it on a par, as far as
cleanliness is concerned, with American
cities. The streets are swept up and
cleaned daily, the cutters are flushed, and
garbage is required to be deposited on
the narrow sidewalks every evening, and
is collected in carts after night. Havana
is becoming AInericanized rapidly, and
one of the first improvements noticed was
in the way of hauling goods through the
streets. 1t used to be the custom to
harness one poor little pony. to cart of
gigantic proportions, and this cart was
loaded up to it's utmost capacity. The
poor, little, struggling animals could
hardly draw these enormous loads, ana
after the Americans had been there a
short time one of the first reform meas
ures they adopted was to double the mo-
tive power on these huge carts, and two
horses are now used to haul the load
which one formerly did.
Havana is full of drummers from all
over the United States. The merchants
of Havana were surprised at the low
prices of American goods, as compared
the American goods to the European,
even though all things else had been
equal.
days and during that time he said that
the weather was delightful, and the city
appeared to him to be very healthy and
a most desirable place 10 i've IN. Inc
methods of business struck him as being
somewhat peculiar. The merchants
reach their stores or places of business
ABOUT 8 o'clock in the morning, after
eating their morning orange and drinking
their cup of coffee. At 10 o'clock they
close up and go to breakfast, and will not
be Disturbed under any circumstances
during the hours following until noon,
when they return to their stores and
again open up for business. At o'clock
all close up again and go to dinner, which
lasts until o'clock. when they again
open up and remain until the closing hour
al night. The people are mucn given to
social amusements, principal among
which are balls and parties. The people
kind to strangers and exceedingly polite
agreeable and genteel in their department.