Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-15
Some Singular Cosas De Cuba.
Fiesta the Negro Mother of chrsA Visit to Her Shrine
in tho Outskirts of Mstanzas and Incidents of
Cuban Celebration.

GRANTEES and royal purple hibiscus. Hut
the silence OF death hangs over all. for
the splendid place II quite deserted. our
Intelligent cochero related Its history.
The residence IL considered the finest
In the entire province. II contains
weli-hlled art-gsllery and Imported fur
niture that was former vt he admiration
Of the people. The owner, once
wealthy spaniarh. possessed rich sugar
plantations little way back IN the
valley besides threc thousand acres u
the best tobacco lands In the world.
Five years ago n seemed beyond the
range Of possibility that he could ever
find himself Door man. Early IN the
war, insurgents burned his sugar -.
tate. destroying his mills aud machin-
cry. and In q Few hours sent skywatd
In flames and smoke property worth
two or three million dollars. Fearing
for his own life ana the safety ~ his
family, the spaniard hastily gathered
together what he could and He'd To the
mother country. leaving all he pos
searcd In cuba to be- sold by agents.
Iiut nobody. was buying much In those
ncfaHti dias. Some 81 the richest plan
tationr on the island brought only rlN
dollars an acre. ana others equally good
could M; be sold nj any price. The
Seniors tobacco properly. that cfatwhie
yielded yearly Income OF several hun
drcd thousand dollars. brought only
$1,000 In the lump. During the war.
the abandoned mansion In the outskirts
~ Matnnzaa. at the mercy Of both
armies and aii the guerpiilns. BUSH
whackcrs and 'andita of the time, was
absolutely vniuelefe. for nobody would
have accepted II as a gift n obliged to
try living In II. Probably the house cost
In the ncighborhood of quarter of
million: and IN the opinion Of our Coz
chcro might he purchased today for
i've thourani dollars down" Herr l.
n valuable hint TO h0me-aecklng Amer.
leans. There are other abandoned pal.
aces Ike this, scattered all over the
island. which might be bought for
1.-THE ~ their original value and con
yertrd into Ideal re@idencca. The
beauty. ssiubity. pure water. and
easy railway md ocean facilities con-
spirc 60 fuakc Natanzaa q far more
eligible place for American resort than
Nrssau and other points TO which Out
countrymcn and women flock by thou
sands every season; Two or three mill
lion dollars iudlclously expended In
Nationals would put II on a par with
Nice aud ;hc itlycira and make II
ccntral watering place for the world.
Whom We reached tho central portion
~ the town thu streets that erHtwhlle
looked 20 defcrted were filled with
merry makers. Ladies In Spanish coz.
tune. wearing harlequin masks of
black silk. promennded IN bcvicH, or
rode IN carriages. throwing kisaes and
handying Jokes with everybody theN
met. both friends and strangers Pres
entity barbaric muiic was heard.
weird sound like the beating OF tom
toms before canihal feast and around
the corner swept u motley procession.
II was headed by score Of rtalwnrt
negroes. bearing aioft cfiigirr % Saints.
the most honofcd figures being natur-
ally the black Nigin and ~. Augustine.
Following thla advance guard were
several hundred men. women and chill
drcn. Of all conditions and shades OF
complexion. Most Of them were more OF
less darkiy colorcd. and while few
Hportei gorgeous holiday raiment.
many were rather too fcantily attlrcd
FOR dccency. with here and there
hRlf-Erown child ~ naked ~ the mn
ute he was born. All were shouting
and singing nj the tops OF their voiroe.
and while the leaders kept step with
the monotonouH hythm beating the
ground with their long heels like
Indians IN the ghost dance.
the more excited females were Nhirl-
Ing like tops down the dusty street. H.
a dance IN Egyptirnne. Such heisr-
Carnival IN many countricH-but never
anything like this The pavemcntH
were lined with well dressed la'ii's and
gentlemen. thousands 81 children
footed horns md shook noisy ratties
like the Mexican metrncan. while the
barking Of dogs and the shouting of the
popuiaec mingled with the uncarthiy
N sic Now and then nm over-enthusrd
negreaa ~ the procession In the Wild
abandon Of the dance, would waltz out
81 the line 90 embrace an Innocent on
locker. M regardless OF ord ~ 81
comment. one ~ the funniest sights
u tho day was the horrifcd expression
ON the countennncc OF n diFnined. ell
DERBY army officer aud the disgust of
his prim American wife when n buxon
wcnch spun up To the wearcr of the 4,
=, uniform. flung her fat arms around
his immaculate collar and Imprinted
r-soundinE smack upon hls Holdicrly
muniache.
All the saloons. cafes aud oa.lnos
We're wide open. their tables surround.
cd by civilians ami soldiers ~ every
nationally drinking light wines ana
smoking cigarettes Faster Sow the
fun NJ evening advanced and by mid.
night Sntnrnalin reiened supreme. suil
the procession kept IN motion. mr. rather
scores OF impromptu procenrionH IN
various pnris ~ tho city, Eycty park
and plaza was filled with Hporti,e mas
duernderH. Rccosting each other In
terms that were often less conventional
strangers ciarplng hands and singing
together. or whifllng In mad waltxs un-
der the palms. Meanwhile cRrrlnue-
loads of ladies. on maEque. wound slow
~ through the streets. exchanging airy
nothing with pedestrians ana young
Girls on balconies kissed their ange =
'ira 10 unknown rallant- below and
nslted them with flowers, Whenever
III. mnin procession appeared. or an
ofsht OF ~ H. II WIS greeted with loud
cheers and Rll ioineh In the ninging
and doea lifted their voices IN aHpnlzei
howie az the welrcd music Increased IN
volume. Though nm enormous amount
Of wine must have been consumed
whisky. Gin and kindred American
heverares do not prevail In cuhHD.
saw not a single ease of intoNicatlon.
Not until the first rosy beams ~ dawn
appeared In tho East did the tnmulf
subslde and rest for the weary become
possible.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.