The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-21

on the basis of Spanish gold, but will
readily allow six per cent. on American
bills. The local merchants are glad to
| set our greenbacks at the same rate IN
exchange for their goods or the coin OF
the country, because most of their busl-
ness is done in New York, Philadelphia,
Boston and Baltimore on the credit sys-
tenn, and the notes are convenient Tor
transportation without the expense of
getting them changed into another form.
But the cabmen, porters, servants and
others Of their class, accustomed to be-
ing cheated at every turn by their late
rulers, will have nothing to do with any
money they do not understand, and in
sist on the familiar twenty-cent pieces
of the island, American dimes and nick
els, and coppers for small change, or the
dirty beggar- handled, disease infested
shinpasters. If you offer them an
American half-dollar, fresh and shining
from the mint, they will eye 1T doubt
fully, try its edges In their teeth and ring
| it on the sidewalk, if they do not refuse
| it outright.
| Some sharper Of other days seems to
have flooded Cuba with American silver
| in five and ten cent pieces, after having
punched a fraction out Of each for his
own pr fit. You may pick up hatful OF
| these small coins in the course of days
transactions in any Cuban city and new
er find a whole one among them. Not
only do the mutilated pieces pass at
their face value without question, but
the islanders appear to place most con-
i ~. I..,- I, t1,-t
number Of holes in it, as a proof that it
| is .genuine-else why did somebody take
the trouble to punch it? A great deal
of paper scrip, similar to that used in
the United States before the resump-
ton of specie payment, circulates in
Cuba, but with this important differ
ence; when ours became soiled or torn
we could exchange it for new, while in
Cuba there are no such facilities, and
the filthy bits of paper, handled by lep
ers and carried about in the rags of the
lowest classes, become so loathsome that
one would rather forego his change"
than touch it.
One dollar of our silver will purchase
at least $2.45 of this scrip, often more,
according to the rate Of exchange at the
moment. Though based upon nothing,
having been issued Unfortunately by
a bankrupt government, it answers all
the local necessities of trade. and is al
ways used for car-fare and small tran
sactions. 1t was ground out of the pa
per mill-nobody knows to exactly what
amount-in five, ten, twenty and fifty
cent "plasters." One thing is well
known, that every authorized issue of
given sum was enormously exceeded.
Seven years ago an issue of bank bills
of this small currency was intrusted to
an establishment in the United States
and fourteen million dollars was printed
in addition to the authorized amount!
All was duly receipted for and signed by
the corrupt Spanish officials, whose
the quid nunce say-divided the extra
millions among themselves. 1t is assert
ed that the captain general under whose
administration this financial stroke was
accomplished came to Cuba poor man,
and two years later returned to Spain
with three million pesos to his credit.
So thrifty were the proud hdalgoas who
threw down dollar when half of it was
due (somebody else's dol ar) and stalked
haughtily away, sneering at the yam
kee pigs who waited for their change!
The other day I went into the Cafe La
Luz to treat some of my newly arrived
countrymen. There were four of us,
and each ordered different beverage.
/ threw down a five dollar American
gold-piece in payment The 'smile-dis-
penser" studied long with knitted brow
over the knotty problem of change, and
Lo., al lao ;-1, a,-a
dollar gold-piece and forey cents in sill
yer. This pleased. the group so well that
treated again, giving back to the sa
loon-keeper the Spanish five-dollar gold
piece. This was easier for him to reck-
on, and my change for the second deal
was five silver dollars and four cents.
Though the price of drinks is high in
Cuba, it would seem that there Is money
to be made ip taking them ad libitun,
and the more liquor one buys the more
money he gets! To study the thing out,
it was this way: There was twenty
per cent. premium on American gold
over Spanish gold, and twenty per cent
on Spanish gold as compared with sill
yer. Thus, out of the original American
five-dollar gold-piece I bought eight
expensive drinks and still had five dol
lars and eighty cents in silver-and dis
covered afterward that the bar-keeper
had swindled me out of fifteen cents
vhange.
In the Cuban calendar there are no
fewer than two hundred and fifty holy
days" Sundays included in which no.
body can be legally compelled to labor
neither the man servant, nor the maid
servant, nor the OK, nor the ass, nor,
perforce, the stranger within the gates.
With such extraordinary Difference to
the saints and angels this ought to be
the most religious country under the
sun; but, unfortunately, after hasty
prayers in the early morning the natives
employ the remainder of their feast days
in bull-baiting, cock-fghting, the lot
terry, the ball, the theater, instead of at
tendance on heavenly personages. Sun
day Is the great gala day of the week,
by the added brilliancy of |
every street scene in the best clothes of
the populace, boisterous masquerade
tenfold activity in shops, |
saloons and theaters, and noisy persis
tency of lottery vendors. Bull-fighting |
10. H. tive n.,f