The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-27
Odd Features OF
Homes in Havana.
Correspondence Of the Chicago Record.

III ii OF havana life is the domestic ana
III mercantile admixture common to
w the wholesale business. The pro-
prietor, his employees and his
country customers live as one large
family. If it happens that the mer-
chant has a family his forcmen become
his representatives in the domestic-mer-
camille relationship. In a wholesale sad
dlery-hardware store in Teniente Rey
street was found IL typical representa-
tive of Havana methods The front, one
story high. is occupied by the office and
salesroom. Back from the street, with
the only entrance through the store and
work rooms, is the domestic part of the
establishment, the sleeping apartments
being upstairs, the back part of many of
the store houses being of two stories.
o.
In one department is furnished, in hos
pital fashion, a large and well-Ventilated
room, occupied by dozen or more iron
beds with mosquito nets on each, these be-
ing the guest beds of customers from in
land points. 1t might be correctly termed
the customers ward" so very much like
a hospital ward with single beds and scant
furnishings in it. Entrance is gained
through the store and an open court, from
which the staircase asCends against an
outside court wall. This court has no
roof light being thus admitted to it's ev-
cry part. II Is usually duOIIltu ny al Slll uD
or two and perhaps parro~ cage or a
mocking-brd cage, either with its occu-
pant, is hanging on the wall. A few
chickens, pigeons or pigs are not al
ways strangers to those courts.
o.
The dining table for the employees and
customer-guests is set in the store. Year
in and year out employees who are not
married and housekeeping, and some who
"a RppninR hnllSP
at this table. Thus the proprietor keeps
closer watch of the habits Of his men and
they become closely connected with him
and his interests. Closer relationships are
also thus entered into between mcr
chant and customer. and even his en-
ployes learn to know the trade and it's rep
rcsentatiVes more intimately than with
US. So long as customer-guest is in the
city his home is with the dealer with
whom he trades.
Through a front door of the store the
domestics also make their way, and
through a front door the horse belong
ing to the establishment is led to his stall
In the kitchen. The room set aside for
the latter is usually large and semi-de-
tached by thick stone partition, yet di-
rectly connected with the establishment
without outside pass way between. En-
tering it the horse is found in a we'll
kept stall Immediately to the left, with a
manure barrel by the side of his stall, his
feed being kept in convenient bins. Next
his manger is the wine chest, and mex.
this, not six feet from his head, is the
kitchen larder. In fICnt of these is the
cooks table. This was well covered with
meats and vegetables in preparation for
the MONDAY meal. Further along is the
substantial range, on which dinner was
cooking, and at the end of this but a
single step away, Is the shower bath. At
hand, but step further removed from
the cooks table, is the toilet room The
toilet arrangements are all of ancient
pattern, the sanitary condition far from
the best. 1t may be said that the stable
and toilet part of the kitchen are kept
about as clean as possible for them to be
with Havana in its present old-time un-
sanitary and unhygienic state. But a
citizen of the United States of America
would hardly relish meal prepared In d
room l5 by 20 feet In area which consisted
of kitchen, water closet and stable COM
bined.
To get to his stall the horse has to be
| led through the store. The carriage Is
generally kept in front hallway in resi-
denccs in q corner of the store in bust
| ness places. In this particular instance
| IL was kept in warehouse in the rear
! But the horse is as much member oi
| the family down here as IA pet dog is with
q childless woman in "the states" The
stall and lavatory in this merchants
place of business are far more hygieniC
| than in many of HaVana's homes Conse
| Quently there is great need OF sanitary
| inspection and many condemnations be
! fore this can be n ade a sanitary and hab
| table city.
rNl,z L.. l.,
| of note. These are generally large anC
| built in the house. They are substantial
stone structures, the top and front benl
! Veneered patterns, some of them quit,
| artistic. There are several cooking cham
! bers, each detached from the others, max
| ing a separate fire necessary for each
! Charcoal Is the fuel used the construC
tion of the range minimizing the amour
| of heat radiated, thus making cookinl
tolerable in this climate, even more :,
! than I'm metal ranges in "the states" in
summer time Many of the Kitchens arr
! fioored with colored tiling of pretty de
sign or with large squares OF marble, tn,
effect being pleasing, especially If tile,
wainscotinS is also In use as is common
| ly the case.
| 90
If the business life of this city is IN
teresting not less so Is the home life. Resi-
dences are usually but one, or, at mos;
two stories In height. If the former IN
family sitting room Is generally Just of
the street, perhaps entered directly iron
it, The family room is capacious, witt
high ceilings and massive doors, the win
dows being equally large and grated will
iron bars much like jail bars. The floor
are of marble or tile, the walls are gener
ally bare, though in some residences the.
are hung with paintings by old master
and some ornaments OF value The eli
mate and dust of Havana are destructiv
to house furnishings commonly used Il
the United States, so plainness and sim
plicity are the rule.
In a one-story home the family congTe
gate during the evening in their lars
front room and snjoy each others 50
ciety in true family way. The bedroom
are beyond the family room, perhaps of
court in which are grown shrubs of on
kind and another The kitchen is at IN
far emo Of the row of rooms, and so ar
the stall and toilet, If carriage is ken
ii Is likely to stand in the main hallway