The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-30

Special Correspondence the Globe.
TULIPAN SUBURB, havana, April II.
This good year, '99, seems to present a
singular misft of seasons over all the
Western hemisphere, and the summer
IN Cuba is as uncommonly cold for the
latitude as was last winter in the United
States The oldest inhabitant of this
sunny island does not remember another
April when double blankets were needed
at night, and when everybody who was
SO fortunate as to possess an oVercoat
wore it in the chilly mornings and even
ings. Although the rainy season was
scheduled by the almanac to begin a
month ago, and clouds threaten at in
tervals every day, no showers have yet
descended to refresh the thirsty earth.
After seven months of uninterrupted
Gryness the face of the country is like the
desert of Sahara, dust blowing in binding
clouds-trees, hedges, houses, people,
every object animate and inanimate pow
dered white as the miller in his mill To
keep halfway clean is impossible, and
ones traditional peek of dirt Is all too
quickly acquired and increased. No
housewifely care can prevent the floors
and furniture and every object you
touch and taste from being perpetually
coated with the fine white powder, every
grain of which carries an infinitesimal,
but exceedingly active flea. Yet the
bakers go about the streets with their
loaves in open wagons, or in uncovered
baskets, carried on their heads, and food
of all kinds, cooked and uncooked, Is ex-
pesed for sale outside the shops, I'M
screened from dust and vermin. The
strongest anti-vegetarian is soon cured
OF his appetite for meat in CUBA. Inc
sight OF reeking chunks of flesh, blacken-
ed with flies, suspended in the sun beside
a shop-door is bad enough-but worse to
see it delivered from the butchers cart.
Having received his order for so many
pounds of carne (meaD per diem, as we
order ice, the butcher drives around in
the morning, toots a horn to announce
his arrival, selects a chunk of the proper
weight, and throws it in at the door
with the long, sliding roll of a champion
ten-pin player The raw mass bounds
along the dusty floor, losing nothing in
transit, yet leaving bloody trail on its
way to the patio, where it often lies
long unnoticed, until servant happens
TO stumble over it. Only one thing in
absolutely clean in Cuba, and that is
leche pura, as
THE MILK
f. called which is taken direct from the
COW, before your eyes, at the door. 1t
sells for Is cents the glass; but alas! is
said to be more unwholeSome, even than
the meat as all the cattle of Cuba are
diseased BY t way, change for the
better in this line is promised for the
near future Mr.. w. G. War;, proprie-
tor of the stock yards in Augusta, Ca,
and Mr. ]. A. Darwin, owner of the
Charleston, 9. c., stock yards have re-
Gently formed partnership for importing
cattle from the United States to various
points in Cuba. The stock handled
will all be raised in Georgia, the
Carolinas and Tennessee, up-country cat
tie to be shipped o the island for slaugh-
ter. and those from the lcwlands ex-
elusively for breeding purposes. Their
first shipment, of 800 head, was made
about week ago.
Butter you would better eschew while in
Cuba, as none is made here, and the
imported stuff is generally too rank to be
tolerated. The bread, however, is excel
lent II one can overcome his natural re-
pugnance to the tiny black specks with
which it is literally peppered, each speck
meaning a well-baked flea. Each small,