The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-02
THE RETAIL SHOPS IN HAVANA
(By c. e. FISHER

f"f""af Anlch -t.--ino chief retail
shopping street Of Havana is oblspo. AT no
point is II more than eighteen feet wide.
including twelve fee, in the clear. The
SIDEWALKS are so narrow that 1t Is not pos
sible for two persons TO walk abreast.
single hle being always the rule. When
Two persons meet. going In opposite d.
rections one or the other gives way and
steps OF into the street, unless both are
selhshly inclined when they pass each
other sideways The street Is very roughly
cobbled; so much SO that IL is not pleas
SAINT driveway. The cobbles are worn so
smooth from long use that horses are con-
tinually losing their footing and falling. Il
being not uncommon sight to see two or
three down at one time, or near together.
more or less bruised from the projecting
cohbles. many OF which are an inch or
more above the rest These streets were
evidently paved before the blockade"
They are abomlnable--by all means the
toughest and noisiest within the knowledge
of the American tourist.
An interesting feature OF oblspo street
Is the overhead awnings drawn to protect
the shop windows from the rays Of the
intense southern sun Instead OF lowering
awnings at an angle from the building,
cords and pulleys arc arranged against the
walls and under the cornices, such as
these buildings have, whereby awnings are
drawn from one side OF the street to the
buildings on the other side, and there
fastened, the street for block after block
being completely canopied. The effect is
not only pleasing to the eye but gratifying
to the mind and body, It being possible to
traverse the best retail district entirely in
the shade But for this canopy its very
narrowness would make 1t an intensely not
thoroughfare during the middle of the day
and early afternoon.
~
None OF the stores IN Obispo street are
large, but there are many that are COM
plate and attractive. AS in the pretty
stores in Paris, Florence and other attrac-
tive European cities, the displays are gor-
geously beautiful. In many of them the
best OF the stock, II, Indeed, not all of IT,
is shown to advantage in the show win
dows and front part Of the store Not many
plate glass windows, adorn the thorough
fare. The buildings are one story, almost
withaut exception, of stone and stucco
combination, with thick walls, heavy door
ways and large windows. A tourist not
locking closely would pass the beautiful
displays within without thinking for a
minute that such uninviting buildings were
depots for the very finest bric-a-brac,
beautiful glassware, elegant silver de-
signs and choicest jewels.
specially in Havana Is fans. The ell
mate demands a fan throughout the best
part of the year. AS there Is a great deal
Of elegance of dress among the ladies OF
the upper classes, an exquisite fan be-
comes a necessity. No toilet is complete
without one Of Spanish or French manu-
facture. Favorite styles are those with
mother of-pearl handles and ribs, with the
fan of Valencia lace. Some have this same
style of handle the ribs lnlaid with gold
Antique fans are also in the best form
Occasionally one which has come down
from royalty can be picked UP at what is
said to be a reasonable price, The bull
fight fan was accounted a proper thing
during SPANS days here though OF course
IL did not serve as a society fan for other
occasions.
Mantillas of old lace are also a fad
Many ladies rarely wear hats or bonnets
preferring the black Of the unbleached lace
mantilla II is not uncommon TO see a
bevy of ladies Chatting gayly or on a
sh piping expedition without a hat or q
bonnet in the party. The chsperones, es-
pec.ally wear mantillns, some Of them
very costly
The American purse has to be LONG
one. We are these peoples legitimate prey
| or c. urse the Spanish merchants have Z
| get even if-we-can feeling against US, anc
| nine-teuths of the business is done by
spanards. But this feeling has extended
to the Cubans also It seems strange tina
it is looked upon as absolutely Legitimate
among them to charge their American lib
orators every dollar possible, more thai
they can charge any one speaking thei
language but the Cuban is yet to be foun(
who does not look upon it as a part of hi
birthright to stick it to an American ever
time he gets a chance. The only thin
regulated by law that seems TO stay reg
| ulated Is the cab fare. This Is cheal
enough, but none too cheap considerin
its character a peseta, 70 centavos
Spanish silver, is the fee for single rid
within the limits. This comes to about
or IL cents of American coin. The ponie
that draw the cabs are poor little beasts
half-fed and kneesprung, most OF thei
scared and bruised in numerous place
frcm their severe falls on the abomlnabl
reefs, The cabs are none too goot
though some Of them are in fair order, an
: he cabby is about as Indifferent and III
blIging an individual as is to be foun
in many days travel, As the distanc
trayersed in an average trip Is but te
blocks, the fee is ample. But in everythin
else il is "g1uge the American every tim
Won can" And they usually can. An In
stance will illustrate; An American ha
Occasion 10 have some cards printed
few days ago Going to printing ofhC
where both English and Spanish al
snrken. he was quoted $3.50 in America
gold for given number. A Spanish -speaf
ing friend placed the order the same da
al sl.2 Spanish silver, equal To 30 cen
OF American money. Another Illustrate
: will help to elucidate the situation: a
l American officer was looking at fan 4
2 hls sister and dropped IT,. He was take
az fer the broken article. Upon taking
10 her with his story he was astonished
AND that IL WAS the one a friend had e,
ahmed for her and for which "a had be,
asked.
, These illustrations also serve TO sho
i the way business is done in Havana. The
Y is no set price to anything. 1t ia get VIII
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