The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-02-22
QUEER THINGS IN CUBA.
Everyday Life in the Isle of Tc
morrow.

One who is visiting Cuba in these
days OF her reconstructing can bring
10 better financial prop than American
greenbacl,s they are 50 much easier
to carry than gold, aud the premium
on them is the same. II he brings the
usual letter cf credit or draws on hcme
through one Of the island banks, he
will find that the cashiers charges for
the accommodation are quite in keeping
with the Cuban idea that everything
American is lawful prey, 10 be made
the most Of The hOtel-keepers still
require their pay on the basis CT Span
ish gold, but will readily allow & per
cent. on American bills. The local
merchants are glad to get our green
backs at the same rate in exchange for
their goods or the coin Of the country,
because most Of their business is done
in New York, Philadelphia, Boston
and Baltimore on the credit system,
and the notes are convenient for trans
pOrtatlon without the expense Of get
ting them changed into another form.
But the eabmen. 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 insist on the familiar 20 cent pieces
of the island, American dimes and
nickels, and coppers for small change,
or the dirty, heggar-handled, disease
infested shinplasters. Ifyou offer them
an American halfdOllar, fresh and
shining from the mint, they viii eye it
doubtfully, try its edges in their teeth
and ring it on the sidewalk, if they do
not refuse it outright.
THE TRAIL OF FORMER sHARPEEs.
Some sharper of other days seems to
have flooded Cuba with American sill
yer in five and ten cent pieces, af:er
having punched fraction out Of each
for his own profit. You may pick up
a hatfui Of these small coins in the
course Of a days transactions in any
Cuban city and never find a whole one
among them Not only do the mutt
lated pieces pass at their face value
without question, but the islanders ap-
pear TO place most confidence in the
coin that has the greatest number of
holes in it, as 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 resumption of specie
payment, cireulates in Cuba, but with
this important difference when ours
became soiled or torn we could ex-
change it for new, while in Cuba there
are no such facilities, and the filthy
bis of paper, handled by lepers and
carried about in the rags Of the lowest
classes, become so loathsOme that one
would rather forego his change than
touch it.
A PULLING CURRENCY.
One dollar of our silver will purchase
at least s. 4j Of this scrip, often more,
according to the rate Of exchange az
the moment. Though based upon
nothing, having been issued indiscrim-
inately by bankrupt government, it
answers all the local necessities of
trade, and is always used for carfare
and small transactions. Itwas ground
out Of the paper mill-nobOdy knows
| tOexaetiy what amOunt-in ), 10, % and
| 80 cent "plasters." One thing is well
known, that every authorized issue Of
| a given sum was enormously exceeded.
Seven years ago an issue Of bank bills
OF this small currency was entrusted
/ to an estao' ishment in the United
States, and 100000 was printed in
addition to the authorized amount
All was duly receipted for and signed
by the corrupt Spanish officials, who
so the quidnuncs say-divided the extra
millions among themselves. It is as
serted that the Captain General under
whose administration this financial
stroke was accomplished came TO Cuba
a poor man, and two years later return
ed to Spain with 100000 pesos to his
credit. SO thrifty were the proud hi
dalgos who threw down a dollar when
half Of it was due somebody else's
dollar, and stalked haughtily away,
sneering at the Yankee pigs" who
waited for their change
The other day went into the Cafe
La Luz to treat some Of my newly ar
rived countrymen. There were four Of
us, and each ordered a different bever-
age. / threw down five-dolIar Amer
lean goldpieee in payment. The smile
dispenser studied long with knitted
brow over the knotty problem of
change, and then handed me back
Spanish five-dollar goldpiece and 20
cents in silver. This pleased the group
so well that / treated again, givirg 2
back to the saloon-keeper the Spanish
five-dollar go.dpieee. This was easier
for him to reckon, and my change for
the second deal was five silver dollars
and four cents. Though the price Of
uiihhc - ult,l III AApAf IL MoAAI 1CEAL
that there is money to be made in TAX
ing them ad libitum, and the more
liquor one buys the more money he
gets To study the thing out it was
this way: There was - per cent prem
ium on American gold over Spanish
gold, aud - per cent on Spanish gold
as compared with silver. Thus, out Of
the original American five-dollar gold
piece bought eight expensive drinks
and still had s. 50 in silver-and dis
covered afterward that the barkeeper
had swindled me out of Is cents
change.
HOLY DAYS GALORE
In the Cuban calendar there are no
fewer than 80 "holy days" Sundays
included. in which nobody can be le-
gally 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 Differences to the saints
and angels this ought 20 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