The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-30


border its outer edges, and were the roadway
we'll pa we'd and properly cared for, II would be
quite imposing. Up and down this broad stretch
from Central Park 10 the Punta, promenade the
bellies and beaux with their papas and their ma
mas. all resplendent in the variegated garments
which the Cubans affect. Round and round on
the roadway whirl the little coches filled with men
or with families for IL is not considered proper for
young woman TO ride even in 80 public place
with man not a relative. From half past 5o'cock
until about this ceaceless tramp keeps UP, fur
nishing every one opportunity 10 see Just how
every else Is dressed, the principal thing. Of
| course with the fair sex, and also plenty of OPP
portunities for an exchange OF conversational
courtcscs The young people often make love To
| each other for they find In the noise OF the many
carriages and in the continual hum Of CONVEX
sation chances 10 say things difficult OF express
sion under the watchfu eyes Of the parents In
| other circumstances. The p0seo winds up at
o'clock and then the promenaders away 10 dine.
Many Of them reappear later in the park where
the concert takes place but not all for the ultra
| fashionable people do not participate in the even
| ing pdseo They are not missed however, as
| every body else seems TO turn out and tine park
| is always crowded. This custom has found
/ great vogue with the Americans, and II is both
| interesting and entertaining. II furnishes
fine opportunities for the study OF Cuban charac-
| Ter, as exemplihed by the people when on their
| good behavior and serves TO pass many an hour,
| Americans joining in the parade as
| though they had been accustomed TO il all their
lives, and il is especially enjoyed by the women
| from the States who nnd it, as do their Cuban
sisters the only ply sical exercise they can take.
II is so hot during the day that is not safe TO walk,
| and athletic games OF any sort are. of course,
| out Of the question Lawn tennis is feebly at
| tempted in the winter but even the men taboo
| 1t in the summer
| Socially there Is not much going on outside
| Of Cuban circles Whenever a reception has
| been given by Americans, II has naturally been
quite formal and the heat has made II too Cypress
i've to enjoy dancing. At Quemados where
most of the troops are stationed. there has been
some effort the part Of the officers at informal
| gayety. but they have been Handicapped by the
| great scarcity Of young women. For several
months the officers Of the Seventh Cavalry gave
| little dance every Monday evening in a pavilion
! erected at the camp for this purpose. These
| dances discontinued month ago Gen.
Lee has informal dancing every Wednesday
| and Sunday nights in the magnificent Toledo
| palace where are his headquarters, and they
serve to help the officers break the routine of camp
| life These functions are attended by both Cuban
| and American women, but Marianao is rather
| inaccessible and the trip out there from Havana
| entails consdera BILE inconvenience Great prepar-
| atoms are making for a gay season and II the
yellow fever can only be kept under control there
| will probably be high times down here by the
| month Of January.
Men who don't care to dance or indulge in the
pleasures Of society are naturally harder put
| TO it for means Of distracting their minds from
| their work than those who do There is prac-
tically nothing left to do but drink and play poker
| And with all due respect to the morals Of Havanas
| American cnnfinpenf hero hac baen -
| this kind Of diversion. There are lot Of Amer
| lean barrooms where drinks served in Yam
kee fashion and they do fourishng business
although they are forbidden TO sell to the troops.
| There are nearly 1000 able-bodied American
civilians here, to say nothing Of the commissioned
officers OF the army and quite a large percentage
| OF them have been showing the Cubans how they
| drink in the United States. While comparatively
| few Of them have drunk to excess, those who
| have overspped the bounds Of sobrety have
been so obstreperousy persistent in the practice
| that the average Cuban seems to think that the
| average American Is an accomplished drunkard
| He prophesies from morning until night that
the yellow fever is bound to sweep off every last
one Of them Yankees if they don't quit drinking
| and yet the Yankees persist, pointing the while
with great glee at this years yellow fever record,
| which Is such a one as Havana never saw before.
| Some Of the most ardent admirers OF and par
| Elephants in the flowing bowl maintain that it
| Is the whiskey which kills the germs and they
| confidently advise every one to partake thereof
| most literally On the other hand the doctors
seem t, hold that the high death rate attending
| the fever when Americans have been attacked
this summer is largely due to the fact that most
| of them were hard drinkers BE this as II may,
| the lovers Of bourbon and Of rye have not for
| sworn their love, maintaining that it Is about
| all that makes Havana life worth living Away
| from home and bored to death with an existence
which allows them other outlet for their instincts
of sociability, it is no wonder that some Of them
occasionally overstep the bounds In fact the
| wonder is that more do not do it,
But il the civilians and the officers have
a stupid time Of ii. their lot is I'M
measurably better than that Of the pri
Yates These poor fellows are SO hedged
about with disciplinary orders that life for them
| must be one long yawn They are watched like
| lot Of bad children. None Of them is allowed
| to be out after 8 o'clock at night and mighty few
| Of them at any time II they overstay their leave
OF break camp, they are severely punished by
| entire isolation from their comrades This
| stnctness results from desire Oh the part of the
military authorities to keep yellow fever out Of the
army. II has been found that the most dangerous
| part OF Havana Is what in New York would be
called the Tenderoin. 1t has also been found
| that whenever a soldier gets chance he seeks
that locality. 1t became necessary, therefore
| to keep them away from it, and the only way in
| which this could be done was to keep them in
| camp There they have been penned up all sum
mer, with nothing but drill and dress parade to
| occupy them Being regulars. they don't say
| much but il the home battalions which are now
returning to the States don't cut up some high
| didoes when they hit their native land. heap
| OF prophecies will go wrong. And the sum and
substance OF all this life down here when it comes
to an expression Of opinion whether it be from
officer, prvateo civilian, is that none Of them will
break his heart II Cuba should get its independence
| right of quick" and the Americans who are
reconstructng il be called bac OK TO the only country
| under the sun.