The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-11-30
INTERIOR OF CUBA.
VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE
SEACOAST CITY VIEW.
Daughters Sold by Parents-The Burial
Customs Seem Shockingly Brief and
ColdblOoded to an A-merican-Ha-
vana's Highly Ornate Hearse. q

So much has been written concern
Ing Havana and Santiago, and so little
said of other large towns, the impress
sion has been conveyed that there are
but two cities on the island. Such is
not the case, however, for some of the
provinces, especially the western prov
inces, are densely settled, says the
Washington Post. The province OF
Havana alone has nearly a hundred
large towns. Those who have visited
only the seacoast towns have seen the
worst, and in fact a very small por-
ton, of Cuba. Over two-thirds of the
island is just as healthy, even during
the summer months, as any part of the
world. Two distinct classes of people
live in Cuba. The people who live in
the seacoast towns may be placed in
one class, while those living in the
interior towns form a distinct and very
different type. These people differ
greatly in their ways and customs. The
coast people are mor enlightened, the
reason, perhaps, being that they inter
mingle with other classes of people,
which partly proves that one great
need of Cuba is the immigration to it's
shores Of other races who will import
vitality and enterprise. Naturally the
seacoast towns have developed more
rapidly, and the laws Of civilization
are more readily obeyed. In the in
terror towns, where other races of peo-
pie have seldom been, the people in
general are very ignorant. All classes
of people in the interior are early ris-
ers. early to bed and early to rise"
being their motto. AS soon as dark
ness comes every place is closed up and
quiet prevails. At 6 o'clock in the
morning all the places are opened and
business is resumed. They have not
yet learned that Sunday is a day Of rest
and worship. All business places are
kept open all day, and as many tran
sactions take place as on any other
day. Cuban men rarely go to church.
But of the women it may be affirmed
that they are very devout, and early
in the morning they fill the churches.
What strikes one forcibly is the great
spirit of democracy that exists in the
Cuban churches. Many of the ne
groes are very devout, and they go to
church regularly. They are not rele-
gated to the galleries or a few back
seats, but may go anywhere. 1t is not
an unusual sight to see a beautiful
girl of naughty Castilian features tell
ing her beads beside a rough-looking
negro with only a dirty, everyday shirt
between himself and the outer world.
In the interior of Cuba the marriage
laws need much mending. Few Gu
bans are lawfully married and many
of them have seven or eight wives.
This is not only tolerated, but rather
encouraged. Men will go around brag-
ging about the number of mojers
(wives) they have, and as the Cuban
marriage laws are worse than the Nor
mon laws of Utah there is nothing to
prevent a man from having as many
wives as he wants. Courtships, as a
rule, are of short duration, many not
lasting longer than a week or ten days.
Girls marry very young. Many are
wives when they have attained the age
of II or Is, and some even marry at
10. When they marry so young it is
not always their desire to do SO, but
because they have been sold by their
| parents. Like our Indians, the Cubans,
especially those living in the noun
tains, believe in selling their daugh-
ters. Whenever Cuban children are
baptized the name of both parents are
used. If Juan Rodriguez marries Ma
ria Lopez and they have a child-say a
boy-when he is christened they choose
for him the name of Francisco, then
his full name will be Francisco Rodri-
guez Lopez, the mothers maiden name
being added, which explains the u
| OF so many long names among the Gu
bans.
Hearses in Cuba are very rare. Dur
ing all my travel I saw but n and
that was in Havana. 1t is a magnif-
cent affair, drawn by six jet-black
| horses. Two men in red uniforms
| trimmed with yellow sit on the box.
Such gay uniforms at one of u flu
nerals would perhaps be regarded as
| out of place. The Well-polished brass
that adorns it's sides, and the kneel-
ing angel on the very top, seemingly
so eager to fly, greatly enhance the
spectacular appearance of the hearse.
Six men, three on either side, in black
uniforms trimmed with yellow and
wearing red-top boots, act as a body
| guard. Every time this hearse turns
| out the owner receives $3.50, so 1t can
be seen that only those belonging to