The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-26

consecrated. During thirty years blessed
has it been with the blood of patriots,
inundated for tyranny"
The Spaniards who go to and from the
city avoid this unwelcome reminder by
passing along other streets, but the Gu
bans, en- the other hand, take a great de-
light in the blue signboard, and, TO use
a familiar expression, rub it in on ali
occasions. This same slaughter pen which
was at one time the filthiest spot on the
American continent, is now one of the
cleanest places in Santiago. When the
Americans arrived among other things
the city was s.mqly overrun with every
breed of mongrel, hybrid, and cur dog
known TO the western world, and the
slaughter pens We're their great rendeZ-
vous. Morning, noon and night these dis
ease spreaders gathered in swarms about
the place, and snarled and fought with
human creatures almost as wretched as
themselves for the spols of the slaughter
pens. 1t was a miserable, sickening sight,
a sight totally unfamiliar TO American
eyes, and one that is simply incapable of
description.
In one week General Wood changed the
whole scene. His first work was to clear
out the dogs, and nearly five thousand of
these worthless brutes were destroyed in
a single week. His next move was 10 feed
the starving. and this was followed by a
corps Of white wings who daily sweep
and flush the vicinity. The slaughter pens
are now as clean as any similar industry
in America, and the sanitation of the en-
tire city is managed IN the same intelli-
gent manner.
At first sight, coming up the bay, San
t.ago is Disappointing to the new arrival.
It's 10000 population are hidden beneath
acres of low, fiat, red-tiled roofs. and the
houses themselves, built of sun-baked
adobe or native stone, are usually but one
story in height The streets are narrow,
crooked alleys, rambling up hill and down,
many of them so narrow that tw veh!-
cles cannot pass in them ,ad ere, before
the American occupation, totally without
paving of any kind, except the narrow
| tagging next to the buildings.
UnprepoSseSsing as the houses appear
from the outside in their daUby colors Of
blue, chrome yellow and muddy red, with
in the better ones are almost alaces of
beauty. Their main feature is an inner
Z
fountains, fanked on the four sides by
covered piazzas, containing handsomely
tiled floors, and these verandas answer
the purpose of dining rooms, loung.ng
places, a comfortable retreat for the noon
day siesta or for any other general pur-
pose the family may desire. Hammocks
, are swung in convenient places, rocking
chairs abound, and lazy sofas invite one
| from various hooks and corners. Birds
fly at will from place to place, and no
/ inner court would be complete without its
1 pair of chatter:ng parrots. Window glass
and chimneys are unknown in Santiago.
/ The windows are heavily barred with iron
| and ponderous wooden shutters close out
! the heat of the midday sun. At night
! everything is thrown open to ventilation,
and as for kitchens and fuel a separate
/ inner court with a brazier answers for
the former, and carbon is the only COM
! bustt5le used for culinary purposes,
The plaza is the great evening resort
and here 6 Their "a Ia tarde'' the bellies
and beauX of the town This is a fine
large square lighted by electricity, with
enormous ornamental lamps, whftewashed
statues and broad pavements of marble
| tiles. On one side towers the huge cathe-
dral, with It's twin spires reaching far
into the air, and opposite recines the
| low rooted palace where now, as formerly.
the official functions Of the province are
transacted. On the east side the grace
fuI San Carlos club and the massive Case
Grande overlook the plaza; to the west
the cafe Venus-perhaps the largest of
its kind in Cuba-completes the pretty
scene.
There is no color line in Cuba, and no.
where is this fact in greater evidence
than among the romenalors of an evening
at the Plaza de Arma." The shade of a
mans complexion has never been greatly
considered in this strange city, and so no
need be surprised to encounter spotIess
Desdemonas hanging on the arms of
dusky Othellos at every turn of the walk
Creole beauties think nothing of nromen-
adlng with negro officers in gorgeous uni
forms, or octoroon bellies, with beautiful
waving hair, strolling beside and chattine
gaily with their white husbands. Indee,
at wedding the other day in the old
cathedral, attended by the elite of the CITY
and the best people from the country
roundabout, the bride was the lovely
young daughter of a wealthy sugar plan.
ter, AMI the groom burly negro as black
as the ace Of spades. The latter was oil
good native blood. and no one evr dreamed
Of obecting to this mingling of colrs.
n matter how hot the evening the staii
and dignifed senoras and the dainty
senoritas-Spaniards AMI Cubans alike-al
ways appear on the plaza dressed il
black. They are usually costumed in som,
kind Of thin. gouzy material, but the colo
is always black, and the somber tin
really adds to their beauty. 1t was Z
nine days wonder, therefore, when, sool
after America took possession. a hand
some young American girl. clad in breez,
white and licked with ribbons Of ga,
colors, appeared on the plaza one hot of
ternoon. promenading with a natty nava
ensign from one Of the warships in tn
harbor. The senoritas watched her in 81
lent amaZement, the senoras with dis
trust, and both seemed to think her til
held. Instead Of quiet dignifed demeanoI
: the American beauty rattle away to he
escort ike a raiiroa tairn running ava
from itself meanwhile pealing 10th ring
5 Of merry laughter. and her bright, happ
= ways really had a depressing effect upo
= her more precise sisters.
But the climax came few laws later
: when another girl appeared on the plaz
{ riding 4 wheel. and clad. occ0rding to cor
/ ( vontj0nslly in the states. in theusUa, sho1
4 / riding skirts oCkey hat and knee les
o. eirgs. HaHd she sun suddenly blaze
s forth at midnight the CONSERVATION OF IN
% Santiago ladies would not have bee
e greater. The astonishing sight was tn
e talk OF the town for several days but III
p novelty soon wore or. and American sui
p prisss have now about ceasel 70 excl,