The record-union., 1899-03-24
QUEER THINGS IN CUBA.
EVERY DAY LIFE IN THE ISLE
OF TOMORROW.
Punctured Coins and Disease
Breeding Shinplasters In
Common Use.

One who is visiting Cuba in these
days of her reconstructing can bring no
better financial prop than American
greenbacks; they are SO much easier
to carry than gold, and the premium on
them is the same If he brings the
usual letter Of credit or draws on nome
through one of the island banks, hel Will
find that the cashiers charges for the
accommodation are quite in keeping
with the Cuban idea that everything
American is lawful prey, to be maze
the most Of The hotel keepers sllli
require their pay on the basis OF Span
1sh gold, but will readily allow per
cent. on American bills. The local meI-
chants are glad to get our greenbacks
at the same rate in exchange for their
goods or the coin of the country, be-
cause most of their business is done IN
New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
Baltimore on the credit system, and the
notes are convenient for transporta-
ton without the expense of getting
them changed into another form But
the cabmen, porters, servants and 9TH
ers of their class, accustomed to being
cheated at every turn by their late
rulers, will have nothing to do with any
money they do not understand, and in
sist on the familiar 20 cent pieces of
the island, American dimes and nickels
and coppers for small change, or the
dirty, beggar handled, disease infested
shinplasters. If you offer them an
American half dollar, fresh and shining
from the mint, they will eye it doubt
try re ofo tr, \
ring it on the sidewalk, if they do not
refuse it outright.
THE TRAIL OF FORMER SHARP
ERS.
Some sharper of other days seems to
have flooded Cuba with American sill
yer in 8 and 10 cent pieces, after hav-
ing punched a fraction out of each for
his own profit. You may pick up a
hatfu 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
mutilated pieces pass at their face
value without question, but the island
ers appear to place most confidence
in the coin that has the greatest num-
Der 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 resump-
ton of specie payment, circulates in
Cuba, but with this important differ
ence: when ours became soiled or torn
we could exchange it for new, while
In Cuba there are no such facilities,
and the filthy bits of paper, handled
by lepers and carried about in the
rags of the lowest classes, become SO
loathsome that one would rather fore
go his change" than touch it.
A PULLING CURRENCY.
One dollar of our silver will pur-
chase at least $2.45 of this scrip often
more. according tot the rate of exchange
at the moment. Though based upon
nothing, having been issued indiscrin,-
inately by bankrupt Government, it
answers all the local necessities of
trade, and is always used for carfare
and small transactions. 1t was ground
out of the paper mill-nobody knows
to exactly what amount-in 3, 10, 20,
and 90 cent ''plasters." One thing is
We'll known, that every authorized is
sue Of given sum was enormously ex-
ceeded. Seven years ago an issue of
bank bills of this small currency was
entrusted to an establishment 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 Off
Gals who, so the quidnuncs say, divid-
ed the extra millions among them
selves. 1t is asserted that the Captain
General under whose administration
this financial stoke was accomplished
came to Cuba a poor man, and two
years later returned to Spain with
100000 pesos to his credit. So thrifty
were the proud hidalgos who threw
down a dollar when half of it was
due somebody else's dcllar) and
stalked haughtily away, sneering at
the Yankee pigs who waited for
their changed
The other day I went into the Cafe
Ia Luz to treat some of my newly ar
rived countrymen. There were four of
US, and each ordered a different bever-
age. I threw down al five-dollar Ameri-
can gold-piece in payment. The smile
dispenser" studied long with knitted
brow over the knotty problem of change
and then handed me back a Spanish
five-dollar goldpiece and 40 cents in sill
yer. This pleased the group SO well
that I treated again, giving back to
the saloonkeeper the Spanish five-dollar
gold piece. 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 drinks is
high In Cuba, it would seem that there
is money to be made in taking them ad
1ibitum, and the more liquor one buys
the more money he gets, To study the
thing out, it was this way: There was
20 per cent. premium on American gold
over Spanish gold, and 20 per cent on
Spanish gold as compared with silver.
Thus, out of the original American 50
gold piece I bought eight expensive
drinks, and still had $3.50 in silver-and
discovered afterward that the bar
keeper had swfndled me out of 10 cents.
HOLY DAYS GALORE.
In the Cuban calendar there are no
fewer than go '.holy days" Sundays
included, in which nobody can be le-
gally compelled to labor-neither the
Nature makes the cures
L. III