The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22

An unfailing experience with
~.,o nut up at one Havana hotel
N"' NAV. wish they had gone to an
Is IT. really matters little where one
eDiU If hotel life is inevitable, for all
~ ,,,.as classed as good are OF uniform
rr- they make grand front put
,.l,row naockeries within. The visitor
a' - e., reaching the hotel a cab ride
nl@ ..l.7I,tad to stir TO the top all the
VIZ ..s,,, I'M his nature, Possibly he has
"F a,t cab fares here are peseta,
ems in Spanish money, for one or
.rsons in cab. That means
.es less than 10 cents III American
- or cents each if there are two
-.o,eers. He may have been so rejoic-
s,,,,,fve the bumboat that brought
,.bo,5 as 10 resolve, before he tried
,,h that he would be generous and
an American quarter for his ride.
r.,, innlIlse leaves him while he is
k rider. and when he gets to his hotel
HLi,e can convince him that peseta
"-Fb , ride is not rank eXtortion. He
W., hat if Justice were done him he
b, 10 get at least SO for the demorali-
.5i,o that his system has undergone.
lrLa,..ro no Spanish money he repairs to
NM office to get some. The clerk
n.+ar. ia his request for an exchange, and
,bor nrobab.y goes about some other busl-
s Meanwhile the cabman, waiting
sid has concluded that this is prob
Y5Iy a good time charge at $1.25 per hour.
T,lsn the clerk finally gets around to as
,rih, the visitor that ne need not bother
tar, oab fare as the hotel will pay it,
Te cohmau appears, with eyes ablaze and
hands feet and tongue all spouting Span
.h Itnoo The clerk as interpreter, says
he c.bman demands so cents in Ameri
oon money He looks ready for instant
murder if he doesn't get it. If the visitor
.sks the clerk what to do about il, he
gats a shrug of the shoulders in reply. He
an. to iay 40 cents in American money
t,r the cabman on the clerks desk and
walk away. That is the last seen of the
c,bmau He has got nearly three fares
for one ride, and is no glutton.
NEGOTIATING for n Room.
/ The next proceeding is to negotiate with
he clerk for room. After several days
nj travel the average visitor wants a
Mace TO unpack, make a change, and get
hath The clerk listens blandly to his
wishes ana then enters upon an elabor-
ara computation to decide what rooms
are vacant If this happens to be the day
that the elevator is running, the visitor
NAV be lifted with that contrivance by
easy stages to an upper floor, with a list
| of vacant rooms in his hand. The chances
| are that he will walk. Men look after hotel
. rooms mere there being no chambermaids
for any work. They are all Cubans and
know no English, but they can read num-
lers So when a visitor shows one of
them a list of numbers, he knows what is
| wanted, and If the room is on his floor,
| he leads the way to 1t. If it is not on his
| floor the visitor may hunt an attendant
| on another floor.
In nearly every case the list contains
| numbers only of rooms that are dark.
! They cannot be lighted even by gas, ex-
| cept at night when a burner with a ca
| lacity Of perhaps one foot per hour is
| available until the time when well regu-
lated persons should be abed. Then the
gas is turned off AT all other times a
tallow candle is alone serviceable. 1t gives
quite as much light as the gas burner.
These rooms open into covered courts.
which are themselves dingy. If a tenant
dislikes artificial light at midday and
wants the natural thing, he may get 1t
al third hand by pushing back the blinds
81 his window on the court and taking
what will penetrate between the iron bars
With which every window is provided.
me must have all senses alert to cross
room So lighted in safety If a chair
happens To be in the way. A blanket does
service as a mattress, and pillows on the
orls are hard and uneven, the walls are
paTe, there is no carpet or other protec-
uon from The stone floor, and the wash
ing arrangements are as primitive as in
Maine camp
Inspection of very few such rooms goes
long way with the average Ameri 2an
visitor He has probably by this time
spent at least an hour trying to get To-
Va'ea ana IS willing to pay well for the
hng that suits him. When he protests to
A7 CLERK, mat person mildly expresses re-
set mat there is nothing better to offer.
,u' says that outside rooms are limited
!, number and are always engaged far
aHeal al prices considerably above the
regular Perhaps Tomorrow there may be
Something
lls visitor may not have lost all his
p.lcA' although sweltering under tenn
Pts."ue Oh 80 degrees, with winter wear
60, ana ne 1launts out to find an
WI motel Houses where English is
poAeh or understood are rare. He
MUS eIs Inc same bad conditions in all of
r., ana alter wasting a good part of
laS ne returns to the original place
."Ae WAa' he can get. He can at
make himself understood there, even
1,sIieased. BY the time of his return
"o,ei may have a room a grade above
', HIsl shown him, with a window per-
~. e'sAl feet from the floor, the shut
operated by cords which hang within
N, NO window has glass. To shut
.os,5 s' or rain the shutters must be
,,. w. making the room dark. He has
gotten the bath, and when he asks
N. ~ DE learns that all occupants of
o.. "oor are free to use a common bath
H"Nnna Hotel Meals.
D' lung T. a subject THAI naturally APP
S.t''.lo the visitor. The Continental
oe. 0" Is followed. Cuban oranges and
hr 'i rolls, made of flour prepared
bour ''l Innate may be had at any
Ia M "o"r eyer carly. Oranges are peeled
IN v1 40.N ana are served by the plate
M. o' lae juice dripping from them
ho ' 'o eat them is 40 plunge fork
lfr. t emo and gnaw so as to let as
ver,. a7 possible escape. They are
eas, ''..' ana sweet, but contain at
or,r,,. many seeds as the American seed
rolls l', being much smaller. The
bread little sponge, nor has the
10 r "'0I mainly crust. and the cof-
roa.ie5 '' the island, is always fresh
Am eps 'n Alrly palatable. 1t is black,
f me ,,' TWO may be served at this meal
seem ~, -,. pIeases. The meal does not
Amara,,, he breakfast to the average
co0.s sr, ana the Cubans call It simply