Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-04-02
CUBAN LETTER.
NO. 2.

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three classes with rates of fare to cor
respond. TIE first class cars are
poorer th3u any ever saw used on
an American road. The third class
are about the same except that the
seats are benches devoid Of backs or
cushions, and affording less refuge for
dirt and crawling things. Americans
usually took third class. The track is
mostly straight and level, but was
poorly kept up, making it very rough
riding. The scenery along the road
was mostly uninviting. A large part
of the way lies through what is local
ly known as THE Desert, "a wilderness
OF stunted bushes or short grass and
dwarf palms. We were told that most
of the country was better few miles
back, and at two points narrow gauge
roads led off a few miles to sugar
! plantations which are now in opera
ton. But in some places there was
rich land near the track and we saw a
| few cattle grazing among guinea grass
higher than their backs. The whole
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rock covered in most places with
varying soil from few inches to sew
eral feet in depth. Where this soil is
deep and rich it is capable of remark
able production, but where it is very
thin it can not support much growth
during the dry season. Some OF this
land never will be worth cultivating,
though it may afford some pasJurage,
but there is q vast amount Of good
land lying idle because there is not
money enough in the island to i'm
prove it. Some of this can be bought
for q moderate price, but most of the
owners are not willing to sell and are
doing what little they can TO re-stock
their cattle ranches. But of cultivat-
ing their land they have little idea
Almost any vegetable grows readily
there, and yet the region is eating
beans and potatoes from the States,
because there is not enterprise enough
among the average Cubans to raise
sufficient supply, though they would
bring high price.
Porto Principe is q quaint, old Span
ish town with narrow streets and low,
tile-roofed houses, crowded close to-
gether, presenting Il solid front to the
street, with iron grated windows and
immense solid wooden doors. The
Spanish government imposed tax
on window glass and or two story
houses, which is given as the reason
for the absence OF both in most parts.
But there are few two and even
three story houses in the business part
of the town. The houses are mostly
built Of either brick Or broken stone
mixed with mortar, but in either case
are plastered over and frequently
whitewashed in any tint to suit the
taste of the occupant. IF you enter
one of these houses, you will find that
in many cases an alley leads you into
an open court with the house all
around it. The dining room and kitch-
en- are likely to be on opposite sides
of the yard with only roof over them,
one side being open into the yard.
The parlor and bedrooms have doors
opening into this porch, as we might
call it. The floors are usually of wide
bricks even the upper floors, where
there are any, being Of this material,
except in some of the more expensive
buildings where they are made Of
stone. In the yard are to be found
several curious earthen vessels shaped
something like a New England bean
pot, but holding several barrels. They
are the cisterns (they call them tina
hons) which hold the rain water for
drinking and washing purposes. In
most of the island this seems to be the
chief dependence for water, and it
rather surprises one used to mountain
springs to see how little water can be
made to suffice in SO warm a country.
In some places there are large cisterns
dug in the rock and lined with &C.
ment, and some have wells which are
not fit for drinking purposes in any
city. But we did not see a good spring
anywhere in the island, nor any cold
water, except in the few places where
artificial ice was used.
We visited several of these homes
and found the people very friendly
and polite, in their way, with SIM
pie manner that made one feel at
home and wish to be better acquaint
ed with them. The homes that we
visited were all ones in which at least
some members had been in the states
and could talk some English. But
those members of the family who
could speak ouly Spanish greeted us