Evening star., 1900-12-17

VlSlC the marine n0Sp1RXkcSerFjCe on ,dTFlFdi
and see what has to be done in order to be
sure of getting the. rRfcessary certificate
when the time of departure comes. The.
steamship companies Will not sell tickets
until the health office of the marine hos
pital has issued it's certificate, so there is
no way of avoiding thatfegulation.
Yellow Fever No Lok<ser q BugaboO.
Yellow fever is no longer a bngaboo. In
the early fall, when the disease was really
epidemic, the health authorities issued
warnings against AmeAshns coming to the
island and taking UNNECESSARY risks. ~They
were especially emphaticIagainst parties OF
tourists coming and advised that these hold
Off until the middle of december. Now
there seems to be no special caution neces-
sary on this point. Several days of cool
weather reduced. the number of yellow
fever cases so materially that its recur-
renee in violent form does not seem to be
feared. There are always a few cases
throughout the winter season, and this
year is not likely to be an exception. But
they will be simply the normal condition
The Florida state authorities. whose quar-
anime laws are very strict, have removed
the quarantine and persons coming from
the United States can return through
Florida without interference.
The general health of the city is unusual
ly good as is shown in the report Of Major
Gorgas. chief sanitary officer. Havana
even plumes itself on it's small death rate
as compared with other places. The city
itself is SO clean and wholesome that it is
a delight to wander about it. The improve
ment over the old Spanish days, when filth
was everywhere encountered, is so marked
that there Is no basis of comparison. OF
course, all this is due to the sanitary work
done under American direction, and Major
Gorgas and his assistant are entitled to the
grateful testimony Of Americans who have
been here in former years for the work
they have accomplished. l do not think
that Havana as 1t is today would compare
unfavorably with any city in the United
States. and it is in far better condition ,han
most of them
These matters are Of, interest to people
who may come here and who like to wan
Ger over the old town. because of its mis-
toric associations. One might be inclined
to make mild protest against vandalism
that has been perpetrated in the name of
sanitation. and has resulted in destroying
lures Of the old Havana, The wall and the
entrance to the Quartet La FuerZa, on the
water front, with more than three and
half centuries of history, have been torn
down. With them have gone the jailer's
house and the sentry boxes. All this has
beei done with the utilitarian notion of
giving freer sweep Of air. But its utility
is doubtful as it's desecration of his
tcrical associations is censurable
Modern Landscape Gardening.
Ir some of the parks the picturesque and
historic also has been sacrificed to modern
landscape gardening. Yet there are some
small favors for which to be thankful.
Though the incIosure and the rambling
frame buildings which surrounded the old
city wall which defended Havana from at
tacks of pirates by land have been torn
down, the ruined walls are yet standing.
1t IS possible that some portion of these
may be left in the midst of the parking
which now surrounds them. AS there are
plenty of people living in Havana who re,
m w ha 20 D0 % ole and. :.
was not permitted the citizens to be OUTSIDE
of these walls after dark. it is to be hoped
that the historic link which connects them
with the past will not be broken.
Castle Morro and Fortress Cabana,
across the bay, have not yet been desc
Grated, although they have been renovated.
IL was huge work t9 clear out the accu-
mutation of filth which Spanish indiffer-
that they would not become pestience-
breeding structures. It seems to have been
dcne satisfactorily. Though visitors are
not permitted Within the buildings they
are allowed to wander around inside these
castle walls under military permit and
under the eye of the, soldiers doing guard
duty. The vandalism Of the tourist seeking
relics and souvenirs WIS even more threat
ening to the historical associations than
was the energy of the engineering depart
ment
The other forts are also open to visitors
When they get tired Of seeing antiquities
something Of the Cuba. Of today. The ordi-
nary visitor rarely leaves Havana. He
hears about the bad roads and the lack of
reads. and phe hesitates to venture outside
the city limits. While this is true Of the
island proper, 1t is not true of the district
Immediately around Havana. There are
good roads 'calzadas'' in all directions
The longest of them runs to Guines. in the
southeastern part of the province. and is
about thirty-five miles long. Another road
runs northwest to Guanajay and is not
quite so long. Others lead Oft for a dozen
or fifteen miles, and then after the manner
Of Spanish roads, end nowhere. But they
cradle glimpses Of the country to be had
under most favoring conditions.
May Use the Railroads.
1t is possible to use the railroads as
means of time saving and also for covering
a great distance The visitor can take an
early morning train out to Pinar del Rio
in the heart Of the tobacco region, eat his
MONDAY breakfast there and be back in
Havana at night. Or he can go eastward
to MatanZas if he wants to see more of the
sugar plantations and snatch a glimpse of
the Yumurri valley. which all loyal natives
Of Cuba declare to be the most beautiful
valley in the world, an opinion in which
some foreigners concur. 1t Is not neces-a
sary to hurry back to Havana by the rail-
read on the same day the journey is made,
but the American visitor who Is pushed
for time can do it If he makes up his
mind that he will see something Of the
country In short order. However. he will
be luckier if, through some mischance, he
ha to stay over a day or two. Rural Cuba
IS recuperating so rapidly that the signs of
war and insurrectfon have almost disap-
peared and the visitor makes a mistake
who does not cut short his Havana sight
seeing and avail himself of at least one day
in the country. CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.