The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-19
HOUSEKEEPING IN CUBA.
Prices Charged by the
American 1,rndc-men.

tFram the New York Times
Keeping house in Cuba is far from being
an easy matter. II the United States
where near or in a large city one may buy
ANYTHING one wishes in the central market
or in small neighboring ones Not long
ago We dined here with some friends, and
our hostess remarked that she came very
near telegraphing US not 10 come, as II
was absolutely impossible 10 find ans thins
In the market, meats o. vegetables
1t IS Inexpensive at best living here. but
for those who are privileged 10 buy pro
visions from the COmmissary the expense
is Iightened. That privilege is granted to
the army and 10 civilian employees Of the
Government. Everything is sealed tightly,
so that there Is no trouble IN keeping u IN
this climate Many things can only be
bought in large quantities-cheeSe. for in
stance, which comes in nine-pouud cakes,
and soda and graham crackers, IN ten
pound cans.
Americans complain % being cheated by
Cuban dealers, and IL Is true that IN many
stores Americans are asked a much higher
price than the natives for the same article.
However, persons who have been here Tor
some time say that American dealers who
have come here are far more eXorbitant
than the Cubans and I observed this for
myself q short time ago l bought some
Holland cheese at an American grocery
paving 30 cents a pound for it The next
day ! bought the same kind Of cheese OF a
Cuban on the next corner for 10 cents less
on the pound. and also found most other
articles less expensive there
It is necessary to have several servants
to do the work that one would do in the
United States. The tiled floors need scrub
bing very often; in many houses II Is done
every day. This is Offset in a measure by
NJ abearr, of windows n he WASHED al
though in the better houses there are
few panes Of glass in every window. Be
sides the tiled floors Of the room there Is
the floor OF the porch, without which no
house in Cuba is complete, even the rud-
est houses having porches OF some de-
scription, and they often extend haf way
around the house
One feels very safe from fire in these
houses for with the exception Of the doors
doorsiIls etc, there is no iudammsble ma
terial about them However. there are fire
alarm stations at every turn, and or
ganized fire department. I am told that
il is a volunteer organization. and that
when there is an alarm the firemen. all
of whom are society men, hurry home from
party. dinner. business. or wherever they
NAV be. and after dOfiug their civilian
clothing and donning that Of the depart
ment drive TO the scene OF action. Last
week there was 4 DlB HIe IN d lCuletl Ed4"'
when this plan was carried out. and before
the ashes were cold the firemcn were en-
Toying an after the-hTc' supper in a
neighboring cafe.
An American seamStresS has Just arrived
here According to her own statement she
is going 10 work for the same pay as the
Cubans II so. then she Is one Of the few
who have not come 10 make money. for the
poor Cuban seamstress receives very little.
She works from Z O'Clock in the morning
until O'Clock in the evening FOR - cents
Spanish. equivalent in our money 20 about
IS cents Besides this she receives a can
tina for her meals. This amounts TO be
tween 81 aud SO a week.