The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-13
RhoadeS Tells of a Funny
Cuban Christmas.
SANTA CAUSES PANIC
And Has a Hard Time Quiet
ing Things,
Especial Correspondents to Eagle)

/ days. The only Protestant church ~ any
/ strength here is the Methodist ana as a
/ consequence there was but the one
+ Christmas tree The Protestant Way o.
+ celebrating The event is entirely unknown
here. but the Rev Mr.. Baker. who IS a
/ thorough Spanish scholar, had explained
/ before the meaning and significance OF
1 the celebration. The older people evi-
/ IDENTIFY understood but few If any Of the
/ children caught the meaning. He did nos
I explain about Santa Clause. intending 10
/ do that just before the venerable gentle
man made his appearance. The tree was
( screened behind a curtain until The audi
/ euce was all I'm, when the curtain was
suddenly withdrawn and for one instant
everyone was breathless with astonish-
ment Then the children, with cries Of
delight, began pointing TO the different
articles that caught ana pleased their
fancy. After the hubub had subsidized
somewhat Mr. Baker asked for silence
and started to explain that there would
be a short program rendered. after which
a certain brother zone Of the native teach
ars, would represent Santa Clause and
give away the presents. Santa Claus APP
pareutly did not understand that such an
explanation was To be given, so when me
heard his name mentioned the door op n
ed and he bounded in The appearance of
of a little old man in an unknown dress,
with long flowing hair and jingling beds
making such q sudden and uuceremonious
entrance was more than the audience
had bargained for. With one Ions shTie1
of horror everyone bolted. while from
every quarter cries of Eel Diablen' Eel
Diable" lthe devD were heard The
ushers held the door and a sembIance OF
order was restored, but supersutious fea-
was upon every face. santa Claus had In
the meantime taken off his mask and
beard and Mr. Baker explained to The
best of his ability, asking if they did not
now recognize him. but for many min
utes no one seemed to do so. and even his
own children screamed in fear. His dress
was against him and hey apparently
had eyes only for that seemingly, paying
10 attention to his face.
The older people finally comprehended
the situation and quiet was restored but
all the evening the children kept mp hys-
terical cries The Rotations had to be
dispensed with. as no one paid the least
attention. Many Of the children upon re-
ceiving a bag Of candy would laugh and
shout with delight, only the next min
ute to clasp their parents and begin to
cry with fright However. when the tree
was stripped of its precious burden and
the audience dismissed, all began to auX-
iously inquire il Christmas came at The
same time next year
The Cuban people as a whole consider
Chris nas a day Of Teasing, which COM /
mences the evening before and ends /
whenever the person has reached his lin /
it Of eating or is too drunk 90 longer stay /
awake They are not much given to
drinking to excess I'M public and their
Christmas orgies are confined to th r.
homes 1t is common comment by Amer /
leans the first few m 7nths here thar the /
people do not get drunk. This is a mis- /
take They do not set drunk FRI public .
as it is considered q disgrace, but 1t IS /
very common among many, IN fact mos /
of those who are financially able o. afford .
it, TO never 90 to bed sober. Their ideas
all date back several centuries and they [
follow the custom in drinking 81 preva-
lent during the time known ia European
history as the Dark Ages.
I am sorry 10 say that many 81 my own
couutrymen celebrated the day .n just
the opposite way. The soldiers behaved /
themselves remarkably well, due pr7ba-
bly, to the yiglence OF the officers and
also to the lack OF money with which 10
bug liquor. as they had been paid e8-lv
Ia the month and most had spent their
salary. No one was allowed % pass tAe
lines without written permission Of the
3diutant so those with guard house rec-
7r74 and known u-ea f-nrs- rer Hou1r