Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-15
SCENES IN SANTIAGO
VAST CHANGE IN THE CITY UNDER
AMERICAN INFLUENCE.

There is no hotel in Santiago so we
took a house. bit outside the city
and overlooking the beautiful harbor,
writes an American woman from Cuba.
Santiago is a most picturesque city,
full of brilliant coloring, for the houses
are painted in the brightest colors,
pink and blue and saffron and orange,
and all have red-tled roofs. Our house
was painted the brightest blue you can
imagine. In some way. however, all
this kaleidoscope coloring seems APP
propriate and harmonious there, set
off by the tropical foliage, and we
soon became used to II.
The houses, as a rule, are huddled
very close together, but ours, being out
side the city, had extensive grounds,
and beautiful avenue Of royal palms
leading to the portico. While We were
there my brother gave a bali, which, it
was said, was one Of the prettiest ever
given in the city. The palm avenue
was thickly hung with Japanese Ian
terms, and a pavilion, erected for dane
ing, was covered with the branches Of
the cocoanut palm and outlined with
lights. The verandah, likewise, was
hung with lanterns and banked with
the palm branches, and we were told
afterward it was the prettiest sight,
seen from the harbOr, with all the
lights twinkling so gayly on the hill.
The army officers stationed in Santiago
were all at the bali, as were most of
the American colony and many Gu
bans.
There is a vast difference between
Santiago OF to-day and Santiago as it
was before the American invasion. In
the old days there was absolutely no
system of sewage, and the only street
cleaners were the vultures. which car
ried off the carton thrown into the
streets. All the sewage flowed through
the centre of the street. Now, how
ever. all that is changed. and the city
is in a very sanitary condition. 1t
seems odd, but it is nevertheless true
that many of the inhabitants fail ut
terly to recognize that the Americans
have conferred any good upon the city.
When we point to all the improvements
in sanitation that have been wrought,
they shrug their shoulders and say:
ooh well. we were cOntented enough
and all right before you came" OF
course, some of them appreciate the
new advantages, but many, even well
educated folk, do not. As for the
Spaniards we met, they are punctil
lously polite and courteous to Ameri-
cans, but it is easy to see that they
feel, naturally enough, that we are
invaders and have no business there.
Santiago. of course, is full of spots
of historical interest, and we visited
most of them. We went through Nor
TO Castle saw HobsOn's dungeon, and
were pointed to the spot where he
sunk his boat Part of our time was
spent at Daiqueri, twenty miles from
Santiago. and still higher in the noun
tains. We went to SibOuney, saw El
Caney and San Juan Hill, and went
by boat to Cienfuegos, passing the
wrecks Of Cerveras feet
From Cienfuegos we went by rail to
Havana. a most interesting journey.
1t took us twenty-four hours to travel
120 miles. but the way was through
sugar plantations and cocoanut groves,
and the road went through tracts Of
country covered with the most beauti
full tropical vegetation, so that the
journey was delightful.
Havana is a beautiful city, nearly
as large as Milwaukee, though il
doesn't cover so much ground. 1t is
much more modern than Santiago,
where there are no hotels and no
street cars. Havana. on the contrary
has many modern conveniences. The
streets present a brilliant appearance
oftentimes. and one sees some very
beautiful women driving about in their
carriages. most of them without any
head covering. Many Of them are we'll
gOwned. but 1 did not see anything in
that line TO justify Havana's title Of
the Paris Of the West While we We're
there we met the beauty Of Havana,
chosen as such last year She is n
Miss Alfonso and a strikingly beauti
ful girl. We attended a brilliant ball
given in honor OF the officers Of Ger
man cruiser which was in the harboI
at the time. A French cruiser was also
stationed there and her officers were
likewise at the bah. as well as all the
American officers in the city. many
American civilians and the flower OF
Cuba nand Spanish society IL was
a very pretty bail.
It is bit difficult to become used to
the food down here. One has 10 learn
to do without butter for there is al
most none to be had We had some
butter occasionally 1t came from
France in little tin cans and was usual
ly not eatable. The food is cooked in
oil, when fat Of any sort is desired
The morning meal consists Of coffee
and dry bread At noon they have
breakfast" " and this IS a regular din
me-, with soup salad and several kinds
Of meat. II is remarkable what quan-
titles Of meat they eat Supper is an
other hearty meal of many courses and
much 1eat Desserts are moi usual
Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin.