The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-14
Havana, Cuba, January 2

Editor Messenger:
I am now seeing the sights Of the
metropolis of the Pearl OF the Aniil-
les" and they are many and wonderful
to me, a strange on my first visit Get
ting here late night before last. and
having some work to do yesterday, l ia
not get out OF my hotel but once; but
this morning, after a good night s rest,
I started out
The first point visited was the wreck
Of the Maine, then the fort Moro Cas-
tie and la Cabana; hen to the Plant
Steamship Company's office and to the
United Railways Of Havana Offices.
During these rounds the harbor was
crossed twice and many miles Of the
city traversed, and when night came
I was tired n felt that / had sen
enough for one day.
Mr.. II. 3. Mckenzie, Of Waverly,
Ohio, was with me on my trip to the
Maine. He had visited il before. and
/ told him I would pay his way If he
would like to accompany me. He con-
scented and / hired a boatman to carry
us out and return for fifty cents. We
landed, got out n walked about on
parts OF the wreck, got some small
pieces of it and returned.
Almost all know the history OF the
hattlesh.p Maine. how she vas blown UP
and with what great loss Of life, and
how II fired the minds of the American
yeople and had much to do with bring
ing on the war with Spain.
Tourists have picked almost every
particle o~btainable from the great mass
Of iron to carry away as relics. On re-
turning / felt that ! had seen one of the
most interesting sights to be seen In All
Cuba. taking all the circumstances into
consideration.
Very few people visiting Havana
would feel satisfied to leave without
$500 - ,,g,sS g. Nhn Grant ancient FOR
tifications just across the a from the
principal part OF the city and at the en-
trance to the harbor. Moro Castle and
In Cabana.
After returning from the wreck of the
Maine / crossed over to la Caban first
and then to Moro Castle. A fag-ths
Stars and Stripes-waves from a nag
stan on the top of each. The flag that
waves over Moro Castle is the largest
. enc / have ever seen, L think. TO 60
through the forts one has to get a per-
init from the governor general.
1t would take pages to anything like
describe the 10 Is. / do not wonder that
our warships did not care to undertake
- 70 come in and try to take the city
during the war. for they would have
Jared very badly. IL some OF them had
aot gone 10 the bottom. There is a vo ST
en- and bridge connecting them. which
was built by the English while they oc-
cupied them away back in the year 1892.
i stood under both the flags for sonic
time and viewed the great city acruss
the bay. From on top the forts fine
views of the city car be had.
The lighthouse on Fort Moro was COLI
structed when General O'DUnnell was
commander of the island in the yea
1874. For a distance of twenty-five
miles out at sea the light from TINS
lighthouse can be seen. it is said.
AT the office of the United Railways
of Havana 1 found MI. j. E.. Wo.fa,
who is the administrator general and
who treated me very courteousiy ana
showed me valuable favors.
This Is January 18th and / have been
touring the city again today, visiting
first the head office of the Western rail-
way Of Havana, where / found Mr.. A
p. Livfsey. who is its general manager.
He is q young Englishman and his road
Is owned by English capitalists. He
also showed me favors and gave m"
valuable information
/ next crossed the harbor, took all
electric car line and visited Guanaba-
Goa, a city of about 20. 900 inha bitants
and one of the Oldest on the island. On
my return / took a railway tram TO tn
harbor and crossed it on 4 boat at an
other point. The strange looking
houses, the narrow streets OF the town
and the beautiful Iollil country seen
.on the way and the splendid view of tie
harbor all combined to make this ex-
eursion a very pleasant one.
On getting back to the city l vislte1
Governor General Woods headquarters
The governor generals palace is one Of
the finest buildings in the city and ~
5ust a short distance from the postoffica
and Snear the harbor.
Then another fort, said to be the old
est OF all the forts here was visited. On
AIs- f--N f- N lor~n bnl rff
the date 1706 on it. This old fort con-
tains public documents dating for al
most hundreds OF years back.
It is now nearly 1000 o'clock p. I'll.
and I have not been long il from one
of Tho principal parks OF the city. Peo-
pie were swarming through i and SIT
ting on seats of various kinds Tor which
aemau fee is collected. The band plays
and hundreds of children come out and
play and walk under the bright If hits.
Ny first. sight OF oxen being used for
switching cars was 'on my way TO the
railway office this morning. am my
first sight OF a woman smoking a cighr
was while on my way to G~uanahac"a
this afternoon.
ousan ds of excursionist are pouring
snto Havana now. and1hey are pouring
ont their money also: for il takes morry
and lots of IL to travel and see tae
rights and enjoy tSis dehgnttet
winter climate down here At hote.s al
kinds of prices from s1.cs to $1,000 pet
day are changed and 1t seems that
mary think that what people generaiiy
are down here for is to spend their
money
Write visiting Mor Ca site YESTERDAY
and standing all alone by che ftagsta1
from which waved a flag seine htee1
by twenty-five feet. above me and while
looking across the pretty and now ia
nous harbor and viewing the beautiful
great and busy city Of jabberins hu-
manity 1 eaid to myself: III 1--we TO
see ave ears roll around I expect to SCI
Cuba a great state in the union. VIII
Suu renresentation in both houses OF
congress. the beautiful Pearl OF the
Antilles poisoning as the rose n the
people from the other states noekin
to IL as they did to the gold neios nl
California years ago and aS they nave