Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15
HAVANA MADE OVER
Changes Wrought by the
American Occupation.
NOW A WINTER RESORT
CARPENTERS IMPRESSIONS AFT
Err TWENTY YEARS ABSENCE.
Good Cars, Clean Streets, Beautiful
Drives and Picturesque Houses
Plot to Kidnap John Sherman.
NOW A WINTER RESORT
Copyright. 1905. BY Frank G. Carpenter)

Copyright. 1905 BY Frank G. Carpenter)
Special Correspondence OF The Star.
HAVANA.
Havana is growing like a bamboo sprout
1t had 2350O0 people five years ago, and
the census gave it 10000 more in 1902. Its
population is now over 100000, and there
are those who, like Sir William Van Horne,
believe that it will In time approximate a
million. There are less than a dozen cities
in the United States larger than Havana.
1t already outranks Detroit. Milwaukee.
Minneapolis. Louisville or Kansas City. 1t
is twice as big as Omaha or Memphis, and
away ahead of Newark. Indianapolis, Los
Angeles, Columbus or Toledo. 1t is grow
ing in wealth. likewise, and Is more and
more every day the commercial, business
and social center of Cuba.
The New Havana.
My last visit to Havana was made more
than twenty years ago, in company with Sen
ator John Sherman, then President pro
tenn. Of the Senate and acting Vice
President of the United States. Vice Presi
dent Hendricks having died. By the then
law had President Cleveland died in Office
Mr.. Sherman would have succeeded him.
and when we reached Havana the papers
referred to him as the Vice President of the
United States. To show the condition Of
the island at that time need only instance
that plot was gotten up by some brigands
to kidnap Mr.. Sherman and hold him for
ransom. The plan was to capture our party
during trip we were to make to a sugar
plantation not far from the city, and
1t would surely have been carried out
had we not at the last moment changed
our route and visited another plantation
The story Of the plot was never given to
the newspapers. but Senator Sherman firmly
nall IL, t1xA t~,x%h 49, a., 4
1t has always been great regret to me
that l was not able to be the only cor-a-
spondent to chronicle the real kidnapping
for ransom of a Vice President Of the
United States.
At that time Havana contained hundred
thousand less people than 1t does now, and
the city was fifty years behind its present
condition. 1t was dirty to an extreme.
Stark-naked children could be seen In the
poorer quarters and the draying and other
heavy traffic was done by great carts pulled
by OK teams with yokes strapped to their
horns. There were no street cars aud no
modern improvements Of any kind.
Today Havana has a good electric car
line, with more than fifty miles of track
and something like 200 motor cars. The
street car company took In last year
gross receipts of more than million dol
| lars, and 1t promises to be very profit
able corporation. The car lines are now
being built out to the suburbs, and they
will probably extend the system to the
cleaner cars nor cleaner car conductors
than those of Havana. The men dress in
light gray linen suits. They are polite.
and they handle the traffic in a GENTLE
| manly way.
A Clean City.
Indeed, Havana will compare favorably
with any town In Holland or Switzerland.
It is better than Zurich, where the police
men arrest you for throwing paper on the
Washington RnSton and New
York are dirty beside 1t. The streets look
as though they were washed and swept
every hour. There is no dirt in the cob
bles and the asphalt shines like the floor
of Dutch kitchen. 1 don't know what
they do with the garbage. but SO far I
have yet to detect a vile smell.
During my first visit found the natives
ragged, and many of the poor were half
naked. Today every one Is well dressed
and the poor are cleaner than Americans
of the same class. All are busy. Wages
are high and all have plenty to do. AS
to health. the death rate Is lower than