The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-03-24

week since from her sister, Mrs. S. J.
Snyder. for many years resident Of
Kimball and we'll known to most Ut
our people. Mr.. and Mrs. Synder and
Nellie left Sioux Falls for Florida
early In the winter. From there they
went to Cuba. The letter contains as
much, or more, interesting informa-
tion of Havana to the general reader
as any we have ever read:
Havana, Cuba.
Dear Brother and Sister: AS l have
a few minutes now,I will try and write
you few lines, We arrived on the
Goth, after haying been on the water
two nights and one day. The trip was
very pleasant, barring the terrible sea-
sickness and often had to think Of
what Ad said. was quite sure that
we ''threw'' as far as anyone and as
much which is saying good deal as
there were something oyer hundred
passengers, and many Of them seasick
ones. The ocean was unusually rough
for this time of year.
We stopped at Key West for six
hours, which gave us a good chance
to take in this little island, which we
did most thoroughly. The principal
industry here is sponge-tishing, turtle
shipping and canning. There are a
number of small vessels, perhaps a
thousand, called the sponging fleet,
and all 90 out together, staying about
a week. catching sponges by means of
long pole with hook on the end.
After they are clipped and strung on
stout strings GheY sell at good figure,
a small cart load being easily disposed
Of for SIS. They look just as we see
them before being bleached. The tur-
ties weigh from 80 TO 800 pounds apiece
and bring from S6 to $50. They feed
them for Boston and city markets and
also can many thousand pounds. We
saw them butcher three big ones
while we were there.
The island is inhabited mostly by
negroes and a few white and Spanish
people. l would hate terribly to die
there, let alone live.
We arrived in Havana harbor i'm the
morning, Just as the sun was coming
over the palm-dotted hills. The air
was balmy as June, our heavy clothing
feeling like heavy lead weights. The
first thing we saw when we entered
was MORO Castle, Cabannas fortress,
and other old forts we had read about,
the wreck of the Maine, which has es.
peclal interest for all Americans. They
do not allow any anchor to be cast In
this harbor on account Of the plague
germs, which they believe lie in the
bottom, SO they came in mid-harbor
and took us ashore on small boats,
after the quarantine doctor had in
quired as to our health.
We then went through the custom
house and all our baggage was careful
ly examined. We then went to the
baltimore" hotel, an annex TO the
PasaJe, which they claim is American,
where a couple of the porters can
speak a little English.
TO say that this city is beautiful
one is putting it very mildly, as it is,
as if we were set down in some beaut-
full old city we see in the picture
books. 1t is said that it is the clean
est city i'm the world and | believe it.
There is no smoke. which is the Amer
lean nuisance. as fire is entirely un-
known, except for culinary purposes.
and then only a little charcoal fire with
very little smoke. There are an army
of city cleaners and the entire city is
swept with broomS. Just think of it,
100000 Inhabitants and not a bit of
dirt, not a leaf, and there are forests
OF trees; not bit of paper. On tire
trees are tied spittoons in which to
spit. Everybody smokes--women
children, and the whole Shooting
match pa:takes of this vile weed. Ha-
van2 cigars are one cent-American
money-in the parks. On the street
are people selling them, millions
being smoked hourly. There are two
American restaurants in the big city,
one kept by an American ''hog,n moth
ing tit to eat; the other by an Ameri-
can Chinaman, which is real nice and
up-to-date and where one can get clean
meals for 90 cents. People here do
not eat as we do. A cup of what they
call coffee, a small roll toasted and
buttered comprise their morning meal.
AT 10 O'Clock they have cup of coffee
+, and Il roll which 4 tmnrcnnc co1lIp..
eat at all, as everything has onions,
peppers and olive oil in it. They eat
no butter. but pour oil in soup, in fact
on everything. Gu: restaurant has a
special cock for the natives. They
bake bread in rolls d yard long and
as big as a mans wrist and about
all crust. You see kids eating hunk
OF this as they go along. but the
] Americans cannot take time to chew