The Minneapolis journal., 1906-09-30
Leads a Simple Life.

: Leads a Simple Life. 80
In Havana the president leads a life
that is as simple as that he led at
Central Valley, except for the compllca-
tions necessarily attendant upon the
conduct Of his duties Altho his off;
was occupied BY the Spanish captains
general, he will endure none, Of their
display or formalities.. In this respect
he has been disappointment to certain
classes Of Cubans, who like "society'
and remember sadly the gay days of
the old regime. 1t is in Difference to
this element, largely, that President
accompanY accom- a1SShrS iim on 10 pubic occasions, and
to bedeck himself in a military uni
form on which practically, the only dec.
orations are, the gilded tobacco leaf and
sugar cane adopted as the emblems of
the island. At first the president OBJ.
jeeted- even to that much display, but
his advisers finally prevailed upon him
to humor the national liking for pomp
to limited extent. sS....u .,.
When the Spaniards held the palace
aeCus sa decora6ns n6 Thse weae
moved during the American occupation
when plain furniture from. American
factories was installed. Today: tho the
interior equipment. has been imported
from Europe, and is Of the best quality
everything is simple and unOstentatlOus
as simple, almost, as the master Of
the house, who hires his own persona
servants and receives from the govern
/ ment treasury only such funds as are
/ needed for the official side of the estab
lishment.
His American Customs.
! Office hours with the president ART
as long as the worklngman's day-ant
| not the eight-hour,, variety, at that
Arising at 6 o'clock, Mr.. Palma Co.
: Senor Palma, as they call him in Ha
1 vana) goes to work soon after fnishin,
his breakfast, and he does not sto1
/ working until late IN the afternoon. Il
the middle of the day he neither eats
heavy m meal & nor iad4lgesa in [4t aPa IN s slesta
ally. He learned in America, he says
that light lunches were best, and tina
a busy man could not afford to waste
large part Of the afternoon. :: -:
Another American habit that ha
clung to the president is that Of OF
serving Sunday: On that holiday, OF
served by the islanders as occasion fo
merrymaking, he never goes to ythes
ter or bullfght, nor does he reeeiv
callers. or transact business Of any. sor
| - 1T 8 the $onIy day u have with M
family, ~ he explains, "and like }th
American custom Of staying Sat hon
) one day in yseyen.' - X. G,' G, +,
The president 2,s stsummssrs home is or
of the houses fofmer7y used as Officers
quarters in what was (and., still is
called Camp Calabria, about an: hour
ride by trolley from Havana. Mr.. Pa
ma travels between this simple. res
dence and the palace daily on privat
,, car, which takes him within two bloch
, , Of the office, and he walks the tv
: blocks. It was while he was on tt
private car that an abortive attem!
: the placing Of a a3&spike in the rail
: where the track crossed a high bridg
;Senor Palma isrin the first year. I
his second, term as president, havir
: been reelected by the conservatives
the spring of this year. That the rad
: Gals have grown strong enough ri
;. father, a serious revolution against h
! rule is evidence that his grip on tt
/ public favor Of the Young nation is f
> less firm than form merly; but if the cab
=. dispatches are to be relied upon, the
= = still remains in the island majori
. enthusiastically in his favor. Amor
! the influential men of that majorit
:. | it is recalled, are not q few Of "Schot
= master Palma s boys s''-boys who we
> trained in the country school at Centr
q Valley and later returned to the la
4 Of their: fathers. all devoted to the
9 terests Of the kindly teacher who play
Il the part of foster-parent to them d,
+ ing their absence from Cuba. "