The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-02-24
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY "A, 1906.
LETTER FROM CUBA.
Mr.. Geo. w. Yeiser, of Union Mills,
Tells of What He Sees in Cuba

correspondence of the Democratic Advocated
HAVANA, CUBA Feb. Is, 1906
Mr.. EDITOR, DEAR SIR IF you think
few lines about Cuba will interest the readers
of The ADyoCATE you may use the following
letter Our party, Mr.. and Mrs. George W.
Yeiser and daughter Treva, Mr.. Ira u. Lawyer
and Mr.. l.. E. Sterner. from Hanover, Pa,
left Union Station, Baltimore, February 7th,
at2.I2p. M, and arrived safely in the harbor
of Havana, Cuba, February 10;h, at 9 a. m.
This is travelling like the boy told his father,
$50 fast that he didn't have time to look out
of the window | know your columns are
valuable, and in writing this letter | shall try
to tell all | can in as few words as possible.
Cuba is my subject. As most of the readers
of the Advocate know, the writer saw tropical
scenes before, also mountain crags with their
snow capped peaks, and is not soon excited,
but if there are more beautiful tropical scenes
in any country than those in Cuba the writer
would ike to see them. Wherever you look
nature smiles down on this little island Ii
clothes the landscapes in verdure. aud all
around you hear tourists say, "Oh, how beau
tiful; isn't that lovely scene.
Everything in the vegetable kingdom -four
ishes and is overgrown. but everything IN the
animal kingdom Is under size. The Cuban
people are all small, the average height being
about feet B inches, and the men generally
plexiou and mostly wear small dsrs mus
tache. The ladies are usually well developed
and are as fair as a lily. am told they use
powder in great quantity. ! doAt know how
about that, but do know when they come out
in their evening dress they make lovely ap
pearanee That is all | can say, you know
Mrs. Y is down here. The chickens are
small, but they seem to lay large eggs; the cats
are small, the dogs are small, the horses are
.ka As,sRl- zFTnaH . ~ mi 4
one big thing that | was afraid Of. Il had
bill about inches long and legs six inches.
They call it a mosquito.
There is no begging here; everybody IS at
work and people seem 10 be prosperous. he
stores are flled with choice merchandise, aud
prices are higher than in Maryland. Mer
chants are business hke-"One price only
The colored people seem intelligent and are
well dressed.
Our first sight of Havana IS beautiful. On
the left the mighty fortress of Moro Castle
and the fortress Of Cabanas loom up two han
dred feet above the water like Gibralters I've
will speak about these later); TO the right
Havana spreads out before you in large,
broad landscape with its stately royal aud
cocoanut palms towering above the city. and
the back ground beyond the city a beautiful
green as far as the eye can see. Under Span
ish rule Havana was the abode of yellow fever
and many oiAe- contagious diseases, under
American rule the city was cleaned up and
many changes made. The boulevards laid
out are as beautiful as 9th avenue, New York,
and rival those OF Paris. The work begun by
the American government Is now being com
pleted BY the Cuban government You know
Cuba is freel Bull fights aud cock fights were
the amusements on the Sabbath Ia days gone
by. II was also the merchants best day for
business. Under Christian America rule the
bull fights and cock fights were forbidden by
law, and the merchant wRs ordered % close
his store on the Sabbath. The eity uf Havana
is now a Sabbath keeping city. Fer one hun
bred years Havana was the abode 81 yellow
fever and other contagious diseases. Under
American rule the city was cleaned up bat
yellow fever was still there. Ii was discovered
that the mosquito carried the germ from per
son to person. Every yellow fever mosquito
was killed (spaee viii not permit 10 tell bow
this was done }, and Havana did not have
yellow fever case 10 two years. There ARE
many places IN and about Havsna to interest
the tourist. The Orphans Home has nine
hundred children from Une 10 nine years old.
The children are all dressed alike. When
they come out TO march il IS sad 10 see zine
hundred small orphans, but It gladdeus your
heart to see that they are well cared for. Not
far from the Orphans Home is the Leper's
Hospital, with $50 inmates. When ouce "a
leper or an inmate there IS no hope Of ever
leaving it. We saw some awful sad sights.
some looking out through the iron bars who
were almost falling TO pieces. We now pass
the Espada Cemetery. About 1900 CON
partments still remain These tombs were
rented for FIVE years, and al the close Of this
time unless the tomb was re-rented the body
was taken out and thrown into y large cisiern
and the compartment rented 10 the next bid
der. Proof Of this practice is still seen By
visiting this cemetery. We now enter Colen
Cemetery. where the Maine victims were
buried. This is a beautiful cemetery, we'll
kept, and contains fac monuments. All
funerals take place after p. The first
funeral TO arrive was two men carrying, sus.
pended from two ropes, small white cAsket.
No mourners following. The next two fine
hearses appeared, drawn each by four fine
black horses. No mourners accompanying,
These were funerals OF the wealthy We were
told We now go to the corner of the poor.
Here comes wagon, rude 10 appearance;
box large enough to place a corpse in consti-
tutes the hearse; this wagon IS drawn by two
mules; two men pull the corpse out, one at
the head and one at the foot; 1t is wrapped IN
a rough cloth; they place the corpse into the
grave and cover il about six inches with earth
and lime. Soon comes another; the corpse IS
placed on top. thus about five are buried in
stand In front of a large monument where
grief is pictured, yes, spoken by granite stones.
The monument is known the students mon.
ument. The monument was erected recently
in memory of Caba's martyred students. A
brief history is thus A Spanish officer made
disrespectful remarks about the Cuban ladies'
For this, it was supposed. the officer was muir
dsred. Forty five of the college students of
Havana were arrested and brought TO trial for
L. Al. \
memory Of the murdered officer. The trial
was an insult to Justice. Eight students we're
found guilty of knowing more than they would
tell; aged IA 10 IS years. For this guilt they
were brought out in an open park IN Havana.
and before parents and friends were shot dead
A monument in Havana shows the spot where
the tragedy was committed. For the blood
Spain here spilled, Cuba has never pardoned
her; but Spain has found her Waterloo. The
monuments of her errors are still here. The
deeds men do live after them.
We now leave the cemetery and drive down
beautiful boulevard. We get TO a large iron
gate that would be beautiful enough to be the
gate to Paradise. This gate leads into large,
beautiful park, thence to beautiful palace,
a paradise wherever you look, but, alas! we
are told il was the home of butcher Weyler,
who sacrificed more innocent blood than any
man that ever stepped on Cuban soil Wey-
Ter has gone to his reward; he is only remem
bered for his errors.
We will now take boat and go across the
harbor to Moro and Cabanas Castles. Every
child has read about these fortresses. In 60
ing across we pass the wreck of the Maine
At the command of the writer, tue boat was
brought to a still stand, and several good pho.
tographs were secured. Remember the Maine!
The writer will not attempt to describe Moro
and Cabanas Castles. 1t took Spain two hun
dred and fifty years to build them, and even an
attempt to describe them would fill every col
umn in The Advocate. Cabanas Castle has
hundreds of dungeons where daylight is never
seen. There Cubans, who were suspected of
being patriots, were imprisoned. They were
given trial, and if found guilty, their prop
erty became the property of the Spanish gov
eminent, and were brought outside of the
fortress, with faces turned toward the wall, and
shot dead by soldier. Thousands of bullet
holes can be seen. The guide declared that
every mark of a bullet meant the blood of
human soul, not only Cubaus, but every ma
ton, they say, contributed subjects for this
butchery. When once in this Castle there
was no way to reach your friends or govern
ment. But Spain has gone to her reward.