The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-03-04

iron. shutters of blue. against which
flame all the coiors of the prism. and
yet with an effect which is delightful
TO the eye and without a suspicion of
the garish.
Havana is shaped like an orange. and
the LongwoFth party landed from q
yacht at the stem. which is known as
Caballeria wharf After enduring the
speech-maling, they stepped into an
automobile and started on their trip
10 the residence of the American min
lister In less than minute they we're
in front of the beautiful plaza which
faces the Presidents palace, a square
adorned with tropical plants and palm
trees. and the center of scenes tinged
with historical lore.
o'Reilly Street
Once upon time a general named
OReiHy fought the battles OF Spain
in Cuba. and they named one of the
principal streets after him. Some of
the natives attempt TO pronounce il
"OraelIye." but there is only one way
to speak it. and any alderman in New
York or Chicago is q better authority
on that point than the most nimble
Castilian.
O'Reillv street. or "calle"-as they
call it's about twenty feet wide and
about as high Two cabs cannot safely
pass in opposite directions. and the same
is true OF umbrellas. 1t is full of life,
pedestrians, signs. awnings. Spanish
and color. It reminds one OF tunnel
open at the roof. and there is only one
street Ike it in the world, and that IS
Obispo. which runs parallel to 1t.
From Gale O'Reiliy Mrs. Longworth
l,o x.vfd vi
flank Central Park, the center of Hava-
ma. About it are massed the best no
tells and from IL the famous Prado ex-
tends north and south. In this section
one gets the full effect of tropical YER
dure. notably Of the wonderfully beauti-
full laurel of the Indies, with types OF
Spanish architecture as a background
The result is pleasing and soothing to
those who for years have gazed only
at the harsh lines of commercial archi-
lecture. =
Marianao is a suburb to the west of
Havana. and the place is as full of
beauty as the name is Of vowels. From
a shopping tour in New York TO hon
eymoon retreat in the ancient Hidalgo
overlooking the ocean is a contrast most
vivid and abrupt. To reach Marianao
one passes fields abIaze with the daz-
zIing yellow of Towering plants. From
the crest of the hills is seen the dim
outline of the mountains of Prieor del
Rio. and Havana melts into a blur be-
meath a sky dotted with summer clouds
On every hand are banana groves. sugar
plantations, orange and fig trees, and
the fields are dotted with farmers and
Flooding OK teams.
Loves and Romances
Mariana sleeps on its hills and dreams
of its loves and romances. The air is
dangerous with the breath of the trop-
les. Here the rich Spaniards erected
their palaces, and here they majestical-
~ line the streets. half obscured by
dropping palm and spreading laurel.
No din of business jars on the ear. and
earth and air and sky vie in their eff
forts TO lure the iaded traveller from
his cares. Some day a poet will i'm
mortalize Mariana, and Cupid will es-
tablish in it a branch office.
The old Quinta Hidalgo covers the
larger part of a block in this village
and for years TO come il will be pointed
out as the place where the daughter of
President Roosevelt spent her honey
moon. Since the Intervention period it
has been the official residence of the
American minister TO Cuba.
The carriage entrance opens into a
large court formed by front wall and
three sides of the palace. Two spreading
catalpa trees stand over a garden of
flowers, which almost cover four pieces
of statuary.< cleaning white against