Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-07
HAS Splendid CAR system
HAVANA WORTH GOING MANY
MILES TO SEE.
Beautiful yedadO. Picturesque Marianao.
Boulevard Along The Sea - Army
IIOnOrs Navy at Officers Club.
BRILLIANT SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
AT HEADQUARTERS.

Inc HaNaha street car system, like
Havana itself, is worth gong miles t.
see. 1t is one Of the best car systems
we have ever had the privilege OF
patronizing. The cars are cleau and
comfortable, and best of all the car
steps are low. A woman does rot
have TO step three feet TO get into a
street car in Havana, as she does in
Baltimore. The steps are very low 10
the ground and easy to take.
The ears run within minute or
two apart, no cars are Eve minutes
apart or fifteen or twenty minutes
apart as they are often in Baltimore.
Every car is distinctly marked and
one seldom, il ever, can make a mis-
take if he knows. W here he is going.
II requires two car lines and two
fares TO go from Camp Columbia to
the centre of the city of Havana.
One first takes the "Nedado Marianao'
car, which goes from the favorite
summer home of many Havana fami-
lies aud is ten miles west of the city,
TO the terminus ut Vedado. Then the
traveller from Camp Columbia TO the
city usually takes the Muel de Luz
car, which runs from Nedado through
the central part of Havana TO the shop
ping dtStrict ana the docks.
Nedado, on the Gulf OF Mexico, west
of the city of Havana, is an attractive
suburb overlooking the sea and hav-
ing the characteristics of residence
park, as the Spanish name implies.
Many of the houses in Nedado are
elaborate and costly and of unique
and oriental design. The diversity
of architectural effect throughout
Havana, but especially in Vedado is
very pleasing. The gardens are beau
tiful and here tue visitor notices a
profusion of rare flowers. which in
the north are exclusively conservatory
plants.
Vedado is favorite drive from
the business section of the city of
Havana, and the route is by n fine
calzada, or boulevard, along the Gulf
with magnificent view seaward.
The electric cars run over a portion
of this route, and oftentimes when
the wind on the Gulf is strong, the
spray dashes over the coral reefs into
the open summer cars which are
used throughout the year. 1t is a fine
sight on these stormy days, and the
beauty of the scene approaches the
sublime.
The Vedado shore is level shelf of
coral rock, Uttered with SHELLS .
broken branches of coral thrown ~
by the surf. Bathing pools are ex-
cavated in the rock, as those we
spoke of in a previous letter of the
Banas at Nedado,a block or two from
La Casa Blanca, where we spent two
weeks. One of the boating trips
which the visitor makes with much
interest is up the Almendares River,
the banks of which are lined with
giant ceibas, royal palms and feathery
bamboos. At the mouth of this river
is place, Charrera, on the Gulf,
interesting because of the old Tarreon
de In Charrera, fort built in 1916
for protection against pirates, and
sometimes called the Buccaneer' S
Fort. 1t was one of the defenses
which the British took in the siege
of Havana in 1862.
According to Berual Diaz, when
the town of san Cristobol was re-
moved from the south coast it was
first established here at Cherrera on
the Gulf at the mouth of the Almen-
dares river, but subsequently removed
to its present site and in course of
time came To be known as Havana,
which was the name of the Indian
tribe inhabiting the district.
But to return to the street car sys-
tenn in Havana. The car conductors
are neat and clean looking, not like
many of the dirty ones we see in the
States, very often. As it is warm
here. the conductors and motormen
all wear linen suits and linen caps
with a visor. The suits are made to
fit them we'll and all have military
cut. One never sees street car con-
du stor wearing a soiled linen suit
The conductors all speak Spanish and
do not understand English, but you
have little difficulty in making your
self understood il you want the car
stopped at cretain place and will
tell the name at all distinctly.
Car fare is paid for either in Span
ish or American money. If in Span
ish one pays seven cents; if in Ameri-
can money o 1e pays five tnts, the
same as in the States. So far as we
know there are no systems of transfers
nor any need of them. The cars are
run in such manner and SO we'll
that one car usually takes the pas
senger Just where he wants to go,
unless the distance is SO great it re-
uuires two separate and distinct car
lines, as from Marianao, or Camp
Columbia, TO Havana. A Havana
street car conductor is not allowed to
give change for larger amount than a
dollar. A person offering more than
this to be changed for 5-cent car
fare, must leave the car if he hasn't t
a smaller amount. Ii is seldom the
rule is broken, and we noticed it
only once in several weeks, and the
offender was an American school
teacher.in Havana, who could speak
Spanish and parleyed with the con-
ductor, who refused to change a 20
hill for har hui she finally left the