Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-09
SEEING CUBA IN AUTOMOBILE
MANY MILES OVER SMOOTH
HIGHWAYS.
Interesting Guanaiay, Quaint Artemesa-
A Taste of Sugar Cane Children
Clad Only In Heavenly Smiles.
MILES OF ROYAL PALM AND
FEATHERY BAMBOO.

In previous letter we have spoken
of the good aud wholesome drinking
water in Cuba. Its analysis by chem
lists from the United States has proved
il TO be pure and healthful. No
branch of the service at Camp Colum-
bia boiis the water il uses except the
marine corps, and this is done be-
cause the navy regulations require it.
notwithstanding the pure, health
fu water there have been some SER
ious typhoid cases recently. Few of
the patients recover even with the
best medical treatment and the best
nurses. During our stay in Havana
a youngNand beautiful girl, Miss
Caldwell, the daughter of the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent in Havana,
died of typhoid after only a short
illness. A number of typhoid cases
have been fatal. and an investigation
has been made. 1t is said the germ
has found lodgment i'm the lettuce
grown by the Cinnamon, who for the
most part are the gardeners of the
Island.
1t is believed that during ths long
drought on the Island the Cinnamon
market gardeners have cultivated
their lettuce by spraying il with foul
liu AHiHAi0 VIII anu WIS ft9 oHlNua
typhoid. This, however, had not
been satisfactorily settled up 10 the
time of our departure. Milk in Cuba
is commodity, as rare as it is rare
ly pure, and children, especially
suffer. The scarcity of milk, due
largely to the tropical climate whore
il is impossible TO keep it pure and
sweet for even short time, has Great
ed demand for condensed milk, for
which exobitant prices are asked. To
relieve the situation which has mater
tally effected the poor, the Govern
ment has been asked TO intervene.
Alcalde Cardenas asked the Treasury
Department for the use of $50, 600,
which he sent TO the Mayor of New
York with a request that he purchase
4, 600 cases of condensed milk for inn
mediate shipment to Havana.
The ordinary milk in Cuba is not
tit for human consumption, and this
causes great sale of condensed
milk, upon which the. people rely.
rhe importers recently Increased the
price to such an extent as to neces
state retailers charging 20 cents per
can instead of nine, the former price.
This caused great suffering among the
people, and the alcalde finally deter
mined to take matters into his own
hands. He got the money be desired
The milk, when ii arrived, was sold
to the public at wholesale prices.
The money obtained from the sale of
the commodity will be returned 10
the Treasury.
The most satisfactory way of seeing
Cuba is in an automobile. The roads
throughout the Island are the best
that can be imagined. They are
ideal turnpikes and are n monument
both to the Spanish and the Cubans,
who each had a share in building
them. These roads are not good in
spots or in patches for a mile or two,
as most of our roads are in the States,
especially in some parts of Maryland
and more especially in most parts of
Anne Arundel county, but they are
smooth, macadamized highways for
miles and miles. They are called
calzades and are lined on either side
with rows of lamonds, feathery bam-
boos, royal palms, which extend for
miles through a most attractive roll
| ing country. There are many fine
drives in the neighborhood of Ha-
vana, but TO have seen Havana is not
| to have seen Cuba.
To be sure some conception of the
natural beauties of the country can be
/ had near the city, but TO northern
eyes the beauty and picturesqueness oi
the country miles away from Havans
/ is so interesting because it is so novel
| There is nothing like it. 1t is dis
tinctly foreign and peculiarly Cuban
1t was our great pleasure and privi-
lege TO take a 114-mile automobile
ride, travelling distance of fifty
seven miles from Havana and return
| There was not an accident of any
kind, and not an incident to mar ou
| pleasure. To be sure shower came
up on the return trip, but we stopped
the automobile under a bamboo tres
and soon the sun shone out bright y
and we admired the picturesque scene
amid the tropical surrounding countr,
and the rain storm moving on aheaC
| while we sat in the sunlight.
(continued)
4