Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-04-29
SOME SIDELIGHTS ON CUBA.
JOSES AND cARNENS ARE IN
PLENTY THERE.
The English Speaking Cook a Rarity
Freedom Under Cuban Flag The
American Flag Also Floats There.
CUBAN PRESS VALUES ADvER-
TISING SPACE.

The most deadly thing in Cuba in
the way OF these creeping, crawl ing
things that abound, is the scorpion.
II is horrible looking and its sting
Is said to be poisonous. Fortunately,
few scorpions are seen, compared
with frogs and lizards
II was the unhappy experience OF
one OF our party who went into the
interior OF the island to sleep on a
pillow in which there was a live
mouse. The lady was awakened by
something moving inside her pillow,
and after assuring herself that she was
quite wide awake, she removed TO an
other bed in the room OF the hotel
fortunately there were two beds i'm
this room. The next morning she
told the proprietor she believed she
slept on pillow in which there was
something alive. lie calmly said he
supposed she had, as the pillows were
made Of certain kind OF Cuban
grass or weed, and hungry mice fire.
quently find their way into the pill
lows. Ugh Imagine having ones
rest disturbed by mouse nibbling
away at the contents of ones pillow.
Spiders are also plentiful in Cuba
and one sees big black spiders and
centipedes almost at every turn.
But there are vegetable as we'll ms
animal parasite. Beautiful orchids
grow luxuriantly here, and the high
priced flower Of the States, raised
chiefly i'm conservatories and hot
houses, Is common as the rose here,
or the palm in Cuba. Vines grow on
trees and become perfect arboIs of en-
tanglement, and other parasite grow
on them until ii is difficult to tell
which is the original plant so luxu-
RANT is tho parasitic growth. Cactus
grows abundantly in Cuba, and
there are cacti hedges along the pub
lie roads for miles. The sight is an
unusual one TO the tourist, but il is
an everyday spectacle in these parts.
Havana has several daily papers,
the Offices of which are equipped and
fitted out with up-to-date machinery.
Besides tho newspapers there are
many magazines and periodicals here
devoted to art, science, literature,
drama and sports. The leading Eng
lish paper here seems to be The Ha-
vana Post, although the Telegraph
has also a large patronage, and is very
popular. The leading Spanish paper
Is La Lucha. II Is a daily and seems
TO BIO quite popular. III Mundo is also
another popular Spanish paper. All
these papers have telegraphic new
from the States and from Euroee every
day. Some of them, in fact nearly
all, have the Associated Press dis
patches.
The Havana Post is an American
paper, made by Americans and for the
Americans in Havana and finds its
field among the large and growing
English-speaking population on the is
land. 1t is ncwsy and readable. The
Cuban press keeps abreast of the times
and its editorials discuss popular
questions of the day. During our
visit the Cuban papers were COM
menting adversely upon the decision
OF Secretary Taft TO pay the Catholic
church 1882, l43 for certain proper
ties in Havana which have been oc-
cupied continuously since 1901 foI
government purposes under lease. III
Mundo claims the properties in ques-
tion are not worth half the price to be
paid for them, and declared if they
are bought for this amount American
prestige will suffer.
No paper sells for less than n nickle,
American money and the advertise
ments are charged for at rates far in
excess of ads in our local daily. II
one loses anything and wants to adver.
tise for it, the ad. will cost from &C
cents TO SSl for a single insertion.
There is no such thing as 25-cent ad.
in Cuban papers. They would laugh
at you there were you to suggest one.
Money is plentiful and money is asked
and paid in good sums, here for any
commodity.