Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-05-27
CUBA AND ITS INHABITANTS
of the Antilles AS Seen by Resident Of
prite. cities and Co ntry described

Editor News-Record: The writer
spent about six years as resident
of your beautiful valley, and when
he left there expected to go to
South America. But the Foreign
Mission board saw fit to call him
and his wife to Cuba instead.
His wife had spent over four years
as a missionary in Porto Rico and,
is not only qualified as both teach
er and nurse, but handles the Span
ish language.
We left Walla Walla last May and
after visiting friends several weeks
] in Maryland, and attending a camp
meeting at Wilmington, Del, sailed
from New York and arrived In Ha-
vana, the metropolis of Cuba, July
10.
Long before relching the city the
ships passengers see MORO Castle,
built by the Spanish on the point
across the harbor from the city.
One of the most interesting things
to an American upon entering to the
center of the bay is the wreck OF
the Maine which lies still partly pro-
truding from the water.
During the revolution on the is
land many of the country residents
flocked to the cities and to Havana
in particular. The place was in a
wrechedly filthy condition. but after
the Intervention of our country, I'm
Gle Sam saw to it that the city was
cleaned up; the streets graded and
a good system of sewerage establish
ed. English, Canadian and United
States capital has been largely in
strumental in furnishing the city
with electric lights and street cars
and the Island with good steam and
electric railways.
The cities mostly have narrow
streets, and the sidewalks, If any al
all, are really curbstones from lS to
80 inches wide. Many of Havana
business streets are only from IL tc
20 feet in width. The buildings are
mostly of the oriental or Spanish
character-stone or brick, cementet
within and without and have the win
dows and doors all boarded as thougl
they were jails.
Near the cities, qua guas, sort o
busses drawn by small mules, com
pete in fares with street cars TO
passengers. Most all the towns o
the Island are connected by Cola
dos (well graded macadamized roads
along which every few miles ar
Ohras publicos (public work dwell
y ings) for the section men who kee
\ the thoroughfare In repair.
The country in general is partl
Y quite level and partly rolling. pei
\ haps most largely prairie lands do
ted here and there with clumps
Y scattering trees mostly palms of tn
Y royal" and another kind, a sort 9
X fan leafed variety. These are 9
Y much use to the native Cubans
X the rural districts, furnishing mater
Y ais for the shacks which at di
y tance look like old haystacks. Th
N guamas Qeaves proper) of both VI
W rieties are used as thatch for tn
~ roofs, and the yuagua (the lower po
|N tion of the leaf from the royal palm
W are used to cover the sides OF u
~ are uesd to cover the sides of tf
, house, or are used in place Of saci
W often to wrap up his marketing
~ tobacco, etc.
N The beasts of burden are main
NJ the oren or bulls, and a very hig
W wheeled cart of large dimensions
N his vehicle, It would surprise son
~ of the old Wallowa freighters to s.
W how much stuff can be hauled on o.
W of these carretas.
W The rainy season extends fro
W May to November and the remand
W Of the year is known as the d
~ season, generally with occasion
II rains. On a whole the climate
\, very pleasant. During the wet ss