Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-04-15
CUBA AS Seen
BY 4 TOURIST

Mr. ana MIS-. huSH 46EEiChs "ost
MahoninG street, have received very
interesting letter from their son,
Charles, descriptive of.a visit to the
island of Cuba. The letter is exceed
ingly we'll written and among the
points of interest described are num-
ber that one seldom sees alluded to in
print In part the letter reads as fol-
lows:
"On the way down we saw whale
and he was spouting his best. We al
so saw many flying fish and porpoises.
Havana can be seen half AL hour or
more before entering the harbor and
beautiful sight it is.
"While in Havana l visited Cabanas
Fortress and Moro Castle. In the lat
ter place l went through long dark,
musty passageways, on either side of
which were small dark dungeons,
where prisoners used to be thrown and
starved 10 death, if they.were FORUM
ate enough to escape yellow fever, the
germs of which are said TO be thick in
the cells. These dungeons have been
thoroughly fumigated and nearly all
were walled up by the Americans dur
ing the PROVISIONAL government. We
were shown the narrow passages, where
dead bodies and live prisoners were
thrown and showed down through an
opening in the wall toefeed the sharks
in the bay.
- saw the chapel erected or the lot
where the first mass was celebrated in
Havana and on this lot is fine large
tree that has grown from shoot OF
the original tree under which mass
was said.
II went through the Columbus cath
edrsl, which is, indeed, interesting
At every station of the cross is large
and beautiful oil !painting indicative
of the station. The woodwork is all
of native mahogany exquisitely carved
and the altar is simply. superb,
81 saw the closed niche In the wall
beside the altar where the remains OF
Columbus are supposed to have rested.
was shown the beautifully gold and
silver bedecked robes worn by the bis
hop. The solid gold.and silver scandle
sticks are wonderful. One of the
grandest sights was a model of The
cathedral at Seville in Spain wrought
of native (pure) silver. 1t is about
eight feet high. 1t is a wonderful
piece of work.
Il took an automobile trip through
the Vadada, as an outlying section OF
the city is called, where the rich art
building new homes. 1t is dream
The beautiful homes are surrounded
by large spacious grounds, which.art
literally filed with tropical plants
amoug which appear palms, and ban
ana palms on which one can see large
! bunohes of ripe bananas.
I'VE stopped at Colon Cemetery anC
/ | must say that | never saw one OF
/ which so much money was expended
( The monuments areyworks of art, in
| deed did nos see it, but was toiC
/ that the poor rent spaces for their desC
/ for certain time and II they can no
pay for re-rental, u tile remains ar'
/ taken out and thrownsinto'a,co ,correr o'
| the cemetery, thus making room TO
another poor unfortunate, whose fami
! lv may in torn not be able to Terent
| "Oue evening in company with {
/ friend | went out TO the "Frouton. .
/ to see the great Spanish game know
as "Jai Alai " 1t is gambling gam
and one the Spsniards aud Clbans de
light in. The game is in Itself ver,
. Interesting but what seems 10 intCres
/ the natives most is the betting on wht
I shall win.
Il stopped at Santa Clara severs
times ou my Journey ings, The chic
/ industry there is revolution breed
ing" While | was in Cuba they start
ed a revolution. hut it only laste'
about two days. when the government
troops captured aud shot the ring lead
er.
The raising OF sugar cane is th
principal Industry. l have been tolG
that the island produces about 1000
0O0 tons Of sugar per year. 1t is quit
a treat to ride through the country an
to see mile after mile Of nothing bu
sugar cane. then large stretch of pin
apple fields. then a mi lie or so of rancho
with fine cattle grazing"