The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-05-22

Editor NewS-Record: The writer
spent about six years as a 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 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
13.
Long before reaching 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 IS to
80 inches wide. Many of Havana S
business streets are only from IL to
20 feet in width. The buildings are
mostly of the oriental or Spanish
character-stone or brick, cemented
within and without and have the win
dows and doors all boarded as though
they were jails.
Near the cities, qua guas, sort of
buses drawn by small mules. com
pete in fares with street cars for
passengers. Most all the towns OF
the Island are connected by Cola
dos (well graded macadamized roads
along which every few miles are
Obras publicos (public work dwell
ings) for the section men who keep
the thoroughfare in repair.
The country in general is partly
quite level and partly rolling, per
haps most largely prairie lands dot
ted here and there with clumps oil
scattering trees mostly palms Of the
royal" and another kind, a Sort OF
iau icaiCu 'uiiSty. ihSSC "iS
much use to the native Cubans In
the rural districts, furnishing materi
ais for the shacks which at a dis
tance look like old haystacks. The
guamas Qeaves proper) of both va
rieties are used as a thatch for the
roofs, and the yuagua (the lower por
tion Of the leaf from the royal palm
are used to cover the sides OF the
are uesd to cover the sides Of the
house, or are used in place OF sacks
often to wrap up his marketing
tobacco, etc.
The beasts Of burden are mainly
the oren or bulls, and very high
wheeled cart OF large dimensions Is
his vehicle. It would surprise some
of the old Wallowa freighters to see
how much stuff can be hauled on one
OF these carretas.
The rainy season extends from
May to November and the remainder
of the year is known as the dry
season, generally with occasional
rains. On whole the climate is
very pleasant. During the wet sea