The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-02
Visit Of the M0ltke to Havana
Harbor.
Passengers Not Permitted to
Land in Cuba.
NOT TREATED WELL.
No One Paid Any Attention to
the Visitors.
Held Thirty Hours in HarbOr
NOT TREATED WE'LL.
Held Thirty Hours in Harb0r
Before Being Sent Away.

thing LnaI lmpfeSSeS you Is a long 1lIlS
of houses fronting the water, and the
surf pounding the shore. In the CEN
ter of the houses, and looking very
much out of place, is large collec-
electric light plant, probably. The
ship moved along quietly, but blew its
whistle in an angry and threatening
manner. Presently the ship passed
through a very narrow harbor en-
trance, and cast anchor in the harbor;
rather a small place. Then the bust
ness portion of Havana was seen: the
long row of houses fronting the open
sea, and which first attract your at
tention, are residences. On one side
/ of the harbor is Moro Castle: impress
sive as a ruin, but looking very weak
as a defense.
NY first impression of Havana from
the deck of the ship: A much larger
and finer place than I expected to see.
There are many very tall and hand
some modern buildings, which seem to
overshadow the older buildings. The
wreck of the Maine" which lies near
the center of the harbor, doesn't look
pitiful, but insignificant: 1t reminds me
of the wreck of the old bridge draw
rest which was seen many years just
above the Atchison bridge. Except
fighting top which sticks out of the
water, there is nothing to mark 1t as
the wreck of q battleship.
The Havana quarantine officer came
on board at 1880, while we were hur-
riediy breakfasting, and then went
him. BY this time, the passengers
were ready to land, and grumbling be-
cause of the delay. A few cablegrams
were sent on board, but no mail, and
of course those who received cable
grams flashed them prominently on
deck. In the course of an hour, the
ships doctor returned from shore, but
still no preparations were made to
land.
Two stories were circulated as to
the. delay. One was that the Cuban
authorities were giving us ample time
in which to remember the "Maine;"
the other, that the Cuban authorities
were giving the wind a chance to blow
through the rigging, the ship having
lately landed at a South American
port, where there is always something
catching. At last something definite
was announced: there would be no
landing before 1 p. m, and possibly
we would not be permitted to land at
all, owing to something catching in
South America The passengers took
1t in different ways: some were good
natured and some were angry. 1t was
annoying: we Americans had made Ha-
vana so clean that its gates were closed
against us. There was time, in the
old days of Spanish occupation, when
Havana was SO dirty that sailors could
smell it forty miles out at sea, but
since the Americans spent their money
In cleaning the town up, the health
always considered the Cubans the finest
bunch of professional loafers and pa
triots in the world, and the incident of
this morning has not increased my re-
spect for them.
Across the harbor at Havana, there
is a good sized suburb. reached by a
modern ferry; back of the suburb, a
stretch OF fine country, so far as
of bells in a tower in the suburb, and
when they ring, you arc reminded of
fire alarm.
Mountains do not surround Havana,
n hoc hon f6n
iother towns where we have landed, but
Havana is much more impressive than
any of the others. San Juan is much
smaller, though much handsomer. as
seen from the harbor.
On shore. we can see great numbers
bof empty street cars passing over a
lviaduct. If the passengers were per-
nitted to land. those street cars would
soon I'LL up.
/ Many of the women who put on
cloakS and wells early this morning
in anticipation of landing, refuse to
take them on: they are as stubborn
AT dinner, lettuce and green cages
are always served. The other guests
at the table place the lettuce and the
green cages on the clean plate which
the same plate for the next meat
served. But the stubborn woman,
when the green cages were first
passed to her, placed them on her
continued this
course ever since The lettuce she |
places on her clean dinner plate. but
nothing can induce her to change her
course concerning the green cages. I |
am now confused, and the stubborn |
woman may be right, and all the rest |
of us wrong.
The weather is so cold that many
OF the men are wearing overcoats
Last night most of us slept under |
blankets.
grace with the women. 1t turns out |
that he is married, but during the |
three weeks of the voyage, he has not |
mentioned the fact. I have asked the |
women If the man has attempted to |
f1irt with them. They admit he has |
not, and that he has been very gem
teel, but they declare he should have |
spoken of his wife. 1 express no |
opinion on the subject; merely rec
ord that the women have decided |
that when a married man travels |
alone, he should speak of his wife. to |
show her proper respect. If a man |
does not attempt to marry any of the |
women he meets in travelling. I see |
no reason why he should bawl out his |
domestic affairs, but the women de- |
eide such matters, and not the men,
and shall not insist upon my opinion |
had another funny nightmare |
last night. / dreamed that Atchison |
was so crowded with visitors that 1 |
was compelled to sleep on a cot, in |
the street just west of The Byram: in |
front of Fred. Koester's barber shop. |
AS I was about to awaken, hundreds |
of people were walking about the cot /
An which I had slept, and, as I had |
lon a Iaightgown, I though to myself: |
''Why cannot I awaken with my |
clothes 10 But couldn't do it, and |
was compelled to walk into The BY
ram in my nightgown, past all the |
guests. In the hotel, 1 was unable to |
find my room. and wandered through |
the halls until I awoke sure enough. |