The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-06-13
CUBk'S WICKED CITY
Havana Is Most Wide Open Place
on Island.
Night Scenes Depicted In the Theaters
and Parks and on the Prado In
One of Worlds Richest Towns
Lottery Is Held

Havana, Cuba.-They say good
Americans when they die go to Paris,
but live" Americans SO to Havana.
Havana, gay, wicked, wide open, 1t
Ia the one city today to be summed
or visited, according TO ones point OF
view. Several cities have come to be
called the wickedest city-Reno, New,
Port Said and Irkutsk, Siberia, for in
stance. They are wicked cities, but
their wickedness Is OF sordid vari-
ETY.. Havana is wicked and gay. And
five hours from the United States.
In Paris the might life" gay res
taurants and dances are for English
and American tourists. In Havana the
gay life" Is for the natives. Its wick
edness is part of Its life.
Everything in Havana is wide open,
says the Milwaukee Sentinel. And OF
its fifty-seven varieties of wickedness
the mildest Is gambling. Gambling
houses in Havana are open to both
men and women. All that is neces'
sary Is a bank roll. Roulette, faro.
hazard and good American poker are
at hand. Jai Alai, the popular Span
ish game of skill, on which such big
sums were won and lost, no longer
flourishes, but 1t is scarcely missed.
Burbridge's Miramar hotel is temple
Of chance when one can WOO the
tickle goddess as she can be wooed
nowhere In America. And, what Is
more. 1t Is fashionable to do so.
Even as one sips his chocolate in
the morning the daily round has its
beginning. A half dozen peddlers OF
lottery tickets interrupt the meal.
The lottery In Cuba Is run by the
government and there are drawings
every three months for enormous
prizes. The first prize is 100000.
But It Is not until after dark that
Havana takes on its air Of gayety.
Then the Prado and the Malacon and
the various parks become fairyland
OF lights. A band plays at the Mala-
con, as the boulevard along the ocean
front is called. All Havana energies
from it's cool and comfortable stone
houses ready for a night of pleasure.
The cafes are crowded, there Is
constant stream of automobiles and
carriages up and down the boulevards.
The sidewalks are filled with people
hurrying to the theaters. They are
nearly all dressed in the height OF
fashion. Havana Is one OF the richest
cities in the world. Its styles come
direct from Paris. The only cheap
AL nd
At eight O'Clock performances begin
in a dozen theaters. At the Payret
grand opera is sung by company of
artists headed by Constantine Of the
Metropolitan forces. At the Albisu
Spanish opera company from the City
of Mexico Is singing THE Chocolate
Soldier" and The Count of Luxem.
bourg." At the Marti farce comedy
reigns.
In the moving picture and variety
theaters one finds real wickedness. The
grizzly bear" 1.-The bunny hug" are
modest compared with the dances
shown on the stages of the variety
theaters, where the public Is admitted
for % and 80 cents. The little plays
are beyond description and the act
resses wear very scanty attire.
At midnight Central park. which Is
in the heart OF the city, is crowded
and filled with life as Broadway and
Forty-second street before the theaters
swallow up the crowds. The cafes are
filled with people. but instead of eat
ing Holsters and draining cold bot
ties they eat ice cream and sip soft
drinks. There is very little drinking
of alcoholic liquors in Havana.
The second floor Is one big gam
bling room, and 1t Is thronged nightly
by scores Of American visitors as we'll
as rich Spaniards.