The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-07-31

ticularly bright Cuban boy we called
Felix" and the South American
youths furnished a surname, so he was
known as Felix I~otsafun," though in
fact his family is among the greatest
in Cuban political and industrial life.
The first night out Felix" fell madly
in love with a charming young lady
from Connecticut. In badly broken
English he told her, before us all how
he had his palm read at Coney Island.
He indicated the lines: See, | luf yer
mooch pretty Americana girl, Eats
what zee fortune said" Turning his
beaming black eyes on the girl, and
clasping at his heart as though it were
about to leap overheard, he added:
"Oh, l sink yer mooch of you" No one
ever wooed swifter than Felix, and
when the maiden would hold her side
and laugh at the declaration, Felix"
would furnish us with poetical classics,
like this: The eyes are the bridges
to the soul. Your lips say you love me
not, but your eyes-they tell me differ
emit" We regretfully landed Felix"
with his broken heart, at Santiago.
On the first deck of the Carl Schurz
in the twilight glow, there arose a
mighty shout of unmistakable joy.
Cuba! Cuba! Vive la Cuba" doomed
the young patriots Of the isle, return
ing home from the states. Young
Schick with his bride came on dect,
and she looked at the land to which
her husband of a week, was taking
her. Hers was a gaze of homesick-
ness, for ahead were mighty, cherries
mountains, in the midst of which,
among the mines, she was to make her
home, and l think her cry-if there
had been one, would have echoed:
Sink Cuba" A strong, manly, pro-
tecting arm drew her close-she was a
charming bride; and as she turned
her eyes to meet those of her young
life partner, her expression changed
instantly, and faith, trust, and love
m~omentarily worked their magic
transformation. She said she knew
she would like Cuba.
Many of the Cuban boys spent the
night on deck, and the boat slowly
made its way down the coast arriving
outside Santiago in the early morn
ing. | have seen much of Cuba since
that night, and it seems quite like a
riddle. Santiago is unlike anything
in our own United States, and there
fore is interesting. It's people are
fairly intelligent, but the blacks, who
constitute most of the population, are
shiftless and non~-progressive. Cuba is
lazy-I fear incurably so. All classes
are inoculated, and a great national
lottery is adding to the decentralization.
Everywhere one is solicited, in shop,
hotel, office, or street, to ''buy a ticket"
The lottery is more important, ap-
parently, than independence. Latin
Americans are natural gamblers, and
Cuba, as we'll as the Republic of Pana-
ma, raises much of it's revenue
through these disgraceful institutions,
which have sunk their fangs deep into
the moral conscience.
When l remarked that Santiago was
interesting, careful choice was made
of words. Stately palms real them
selves in magnificent %splendor, and
our approach is up the harbor from
which Cervera's fleet made it's dis
astrous flight, with a feeling of &C.
stacy. We are all intently eager to
see Santiago. The city, itself, proves
to be squalid and rather unkept. The
buildings are painted pastel shades
blues, green's, pink and brown. In
contrast with the things We are &C.
customed to see, the absence of white
Necessary because of the hot sun, is
pleasing to the eye. The streets are
narrow, and lazy Cubans loll in the
shade. We turn with interest to look
at women walking the street, 'smok-
ing a whacking big cheroot." in
the suburbs we saw many naked chill
dren playing in the streets. Santiago
is not to be criticized for this, as it is
a prevalent custom in the tropics.
Frankly. the city of Santiago would
not make a respectable back yard for
a well regulated American city, yet in
the scheme of things in Cuba it is of
immense importance. Where else
could one find a great deep harbor,
shaped like a bottle, in the neck of
which an American hero, Lieutenant
Hobson, (now congressman, achieved
glory for his country. And there still
stands Moro Castle, whose terrible
guns poured their shells in upon the
expedition.