Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-03-29
MANCHESTER PEOPLE
IN HAVANA, CUBA
MISS FLORENCE LINDSAY WRITES
INTERESTINGLY OF CUBA
AND ITS PEOPLE.
HAVANA A CITY OF MUCH INTEREST
Curious Customs and Habits OF Cuban
People described in Letter from
Miss Lindsay.

Miss Lindsay.
The Democrat this week presents TO
its readers a letter written by Miss
Florence Lindsay, who, with her
mother, is spending some time in the
city of Havana, and other points OF in
terest on the Island. Miss Lindsay
writes entertainingly about the city
of Havana, the people of Cuba and
their habits and customs. Our read
ers will find this letter of unusual in
Iterest. Miss Lindsay writes:
: have been asked to write an item
about Cuba, as great many people
know much less of this country
than about countries more distant. ~
The Spanish were the first people to
become acquainted with Cuba after
Columbus had discovered it in 1852
they came in 1903 and explored the en-
tire coast line finding it to be an is
land and inhabited by friendly Ind
ians. They gave it the name OF Jul
ana after the son of their king, but
lin passing years the name was changed
many times. The present name
i"Cuba" was the name by which the
native Indians knew it and translat-
ed means a rJar of oil". 1t was at
this time that the harbour OF Ha-
ivana was discovered which soon be-
came a very important port-today
more merchandise enters and leaves
the harbour than any United States
port with the exception of New York.
Cuba exports quantities of sugar and
tobacco and when you go to the busy
wharves and see all the shipping that
is carried on you realize that Havana
is not a crude, tropical town, but a
large bristling city very foreign and
fascinating with population of about
100000. .N ~ ..s.
The race Of Cuban people started
with an Indian mother ani Spanish
father but today they are very much
mixed. When the English came here
they brought Chinese as slaves and the
Spanish brought the negroes from Af-
rica and these different people have in
,termarried. The majority of the peo-
pie we meet here are very beauti-
full, genteel and polite class ofEpeople.
From their politeness the American
man could learn many lessons. The
spo1iteness IS carried to such an extent
that the men embrace and pat each
other on the back as a greeting. When
we first saw this It seemed very funny
to us. In home life the Cubans are
rather retiring-the men are very
prominent but they feel a woman's
place is at home. You seldom see
the better class of Cuban ladies on
the street except late, in the afternoon
or evening and then she Is seldom un-
accompanied The men are kind to
their wives although they don't have
the freedom of the ladies OF the States.
to go where they please-they arc
not allowed to work, not even care,
for their children, If they should have
five children they have nearly as many
nurses. They sit and rock all day
long with maybe little sewing-con.
seQuently becoming very stout, but
the Cuban man thinks this mark Of
beauty. The ladies wear beautiful
gowns and the number Of diamonds
they wear far exceed those of the
states, going to the opera many ladies
will wear as high as 100000 worth of
diamonds leaving as many at home.
1t is said there are more millicnaires
here in the city of Havana than any
city in the world twice it's size.
About the first thing a visitor does
is to walk down the Prado which is
a wide asphalt boulevard with~-a
beautiful wide parklet through it's
center where people stroll. It is some
times spoken Of as a series of small
parks with a boulevard on both sides.
The Prado extends a distance of two
miles and is shaded on both sides by
the deep green laurel trees and the
graceful palms. All along the Prado
among the tree, shrubs and flowers are
seats and benches. On both sides Of
the boulevards are some Of the heauti-
full homes and clubs. During the day
it is filled with carriages and automo-
biles and people but in the evening
after the lights are on it is a moving
mass of pleasure seekers. There isn't
a noisier, more lively, place in the
world from sundown to the small
hours of the morning than tie Prado
the Great White Way of Havana!
The Prado ends at the sea-wall or
Malecon in a broad circular space in
the center of which is a pavilion or
band stand where q band plays several
nights during the week and on Sun
day.
The architecture is diherant Most
of the houses in Havana are of one
story, but they seem about asNhigh as