Putnam patriot., 1924-05-16
A SOUTHERN DIARY
Sugar Plantaton-Dinner at The Hacienda-The "Cabaeros."-The Last Carnival of the Season-Havana Cala.--The "Dauyon"-End of Cuba

here for lunch and soon afterwards the Carnival began. Ali along the frado and the MSlecon thousands If chairs had been set out along the sidewalks and ln some places tribunos and stands had been erected Ven ders of confetti and serpentine were crying their wares from early morn.
 Soon after three o'clock the streets about our hotel began to fill with motors, literally thousands of them decorated m every manner of style and material, filled with young and old in costumes that ranged down through the centuries. There was the large lady in an evening dress in the seorching sunlight who completely covered the rear seat of the little car driven by her husband while she threw confetti and serpentine among the staudees: there were young ladies in the caps and aprons of parlor maids, gypsies, Italians and Dutch boys and girls. There were large floats with strange animals. There were coaches with kings and aueens and attendants. Round and round the Prado and the Malecon they drove laughing and joking and flirting. And in not case did we see an instance of rowdyism.
 Al five We left our balcony and walked to the home of Manuel in the Maleeon and from the balcony there for two hours we looked down on the crowd and threw serpentine. now and then hitting some dark eyed senerita in mantilla and shawl who. fNgfF fiband Of paper up at us. As the twilight came and the lights flashed on the scene took on even more color and when, shortly after eight we left to dine at the Yacht Club. the streets were knee deep in confetti and two miles of Havana's streets were throne- cd with laughing, joking mass of happy humanity.
 A half an hour later we were out by the sea on the veranda of the club overlooking a moonlit lagoon. Roses banked the long table and We were matching our Spanish and French with the English of a bevy of dark eyed senoritas while at the other end of the table the other member of the party was with the elders, a series of Marehesses and Counts and Countess es. all Cubans. proudly displaying now the titles that before the war of li= heration were the hated insignia nf Snanish occupation Dinner was an other long meal with delicious food and rarer wines. Then the elders r4eked and gossiped on the terrace and the younger ones strolled on the quay or punted about the dark lagoof or talked together hidden away in the hadows. At eleven we went back to Havana. The Carnival was over. Great wagons like haycarts were talk inc away the masses of colored paper
 The "Danzon.
 A We entered our hotel We heard music coming from the Opera next i door and on inquiry we found that a 'danzon" in honor of the Carnival WIS in progress From the side street We could look in to where the arehes= tra floor had been covered over To the dancers. One tune, the hlarlnr band played over and over again The couples would dance strange swaying step for several measures and then would stop until another sig nal in the music would set them dane. ing again. Black danced with white i IL was said that fights and iuels ire Iquentiy marked the progress of thes national dances. Monotonous was the strain the band played but on through the night it came to US over and over again and as we lay sleepless from the noise we could picture to ourselv- es the strangely varied couples sway ing their few steps and then flirting and flaming until again they took up step again.
 Tomorrow we leave for Key West and Home.
 J. W