Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1902 — NEW REPUBLIC'S CAPITAL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NEW REPUBLIC'S CAPITAL.

Havana One of the Moat Beautiful of the World’s Cities. Americans, naturally, arc much more interested in Havana than in any other city of royal capital of the island, and is still the capital of the republic. It is the greatest* city, ranking high in the cities of the western world, especially since the work of reconstruction by Americans has been brought to a condition approximating comparative perfection, ' The revolution wrought ia the city since the occupation by the troops of the United States at the close of the Spanish-American*. war, is one of the greatest marvels of the century. Under the rule of Spain the city was one of the filthiest in the world. No effort having been made to improve its sanitary conditions during the centuries of its exTslence, malarla”was _ prevalerit at all' times, and scarcely a season passed without an epidemic of yellow fever which carried off its residents by thousands, placed an embargo on its commerce and dissipated in a couple of months its increment of the rest of the year. Under such conditions, progress was impossible and substantial improvement was something not to be even thought of. In addition, Cuba was continually torn by internecine strife and political intrigue kept the whole island in an uproar. But things have changed of late and “the day is not far distant when the “gem of the Antilles” will become one of the most popular winter resorts for wealthy Americans. It will soon be the vogue for fashionable folk to spend the winter months there. The beauties of Havana have always been many, but since the advent nf the Americans, they h#ve been wonderfully augmented. As an instance, take the “punta.” This locality is directly across the bay from Morro Castle and was formerly comparait has been turned into a promenads, where thousands stroll at evening, enjoying the wonderful Cuban moonlight and listening to bands which niingle Spanish airs with the songs of America and the music of Sousa. The Prado is the principal pleasure ground of the Havanese. It has flowers

and trees, electric light, seats in'profusion and several band stands. Its nearest counterpart in the United States is found on the boulevards of Chicago, where there are double -driveways lined with-, residences and having a strip of Dowering park between. Havana is liberally endowed with parks in all ways and they are well designed and tended. The streeflife of Havana presents an interesting study in cosmopolitanism. One sees all classes of foreigners and natives there. The sidewalks are extremely narrow, but the natives have mastered the art of keeping to the proper side of the walk, and they manage to navigate with little confusion. Fruit and candy venders, who carry their wares in baskets borne upon their heads and shoulders. are a feature of street life. .The vehicles of traffic are nearly all twowheeled carts drawn by mules or oxen. The business houses and dwellings of old Havana are indiscriminately intermingled, and the view presented of a typical street in Havana gives an idea of the general appearance of the streets of the city. There are still many things in Havana which bring forcibly to mind the recent war. The wreck of the Maine, Morro C’astle and Cabanas attract most attention from American tourists. GENERAL WOOD. Man Who Kept Faith with Cubans Is Loved by Them. Gen. Leonard Wood, the military governor, has had the full confidence of the best Cubans. They appreciate that he has done more for

Cuba in three years x than the Spaniards did in 300. He Is a tireless worker. He has made a success of his administration in Cuba by the same means that he adopted to succeed before going to Cuba—by applying himself. The story of Leonard Wood's success is the kind

one likes to tell. He worked his way through Harvard, and after through medical college. When he went to Washington to be examined for a place m the army he had only S2O in his pocket, and not a single acquaintance among the authorities to assist him by influence. Of fifty-two applicants he finished second. Cuba's Reptiles. A small red asp, said to have been imported from Santo Domingo, infests nrany-of the sugar planta-tiuus of Cubr, and its bite is exceedingly dangerous. The scorpions in Cuba are very undesirable neighbors, and though their bites have not been known to result fatally they are attended by rather serious consequences. A large boa is also occasionally to be met w ith, but it is not at all dangerous. Some members of the bat family attain an enormous sire, the leathery wings measuring from a foot to a foot and a half from tip to tip'. They are visitors oeesHioHally to apartments, which they, epter through the open doors and , w indows. They are uncanny looking intruders and are regarded as ill oinened, though not otherwise objectionable. A Grazing Country. In addition to its greaf crops of sugar and tobacco, Cuba affords splendid grazing facilities, which' should make it in course of time a great cattle-producing country. Hogs would thrive there, nnd there is no reason why the island should not produce all its own pork. The reason it has never done so is because the Spaniards taxed hogs so heavily that the people coulu not afford to raise them. "»• i ■■ ■ '

CUBAN COUNTRY DWELLING.

GEN. WOOD.