14 



THE CUBA REVIEW, 



More and Better Santiago Hotels. 



On January 1 a three-tstory modern 

 hotel building, containing 35 comfortable 

 and well-furnished rooms, was opened to 

 the public. This hotel is situated in the 

 wholesale commercial district, convenient 

 to the railway station and wharves. A 

 few months ago another well-equipped 

 hotel was opened in the central part of 

 the city, and by reason of the com- 

 petition thus created one of the old- 

 established hotels made some needed im- 

 provements, installing new sanitary fix- 

 tures and improving the service in many 

 respects. The cuisine is very good in all 

 these hotels. — U. S. Consular report. 



On March 1 a postal money order 

 branch was added to the post ofilice at 

 Media Luna, in the Province of Oriente. 



University of Havana. 



Havana has an excellent university 

 with an attendance of probably four or 

 five hundred pupils. The government 

 is intending to develop this institution, 

 believing that it could furnish an oppor- 

 tunity for Americans to learn the Span- 

 ish language. The Secretary of State, 

 Garcia Velez, is an up-to-date statesman 

 and understands English and French 

 thoroughly, and realizes that a. knowl- 

 edge of the Spanish language is becom- 

 ing important in all branches of the 

 American business. He expects to de- 

 velop Havana university in a direction 

 which will afiford the best opportunities 

 for American students to learn the Span- 

 ish language, and, indeed, one could_ not 

 have a better opportunity in this direc- 

 tion. 



View in Perspective of the Plan for the EnLargement of the National University, Department of 

 Public Works, Civil Buildings, 1908. 



President Gomez has granted authori- 

 zation to establish an electric light and 

 power plant at th ■ town of Sancti Spi- 

 ritus and furnish light and power to 

 Caibaguan and Guayo. 



President Roosevelt has ordered that 

 those men who served in the army of 

 pacification in Cuba shall have small 

 bronze medals, struck in commemoration 

 of their good service. 



Hail, which is rarely seen in Cuba and 

 practically is a phenomenon in these 

 lattitudes, fell Feb. 20 during a heavy 

 wind and rain storm which struck 

 Havana. 



The Gas & Electric Light Company of 

 Havana announced recently a 4 per cent, 

 dividend. 



Exports of cigars to all parts of the 

 world during the month of December, 

 1908 and 1907, show the depression 

 which has prevailed in Havana. 



1907, 27,409,670 cigars, value, $1,948,- 

 574; 1908, 18,546,756 cigars, value $1,194,- 

 593. 



According to official figures, every 

 man, woman and child in Cuba smokes 

 an average of nine boxes of cigarettes 

 per month, and consumes three boxes of 

 matches in lighting them. 



The Rev. Robert Routledge, pastor of the 

 First Baptist church, Huntington, Ind., has 

 been called to the presidency of the asso- 

 ciated colleges of Cuba, under the direction 

 of the Northern Baptist association. Be- 

 cause of his missionary work in the Spanish 

 countries he is considered especially quali- 

 fied for the place. 



