1902 



GLEAXIXi.vS IN BEK (TT^TURE. 



235 



/^ORO CASTi::E?^==--:r ' r-- 



RAMBLE 198. 



Morro Castle and the Wreck of the Maine ; The Immense Honey Resources of Cuba ; Cuban Extracted and 

 Cuban Comb Honey, and Their Effect on the United States Markets. 



BY RAMBLER. 



Sometimes we stumble upon surprises, 

 sometimes they are thrust upon us, and 

 sometimes we bring" them upon ourselves. 



It was through a combination of all these 

 methods that 1 found myself, on the early 

 morning of Nov. 19, on the forward deck of 

 the steamship Aransas with half a hun- 

 dred deeply interested fellow-passengers, 

 passing the historic Morro Castle and Ca- 

 banas fortress, and into Havana harbor, 

 the capital city of the " Gem of the Antil- 

 les." 



After feasting our eyes upon massive 

 stone battlements and protruding cannon 

 "to the right of us and to the left of us," 

 our attention was directed further up the 

 harbor to the wreck of the Maine. As our 

 steamer slowly passed and anchored near 

 it there was scarcely a word from the crowd 

 of passengers. All, like the Rambler, had 

 their e3'es riveted upon the bent and mis- 

 shapen ironwork of the cruel wreck, and 

 were thinking of over two hundred Ameri- 

 can sailors who were there dropped sudden- 

 ly into eternity. 



But, the anchor down, then came the hus- 

 tle to get ashore. We were transferred to 

 a small harbor boat, and were duly strain- 

 ed through the custom-house with our va- 

 rious belongings. As we had no contraband 

 goods aboard we were not unduly detained. 



To a person who has been living in one 

 of the newest and up-to-date cities of the 

 far West, with broad streets and ample 

 sidewalks, neat cottages and ground around 

 them, laid out in artistic design, it is in- 

 deed a strange experience to drop into a 

 city like Havana, with its narrow stone- 

 paved streets, stone buildings, marble floors, 

 tile roofs, and windows protected with iron 

 rods and wooden shutters instead of glass. 

 While crossing streets it was not long until 

 I was measuring their width by pacing. 

 In the business portion of the city the width 

 does not vary much from seven paces, and 

 this includes the sidewalks. Many of the 

 latter are only one foot wide. The truck- 

 ing on these streets is nearly all done on 



immense two- wheeled carts drawn by mules. 

 There is just about room enough for two to 

 pass; and as a big wheel chucks toward 

 you on that narrow sidewalk you feel as 

 though you ought to get out of the way; 

 but you are safe, as that stone curbing 

 checks the wheel when the big hub is with- 

 in an inch of your clothing. 



Just as I began to feel the need of a little 

 more breathing-space I emerged upon a 

 wide avenue in the center of the city, known 

 as the Prado, with parks and seats for 

 thousands of people. After finding a lodg- 

 ing-house and breakfast, the next consider- 

 ation was The A. I. Root Co. 's headquar- 

 ters. I entertained the idea that a center 

 for supplies would be a center where bee- 

 keepers most do congregate, and found said 

 center upon Obrapia Street; and with the 

 genial manager, Mr. F. H. DeBeche, I felt 

 very much at home, and fully so when sur- 

 rounded by all of the modern appurtenan- 

 ces of bee-keeping. 



In studying up the honey resources of a 

 country it is well to consider the amount 

 and variety of supplies sold and the honey 

 shipped. When in Oregon and Washing- 

 ton a few years ago I found that, though a 

 few carloads of supplies were sold from 

 the Root headquarters in Portland, there 

 were quantities of honey being shipped in 

 from Utah and California. From this it 

 was self-evident that those northwestern 

 States were not great in honey-production. 

 From the amount of supplies on hand on 

 Obrapia St., Havana, I considered the hon- 

 ey business in a healthful condition. A 

 few days later I called at 14 Obrapia St., 

 and found the place vacant. Mr. DeBeche, 

 finding his rooms too confined, had moved 

 about a block away to No. 17 San Ignacio 

 St., where a large building had been rent- 

 ed, and well filled with a new and large 

 invoice of supplies. I then knew that the 

 honey business was no small matter in 

 Cuba. 



During the past year California, at a 

 conservative estimate, produced 5,000,000 



