1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



163 



of the Americans, when they get here, fall 

 in with the fashion. It made me think of 

 the "new onion culture" that was, a few 

 years a.go, heralded by all the agricultural 

 papers as a " new discovery " of great 

 value. When I got over to Bermuda I found 

 they never grew onions any other waj', and 

 had followed it for probably a hundred 

 years or more. Traveling in other countries 

 often takes the '" conceit " out of a body. 

 There is one little thing about this " ten- 

 o'clock breakfast," however, that should be 

 mentioned. These good people take a little 

 coffee when the^' tirstg'et up. Now go back 

 to where we stuck that piu. 



The coffee is mostly scalded milk. Do you 

 wonder they get along so well on only two 

 meals a day? Once more: A very bright 

 woman (there are many of them here in 

 Cuba) told me conhdentiall}' thej' scalded 

 their milk and put a little salt in it so it 

 would keep in this warm climate. I im- 

 agine they have it on hand at all hours in 

 the day; for twice when I wanted to take a 

 wheel-ride, and start about daylight, I 

 found a big tumbler of hot scalded milk, 

 flavored with a little coffee, with a roll 

 right hand}'. On each occasion I rode eight 

 or nine miles with ease after this repast ; 

 but it was on the beautiful stone road called 

 the "calzada." Just one more pleasant 

 fact: 



Mrs. Root can tell you that I am always 

 better pleased with my food when it is a 

 little scorched. Whenever she (or any other 

 i^ood woman) begins to apologize for over- 

 done cooking, I can always say honestlj', 

 "Oh! don't worrj^; it will please me, at 

 least, all the better." Well, quite a few of 

 the Cubans have the good sense to prefer 

 greatly their milk just a little " scorched," 

 and that hits me to a dot. 



I said I could not learn there was any 

 legislation in regard to the sale of drinks. 

 There is a law, however, in regard to drink- 

 \ng-water. Every vender of drinks is oblig- 

 ed to furnish, free, good drinking-water, 

 and he is furthermore required to wait on 

 his free- water customers before anj' other. 

 He must have this good water so handy he 

 can set it before Avhoever calls for it, with- 

 out a moment's delay. 



The first daj' I got into Havana I rode 

 out to the terminus of one of the electric 

 railways. The car stopped close to an out- 

 door drinking-stand. As the people rushed 

 up to the counter, saying something I could 

 not understand, he set out a row of large 

 glasses of very clear nice-looking water, 

 and every man that took a glass poured 

 down the whole of it and went off. I was 

 surprised to see these people drink such a 

 lot of water, and more surprised to find not 

 one even stopped to thank him. I was aft- 

 erward told the citjs or the country, as the 

 case may be, paid him for doing this, and 

 therefore no thanks were expected. Oh how 

 I would rejoice to see every saloon keeper 

 (as long as we tnusl have them) in our 

 land, and the keeper of soft drinks also, 

 paid by the government for furnishing free 



water in like manner! And I would rejoice 

 slill more to seethe whole liquor-traffic out 

 in the open air, in like manner. 



A little time ago when there was a dis- 

 cussion in regard to removing the screens 

 from the saloons of Cleveland, and having 

 no back rooms or back doors, a brewers' 

 convention frankly declared it would "knock 

 out " from one-half to three- fourths of their 

 trade. To be sure,\\. would. "Men love 

 darkness rather than light, because their 

 deeds are evil." 



I fear I am not telling many of the bad 

 things about Cuba, after all ; or if I do I 

 find some good feature about it, or some re- 

 deeming thing to follow. Please bear with 

 me a little while I speak of something not 

 often mentioned in print, even though it is 

 a thing of very great importance concern- 

 ing the health of the multitudes in the city, 



A man at our hotel told us that, only four 

 or five years ago, it was the custom for men 

 and boys, little and big, to respond to the 

 call of nature on the best streets in the city 

 of Havana, in open daylight ; and it had 

 been the fashion so long it could not be 

 stopped until the health authorities made 

 water-closets at the corners of the parks, 

 and close by the busy streets. These 

 closets are made of galvanized iron, rather 

 ornamental than otherwise, and large 

 enough to accommodate three or four men 

 at a time. Streams of running water keep 

 the sanitary conditions right. At first I 

 was puzzled to know how they kept down 

 vandalism, for I could not believe these 

 people were an exception to the world at 

 large in this respect. Investigation showed 

 that, while the occupant was mostly con- 

 cealed from view, the lower part of the 

 structure was open to view. The police, or 

 home guards (as well as everybody else) 

 could see the occupant's feet, and nearly up 

 to his knees; and he could see the premises 

 were at all times clean and tidy. When I 

 took in, after several days' observation, 

 what all this meant, I fairly groaned in 

 spirit to think no American city, at least 

 so far as I know, had ever adopted any 

 thing of the sort. 



Just a few weeks ago I got off an electric 

 car in a northern cit3\ I asked for a closet, 

 and was referred to a saloon. Of course, 

 the saloon-keeper has a nice closet (or 

 should have), and you are expected to buy 

 something if you use it. That is right. 

 I/e should not use his money to accommo- 

 date the whole wide world, without pay. 

 Instead of going to the saloon I went to the 

 nearest hotel, and found a xevy plain no- 

 tice, " These closets are for the accommo- 

 dation of the guests of the hotel. Other 

 people ww^/" go elsewhere. " I went to the 

 clerk with a handful of change and told 

 him I came in on an electric car, and expect- 

 ed to go out on another in ten minutes, and 

 that I was abundantly able and willing to 

 pay for all I wanted. He smiled, but re- 

 fused to take anything. I am told this ex- 

 cellent sanitary arrangement was planned 

 and carried out by Geo. E. Warring, who 



