THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



Improved methods of cane cultivation making headway in the island. American Steam Plow 



at work on the Xueva Luisa Plantation. Matanzas Province. 



Metodos perfeccionados del cultivo de la caila van avanzando en la isla dc Cuba. Arado de 



Vapor amcricano funcionando en el inaenio Nueva Luisa, en la Provincia de Matansas. 



heard everywhere. The shoe seller cries 

 his wares. They are strung on a rod 

 and carried on his shoulder and the lace 

 seller carries his assortment in alluring 

 array on a staff. The baratillero carries 

 his stock of little notions, pins, needles 

 and other housewife supplies in wooden 

 boxes with glass ends, on' the back 

 of a horse or a donkey. — Correspondence 

 Atlanta (Ga.) Journal. 



CUBAN BOXING REGULATIONS 



The Cuban tight fans have their own 

 notions how boxing bouts should be con- 

 ducted. They do not tamper with the 

 rules governing the time of rounds, the 

 regulations regarding "fouls" — hitting in 

 clinches, etc., but they do insist that the 

 time between session shall be of sufficient 

 duration for each boxer to make a speech 

 and, if needs be, receive applause. The 

 crow d will not permit the fight to proceed 

 until the combattants have responded to 

 the cheers of their friends. Tommy Smith, 

 a lightweight, who recently boxed a negro 

 named Bowers in Havana, in speaking on 

 the subject says this method is a blessing 

 — it gives a boxer a chance to recuperate. 



"Before I went on with Bowers," said 

 Smith, "the Cuban customs were duly ex- 

 plained to us, but we thought it was an 

 excellent piece of 'kidding' on the part of 

 the promoters. The first round ended in 

 a warm rallj- on the ropes, and as we took 

 our corners tremendous shouts of 'Smeeth, 

 Smeeth,' 'Bowairs, Bowairs,' went up all 

 over the theatre. One of my Cuban sec- 

 onds hissed in mj^ ear : 'Step to the front 

 of the ring and make a little speech.' I 

 got up and walked to the ropes. Wild 

 applause. 'Gentlemen,' said I, T thank you 



and 1 will endeavor to merit your applause.' 

 They cheered again. Then the black boy 

 addressed them. 'Fellers,' said he, Til do 

 mah best to win dis hea battle," and the 

 rafters rang. 



''After every round the crowd cheered 

 and we made a speech. In the fifth Bowers 

 knocked me down for a six count, and 

 I got up just as the bell rang. Thunders 

 of applause. I went forward and said : 

 "Gentlemen, I will endeavor to make up 

 for that knockdown in the immediate fu- 

 ture,' and they nearly took the roof off. 



''In the eighth I crossed a right to 

 Bowers' jaw and down went the black boy 

 in a heap. He was counted out, and then 

 the Cubans whooped it up for several 

 minutes. When I could get in a word, I 

 told them I was glad to have entertained 

 them, thankful for their courtesy and hope- 

 ful of some day fighting Ad Wolgast be- 

 fore them. Terrific cheers and a shower 

 of Spanish money. By this time Bowers 

 was up and he told them how sorry he 

 was to have been defeated before so noble 

 an audience. More cheers and a hat full 

 of money for him. 



"Some' of the rests between rounds in- 

 stead of one minute were over four min- 

 utes especially one time when I felt groggy 

 and needed all the time I could get. Some 

 class to the Cubans, though, and believe 

 me, some novelty to their ideas." — From 

 the Hartford (Conn.) Courant. 



HAVANA S COLLECTIONS 



February, 1912 $l,.-,34.354 



1911 1,426,238 



1910 1,252,485 



1909 1,237,130 



