14 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



GENERAL NOTES 



CENTRO GALLEGO S NEW BUILDING 



An illustration on page 11 shows the 

 beautiful new building of the Centro Gal- 

 lego, a most prominent Spanish society in 

 Havana. The work of construction is pro- 

 gressing rapidly and the building will soon 

 be ready for occupancy. Within its walls 

 is enclosed the old historical National 

 Theatre and the new building has been 

 constructed around the old theatre. The 

 new edifice of the association occupies a 

 prominent place opposite Central or Marti 

 Park and is a beautiful structure. A grand 

 staircase of marble is one of the features 

 and its cost is stated to be over $40,000. 



The ballroom is on the top floor and is 

 "L" shaped. The space occupied by that 

 facing the Parque Marti is 63 meters long 

 and 30 wide, while that on the side street 

 is 75 X 15 meters. 



Four marble columns mark the entrances 

 to the building, two at the association's 

 doors and two at the doors of the National 

 Theatre. Over these entrances will in due 

 time be placed groups of statuary. That over 

 the association's entrance will be figures rep- 

 resenting labor, diligence, faithfulness and 

 instruction, while that over the theatre 

 doors will represent art and the drama. 

 The groups which are of marble were 

 carved in Italy. 



The old Tacon or National Theatre 

 within the walls has been thoroughly reno- 

 vated and improved. 



HOTEL CONTEMPLATED AT VERADERO 



A company of Cuban capitalists have 

 formed an association and will build a 

 commodious hotel at Veradero Beach at 

 Cardenas. 



The capital subscrilied is $20,000. Among 

 those interested are Ernesto Castro, Mau- 

 ricio Solis, Septimio Sardina and Ricardo 

 de Urrutia. 



MRS. RYDER HONORED 



Mrs. Jeannette Ryder, president of the 

 Band of Mercy, who has been indefatigable 

 and untiring in her efforts to ameliorate 

 the conditions of poor children and helpless 

 animals, may be made an adopted daughter 

 of Havana. Numerous firms and individuals 

 have petitioned Havana's council that this 

 honor be bestowed on Mrs. Ryder which 

 has been richly earned. 



WHERE UNITED STATES MINISTER 

 GONZALEZ LIVES 



Cerro belongs to Havana and is about 

 three-quarters of an hour ride on electric 

 cars. It is on a hill and is an old and pic- 

 turesque Spanish town with great trees 

 meeting overhead across a wide main 

 street. When the United States Minister 

 Gonzalez came here to Cuba a few months 

 ago the legation was then on the waterfront, 

 but he wanted to live in an old palace, so 

 he went house hunting and found what he 

 wanted in Cerro, and this is what we went 

 out to look at last Sunday afternoon. It is 

 situated on the brow of a hill and has a 

 whole square to itself with gardens on three 

 sides. The grounds are the handsomest in 

 Havana, and were lead out by one who was 

 very evidently an artist in his line. They 

 are very old and therefore have had time 

 to acquire that stateliness and tropical 

 growth that only years can impart to trees 

 and vegetation. 



There were large flower beds of different 

 shapes, some of begonias and others of 

 different plants of tropical nature, and 

 some transplanted from the north. 



Over the front entrance to the legation 

 is a cloth-of-gold rose twining its branches 

 about the gateway and overlooking it, fully 

 ten to fifteen feet in height. The blossoms 

 are of pure gold in shade. There were 

 other rose trees of another color, and 

 winding graveled paths about the grounds, 

 with statuary at intervals, placed in such a 

 manner that it appears to belong there and 

 almost startles one at times with its re- 

 semblance to the human form, so natural 

 it seems. The house has only one story 

 and is of white, built of brick and plastered 

 over, as all the old mansions were in those 

 days, so that it has the appearance of ce- 

 ment. On two sides, running the entire 

 length of the house are wide corridors up- 

 held with huge colonial pillars entwined 

 with tropical vines. 



As we reluctantly took our leave of all 

 this splendor our last backward glance in- 

 cluded the ever graceful and beloved 

 American flag, waving indolently in the 

 breeze of a tropical city, but lending itself 

 to its environment with the usual American 

 spirit and good will. — Grace M. Foster in 

 the Bristol (Conn.) Press. 



The President's palace in Havana will 

 not be completed during President Meno- 

 cal's term of ofiice. 



CENTRO GALLEGO 



Centro Gallego, a most prosperous asso- 

 ciation in Havana, has built its home on 

 the Prado and it is without doubt the mo»t 

 artistic building in the city. 



