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I ^CUBA'S METROPOLIS. , r.GAY AND NOISY HAVANA'S IMC- j TURESQUE SIGHTS. 1 The Handsome Harbor and Its De- 1 B fenses?The City's Architecture? 1 H Many Parks and Cafes?SolF diers Seen Every Where. I ~T" "T" AVANA has long been reck- i oned the eighth commercial 11 JLJL city of the world. Morro 1< Castle, with its Dablgren 1 guna peeping out through the yellow < 6tonos,and its tall sentinel lighthouse, I stauds guard over the narrow entrance i of the harbor; the battery of La Pun- I ta on the opposite shore answering to i the Morro. It is a proud and a strong fort, but its defense, declares the I Chicago Times-Herftld, is merely a i ?n?tter of sentiment. With sucli ar- i mament as Havuaa has, an invading ] I GENERAL VIEW OF TH A fleet could be held ont of the bay. The ; < 9 castle is re-enforced by the long range ] W of cannon and barracks on the city < } aide, and the masssive fortress of the < Cubanos crowning the hill behind the j Morro. Ail these are decorated with i the red and yellow flag of Spain. So i many strong fortifications show how 1 important the home government regards the place. s Thfl harbor of Havana compares i favorably with the most famous ia the { f world. Inlinitely more picturesque ? J than New York Bay, it is much live- ? Her in maritime interest than that of i the Golden Gate. The bay is shaped \ like a human hand outstretched, -w ith s the wrist as the entrance. It is popu- c . Ions with ships from almost every Na- t tion on earth. The one idea it im- t presses is that of activity. European and American mail steamers come and l eo daily. Coasting steamers and the t ^jts of the regular lines from Mex- e HnAand the islands of the Carribean t ffi^Bthe bay, and great ferries ply be- a the docks of the city and the i BBSS shores. There is also a tieet of b I Wig boats, yachts gathered from all j g the world, row boats, and what I 1> Bin the seaway. 1 Bhc city itself is pleasing or irrita- l g to the newcomer according to the Pirit that may possess him at the time I his arrival. But all travelers agree n one point?they universally declare t to be one of the noisiest, liveliest, ell-mell, happy-go-lucky, wide awake, lamorous, dangerous towns in existace. The great Humboldt said of it s he entered it from the bay that- it as the gayest and most picturesque ght in all America. It is certainly not American, nnd yet there is nothing like it in Europe. It is intensely Cuban, and a type of Tt? n. rrnnprftl view the town presents churches, cathedrals una other structures that force themselves into prominence against the background of less imposing houses. Thpre is nothing in this great extent ot public buildings that strikes one as being specially valuable from an architectural point of view, and even if there were its beauty would be entirely subordina- : ted by a colossal prison near the shore, which was built for the purpose of having a capacity to lodge with ease a matter of 5000 prisoners at a time. The city is divided into two parts, called tha intramural, or old town, which lies between the bay and the Bite ol tne ancient wans waicn auve ; fallen into decay and have been used '1 for an upbuilding of the new city, and f the extramural town, consisting of the f new city, which lies beyond tha site a of the old walls and is more or less s modern in its architecture. The a streets of tho old town are laid out in t fairly regular oriler, and are pretty t well paved. But these thoroughfares n are narrow in the extreme, with sidewalks barely wide enough for one . p pedestrian. The streets of the new j s city, although laid oniy in macadam, i f ' are wider, airier and fringed on either J u side with pretty palm trees, giving the ' I Jt town a garden-like aspect. [ f The architecture of the dwelling- t I houses is heavy, and this gives them an c appearance of old age which they c [ really do not deserve. The material s I .used in their building is the porous c f stone which abounds in the island, t a and which, when first quarried, is a9 s I eafci'tv worked into blocks as wood, but which becomes as hard as granite when j c exposed to the atmosphere. The ( facades of the houses are generally i covered with stucco, painted in all t colore. Bine?, yellows and greens are ? need indiscriminately, and the visitor t is at once unplensantly 6truck by the < bizznre effect, but soon learns to ap- i predate thu nice manner in which this t l mop.ro castle, est* ^apparently crazy and unsystematic i laying on of color harmonizes with i the glowing tropical atmosphere. This coloring of the house fronts is not ? L without e reason, in fact. It has been i I found to absorb much o? the sun's rays, i | which, without this disadvantage, \ I would work serious injuries to the < F ?yea- 11 V There is no city in the world where Boise?pure noise, made for it3 own *>{ sane ana noimng eise?rm^ue. ?.-> aupreme as in Havana. At daybreak all si' the bells in the city are rung furiously, so Church bells, tire bells, public bells di and private bells unite with one ac- se cord to produce a discord calculated lr to drive a civilized man mad. Add to this the crowing of game cocks, with th which the town is overstocked for fl( gambling purposes; the rattle of in- UI numerable cabs and public convey- bi incea, the clangor of gongs on etreet di car lines, electric and otherwise, and a the general roar to which every fr svaking Havanese adds his mite, and je the city, oven in the time of most 8l] slumbrous peace, can well be supposed Uj to surpass any other town of 300,000 population in the world. ti The populace of Havana, at least in times of peace ?and this accounts for sc its disquietude in times of war?is es- m jentially gay. This accounts for the h?mU/vm woniaf rr nf tKa /i UULUUCi uuu VQ].igiij v l vuu ui?4wu| ^ at ~~ ' ^ a' u E CITY OF HAVANA. ? :aches, eating and drinking places, m lounging places and resorts of every *olor and complexion calculated to 80 sffer opportunity to idle and lazy men. recent visitor to the island, describ ng the habits of the men and their mspeakable indolence, says thi6 of the ;own'e resorts and their habitues: "The men luxuriate in the cafes or ipend their evenings in worse place?. 1 brief period of the morning only is 01 jiven to business, the rest of the day ?l ind night to meeting and lassitude, imoking and luxurious ease. Evidences * )f satiety, languor and dullness, the veakened capacity for enjoyment, are iadly conspicuous, the inevitable ee- ? % * - s mi. . juence of indolence ana yioe. lae irts ami sciences seldom disturb the houghts of such people. "The pretentious town house is side >y side with the humble quarters of i he artisan. High life and low life are | :ver present in strong contrast, and in i he best of humor with eaoh other, y tffordmg elements of the picturesque, ? f not of the beautiful. Neatness must A >e ignored where such human con- |? jlomeration exists, and, as we all :now, at certain seasonB of the year, I ike dear, delightful, dirty Naples, J lavana is the hotbed of pestilence. ] I ^ ^ viiiiili illfifll.ll 0BI3P0, THE PRINCIPAL BU3IK ]"he dryness of the atmosphere trans- cfi orms most of the street offal into n? owder, whi3h (salutes nose, eyes, ears 01 nd mouth under the influence of the ai lightest breeze. Though there are di mple bathing facilities in and about m he city, the people of either sex seem an o have a prejudice against their free fit ;se. Havana is abundantly supplied with aras, squares and public places. The ' quares are ornamented with royal >5 lalms, and here and there an orange ^ ,nd banana tree, and now and then an ^ ndian laurel.. Tbe Plaza de Armas, || routing the Governor's palace, and he Parque de Isabella are two splenlid specimens of Cuban appreciation ?f the richness and fertilitv of the oil and the rare climate. The Parque le Isabella is a picture of gay life in he djvenincr, and is one of the beauty pots of Havana. The cafeB are innumerable and some Jl >f them the equal of the best and most Ijf :xclusive restaurauts in Europe or J America. The principal playhouse is he Tacon Theatre. Other places of ( imusement are Payret Theatre, the Ubisu Theatre and the Circo, Teatro le Jane. The CaBino io a place of imusement and instruction combined, ST i sort of atheneum, in which such art ai j . A t.VNCE TO HAVANA.. tl is lives in Havana is fostered and in g' vhich state balls oocur. li The glory ot the new city lies in its T. iplendid streets and the well ordered h vegetation that has been cultivated k ilong their lines. The churches are sc without number and are enthusiastic- tl illy filled on Sundays and holidays. Is On these occasions unusual demonstra- a* one are indulged in in the way of sll-ringing. No city in the world, with the posble exception of Sua Francisco, is lavishly supplied with food proicts as Havana. The earth and the a roDder up all their best frait, and 7i'n? in fJipnrv ' ?o ? ?r * The great Havana market is where e visitor opens his eyes. An upper >or and a lower open on all sides aud ider a roof. It covers a good-sized ock. All Havana is here buying its nner and other supplies. There is multitudo of booths, containing uits of the tropics, fish, meats, ather goods, jewelry and curios ich as only a seaport mart can pick 5. The human beings who preside jre are repreeeatatives of every naon on the globe. The hotels an; built around a court, > that every room has direct comunication with the open air. A ter.ce often encircles the upper story " * ? SM. I ui _ He second), ana on u areBcrQuuenea id plants, and maybe a few parrots, here is a most comfortable place to t; indeed,the majority of the citizens : Havana spend their time on their jusetop*. Thoy dry clothes there, ia use the space for a back yard. At the hotels, as at many private juses, two meals a day are served? reakfast in the late morning, and inner in the evening. Cotfee can be id shortly after rising. Wine is eely drank. Candles serve as illumia;ion when you retire. Almost everybody in Havana smokes garettes. Cigars are very cheap rdinarily. Cigars that cost "two for quarter" in the United States are ought in Havana for $5.50 a hundred, ther tobacco is equally cheap, and so ten, boys and women pmoke. Even in times of peaoe civilians are arce in Havana. Soldiers stand at rerv corner?they are the police, be uniform is the same bine as the arine's, but the blouse, trousers and me cap are trimmed with crimson. A rord and heavy revolver, and somemes a rifle, constitute the equipent. The Spanish Government oifials around the docks are dressed in itawav suits of the prevailing blue, wide-brimmed straw hat, looped up ; one side with a cockade,is a familiar sadgear. There are manv other uniforms? [E33 STREET IN HAVANA. ivalry, artillery, officers'. Yon can- i ot walk five steps without meeting ae. All these distinctive raiments i e neat, but look cheap beside the i :ess of a United States soldier or i arine- The cloth resembles cambric i id is'porous and cooL However, it I s the wearer well; he is always clean, i A Mli// ' BKET IN THE OLD PORT OF HAVAVA. ad his shoes are blacked, The men re not as well set up as the Amcriins. Jn fact, the men are not as >bust as our countrymen. They ire illow and thin. It may be the climate, nd it may be the excessive smoking. With all his politeness and kindess, the Havana citizen looks on tun merican as legitimate prey. If you ave the misfortune to bo of that ationality your tatc is sealed. Yon fonot hide your identity. You walk . >o rfl-jt and yon are too straight, ven tllfc'-yGt&Shildren on the street ;cognize you. '.Tic boatman charges ou ,10 cetrts, wheu .the ordinary i>rice ; only "20. Figure's fruit and all lerchandise rise ala?,mIngly when the merican approaches. Spain's Loug Line of,-$OToreigns. The present King Spain is lphonso XIII., who sucoe^ed to the irone in the year of his blrtbi 1886. hero is perhaps no countrjt on the lobe which can boast of aS. longer ne cf sovereigns than Spain. fcRroin 19 down to the present time 8P^n as been ruled by no less thanV^S^ ings. This extraordinary numbelf ?* >vereigns is explained by the f?pt lat up to the union of Ferdinand jabella the empire was divided i&t<& >veral dependent monarchies, (j 1 /. .j-,* - .J' . . ' FASHION'S REALM, i 1 NEW CONCEITS FOR TH'.': ADORN- f n?itr%.rn * \ m TML^ L" * IP W IT V lUTi'i i v/r i lir; r :iiiv i 1 Gowns Seen at the Opera ? Novel- ' ties In Wraps?Garments tor C&Udreu?Calve's Handsome Hood. (Special New York Letter.) THE really fashionable woman of the present day is the one who never loses her individuality in her dress. She compels her ciothing to beoome part of herself, and while she follows all the f>VinnnpB in fa<?Viinn shA linrls tlifim ftiaii tic enough to be modilied to suit her when she does not snit them. The most interesting development in fashions just at present is tie combination of the simple with the t laborate which results in a tendency to trim the tailor-made suit. An instance of tha.t GOWN OF CA.NVA.S CHEVIOT. one time impossibility, a trimmed i tailor-made frown sliffhtlv smack inc of < the dressmaker's touch, is given in one f of the accompanying sketches. This J material is a rich dark greeu canvas ] cheviot lined throughout with shaded ] red and green tnffeta silk. The garni- ? ture consists of green velvet and some i oddiv shaped pearl buttons. I saw Mrs. t Dodge in a gown of thie kind at an afternoon tea last Thursday. This style < 3f costume is also much in vogue for jhopping and visiting purposes. One can see many little pretty morning street gowns of checks? black and brown, brown and green, black and white?or rough Scotch zoods. Tbey are made with tightfitting short jackets trimmed with silk Kkh irl o'kAtif Ano./"?noi?fDi? r\ f on aK in width. The braided gowns have created a great furor among the best groomed women, and there are very few among the up-to-date ones wno aannot count at leust one brai ded cosfume in her wardrobe. An example of dm style oi gown is shown on this page. In this instance the suit was developed in a Ya!o blue broadbloth, ind waB trimmed with black tubular braid in elaborate design. Both coat md skirt were lined with silk which ihunged from light blue to pink. The skirt was of the seven-gored variety, rery plain in front and on the sides, but with considerable fullness in the . back. a 1 went down to the Amerioan steam- i ship dock a few days a^o to say an 1 revoir to a friend who was sailing on t the Paris for the lliviera to spend tho t Pinter and early spring. Among s those whom I saw on the steamer, one \ particularly stylieh Toung woman fc' wore an extremely chic jacket showing p her trim figure off to advantage. lb t pas made of dark tan frieze trimmed t i_ YALE BLUE BROADCLOTH TRIMMED WITH SILK BRA.ID. with braid that appears in fl*t bands headed with a small loop pattern. My friend showed me among her costumes one particularly pretty gown which the iutonded for wear on the steamer during the evenings. This gown was made of one of tho new canava weaves in a combination of dark green and purple, and was trimmed with wido velvet rovers with a cream silk vest. This iR a season or the year for covert and box coats, those Bmart little gaimonts which when made by a comwitent tailor ore so extremely etjlisii. There is comparatively little change from reason to season in the cut of the so* coat*. They may be a trifle Jhorter this season than thev were !ast and the eleeves mav be smaller, >ut the same shape is worn and they Fasten with large buttons just the same is they did before. They are generilly made with an inlaid velvet collar of the same shade as the cloth of the :oat, aud are always double breasted with strapped seams in the back. Eton jackets are coming to be eeen on the . advauced fashion plates, and cionDtiesB win ue an xne rage as booh as the cold weather is over. They will be made extremely short, and so arranged as to show the fancy belt that is worn with the skirt. No matter how stylish these jackets are, they are certainly not becoming to stont, Bh ort-waisted women, who make a mistake in wearing them. Fashions for children's frooks and coats are almost as variable as those for older people, and the widths of their little skirts and the size of their TAN JACKET WITH GARNITURE. sleeves are always modeled after thoee >f (irnwn-nn cnwns. For older ?ir)s there are some extremely prettv Frocks made with oirou'ar skirts and Eton jackets in bright blue camel's iair cheviot. A frock made in this jtvle is trimmed with small buttons ind short straps of braid extending icros6 the re vers of the jaoket. Fancy silks are worn by children for jress, but the patterns must be small CAPE OF EMERAIiD VELVET. .nd the coloriog of suitable shades. It s difficult to say just what is the right ength of skirt for girls' frocks, and he best rule to follow is to have them >ecoming, bearing ia mind that they hould come below the knees or they rill look extremely awkward and ugly, iimplicity should always prevail in ;arments for children. Elaborate rimming will spoil the prettiest cosume, and it is a great mistake to use ^jSIa COSTl'ME MADE OF CANAVA CLOTH WITH VELVET RE VERS. expensive materials, for ohildren grow so rapidly that it is rarely possible to use a frock more than one season. In fabrics thero is a most unlimited variety to choose from. Some of the pretty pin checks are particularly auitaole, and, moreover, ore very reasonable in prico. Serges and cheviots are always in good taste, and a pretty striped pattern can ofteu be made up with excellent effect. The opera gowns are apparently outdoing themselves this year. Never were they prettier, smarter nor of more infinite variety, and a popular evening at the Metropolitan Opera nouse presents a eigne to uream oyer. Not only have the boxes this gay and festive appearance, bnt the orchestra as well teems with beauty and style. At the beginning of the season the management of the Metropolitan requested that every lady present should remove her hat. So the view of hundreds of fashionably dressed ooiffures adds greatly to the effeotivenosa and brilliancy of the scene. The variety of neok novelties for transforming a plain silk bodice into something suitable for evening wear is one of the speoial points in dress this season, and there really seems to be no limit to the attractive forms taken by that one small band that encircles the throat. A folded satin collar with a huge bow in the front is one of the newest, fads, while another has the top of the plain white eatin collar edged with lilliputian feathers and the four loops of white satin ribbon that nestle under the ohin are all edged with the very smallest feathers possible to obtain. The Medici collar is also having an inning now, and every sort of device which can be thought of is used to give the soft fluffy effect around the neck. Dainty confections of satin, velvet, lace, ohifion and jewels are displayed in the stores ready for use, and, as the collar rarely matches the bodice in color, they are a very useful purchase. Calve, that fascinating and popular singer, brought to America quite a novelty in the way of an opera hood. It is made of lace aud gracefully fashioned after the style of the mantillas worn by the women of the soft-skied Southern lands, where the sunshine dreams in golden splendor. When the waarer reaches the house of amusement she lifts the lace whioh is arvannrCirl nn n 4 Viin nriva V* rt 4* in O T1 AVTol to fit around the head, and allows it to fall in its own loose folds at the baok of her neok, where it forms a beautiful collar. Romance and poetry seem woven into filmy meshes of this airy, dainty hood as it clings softly and lovingly around the sparkling face of its wearer. No matter how elaborate the evening coiffure, the laca hood oan be worn without disturbing a curl or tangling a tress. One of the popular features of this season's opera is the matinee given every Saturday. The orchestra is always crowded with smart women, and the pretty wraps are almost bewildering in their variety. An illustration of a particularly pleasing one made of emerald velvet and edged with ohinchilla fur is shown in this letter. The costumes illustrated herewith were designed by the National Cloak Co., of New York. weuuu 01 siam. Vast treasures and rare opportunities of loot await the future conqueror of Siam. The royal city, in whioh is to be found the palaoe of the King of Siam, reminds the European visitor of conventional fairyland or the world of the "Arabian Nights." Everything that in Europe is made of glass or china is there made of solid gold. The1 very pagoda in which the royal family worship, and whioh is situated in the gardens of the palace, is made of marble studded with gems and the precions metals. A statuette of Buddha cut out of an emerald of fantastic size, said to have onoe belonged to the Laotians, is in the temple and is Burrounded by bushes of gold and silver, inclosing gold statues six feet high, each statue being clothed in silk garments studded with gems. No stranger has ever penetrated into the king's own private apartments; but aocording to the natives they are decorated - ?i ? in an even mure apieuuiu iubuiuu w>u are the pagoda and the pablio or state rooms. The present King of Siam, Chula-Long-Korn, is an exceptionally enlightened humanitarian?that is to say, he has practically abolished torture, and the ordinary criminal is beheaded instead of being slowly tortared to death, as was onoe onstomary. The Siamese are a lively people, and greatly enjoy playing games and taking part in popnldr fetes. On certain great occasions a sort of regatta takes place, in which the whole population, headed by the king and his ohildren, take part. M. Mnry declares that at the present time Great Britain may be said to absorb all the oommerce between Siam and the outer world, and for the hundredth time in the Nouvelle Revue the reader is urged to take up his staff and help to make France a great colonial Nation.?Nouvelle Revue. South American Trade. In round numbers the foreign commerce of South America aggregates . uearly ?700,000,000 divided in 1894 as 1 ft4Sn.199.4B0: im I ports, 8239,754,602. Of this amount j the United States imported 8100,147,! 107 and exported 832,644,450, or less | than one-third of the amount imj ported. No other country imported j so many South Amerioan products j within 815,000,000, but England, France and Germany outstripped us in exports to South Amorica, England furnishing 897,110,639; France, 849,909,800, and Germany, 834,811,308. It is evident from these figures that we ought to sell two or three times as many goods in South Amerioa as we do now, and thus pay for our coffee, hides and rubber with goods of our own production, instead of paying $2 in cash or in European exchanges for every 81 we pay in goods, as at present.?Philadelphia Times. A Strong Freezer. Many readers know that a mixture of two parts of pounded ice and one part of common salt will reduce the temperature of anything inclosed so as to be wholly surrounded by the mixture (say a milk can in an ice cream freezer) to a point thirty-six degrees below that at which water freezes, says the St. Louis Kepublic. There are but few readers, however, that know of the remarkable properties of a mixture of chloride of lime and ice. A mixture of three parts of crystallized chloride of lime and two parts of ice forms a combination that will freeze mercury in seven minutes. Forming Our Habitation. The astronomers say that the earth is a ring of matter whioh was "shot off" by the sun 66,000,000 years ago, and whioh gradually worked itself into a ball or globe.?Boston Herald. " ! GAMECOCK SOLD FOB $1000. A Remarkable Transaction at an English Poultry Show. A man in England paid $1000 for a chicken a short time ago, although the fact is not a basis for speculation, as to English poultry market prices. 11 LUULifJPJ THE GAMECOCK THAT COST $1000. ' m In point of faot the price was considered so outrageous, even for a game cock, that the story of the sale when it first began to circulate found few. believers. But it was a genuine sale. The money was paid and the chicken' taken. It was at the Birmingham poultry show a few weeks ago that this' remarkable transaction took place. The gamecock in question, a fine black red, is said to be one of the most per- ' feet of its kind in existence. It has \ wonderful reaoh, is almost perfect in . shape and size, while its fine tail ia one of its best points. It has a fine ances* tral record of prizes and triumphs,and is heavy winner itself. The owner oi the bird was Mr. Hugh Ainscoagh. and the purchaser was Captain Heaton,#agent of the Earl of Ellesmere., . r ' Chairs as a luxury. Most people believe that the habit nf nittincr down as nractioed bv them selves is a common human habit, old as the race itself, in no way associated wih civilization. But Frederick Boyle, who seems to have one of those inquiring minds that are not content to accept things as they are, without first tracing causes and history, oontendsthat sitting down is an aoqnired habit that marks the height of civilization. He estimates that even at the present day not more than ten per cent of , human kind practice sitting o^n the European plan. Men who do not sit have two attitudes for resting; women use one of their own. Squatting "on the heel'*j is favored in India and China. In this position tbe weight of the Dcay iaiis upon the toes, and to keep the balance, comfortable the arms mast hang over; the knees, the hands dangling. AEo-j ropean trussed in this manner prompt* ly feels a pain in his calves, but ha; can understand that habit makes it a restful posture. In fact, the colliers of England use it altogether. The cross-legged attitude is general from Siam eastward through the Malay countries. In the jungle men crouoh, the knees raised, the arms folded over them, and the chin resting on the arm. The women of that re?* rt 1.1. iL. t._ gion rest upon me noor wnu sue kuecn bent sideways, thus throwing the weight on the outer part of the thigh ?a mighty uncomfortable posture to , X: a civilized Caucasian. Chairs really seem to be no more necessary to the race than pianos. ?St. Louis Republic. New Picture of Washington. Collectors of Washingtoniaua wilt be interested to learu that a hitherto unknown engraving of the Father of his Country has recently been discovered. It is not mentioned in W. S. Baker's "Engraved Portraits of Washington," which is the standard work on the subjeot But Mr. Baker has recognized it as a valuable addendum to the contemporary portraits of our first President. The engraving in question, according to the legend thereon, - was ; "Pubd. 15th July, 1784, by Whitworth & Yates, Birmingham." These English engravers are well known aa .ho nnblishers of other valuable prints . of tbe same subject. It shows Washington in his early manhood and differs considerably from the more familiar portraits which limn him at a maOEMEBAL WASH IXC. TOX. (A U3W portrait which hits just been discovered ). turer age. The discoverer is a gentleman in this city, who purchased half a dozen impressions belonging to a farmer iu the West. The Western gentleman explained that they had been in bis family for generations, bat could give no further information. He was not aware of the rarity of his property.?New Tork Herald. * r ?