Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)
Issue: 1939 March - Page 11
On One Of Those Cruises
ff
by Karl Schott
Prominent Yuma, Arizona, O perator
So I took a trip to Havana. As if to
prepare me for some of the beauty that
I was to see on the island of Cuba, the
lovely city of New Orleans was the first
stop of any length after leaving Houston,
the starting point of my vacation jaunt.
I arrived in New Orleans, claimed by
many to be America's most interesting
city, after the long trip across the desert,
prepared to spend several days in see-
ing the sights. Weeks could be spent in
and about the town and one would still
miss many of the beauties and points of
interest. Famous Canal Street, Amer-
ica's widest business thoroughfare, with
sidewalks paved with terrazzo marble, is
a pleasure to see.
The Municipal auditorium, used for
Mardi Gras balls, is a center of culture
for the city. Other points of interest in
this travel mecca are the Saint Louis
Cemetery, with its tombstone inscrip-
tions in French and Spanish and oven-
like burial vaults; Montairie Cemetery,
the most modern and beautiful in the
country; the inner harbor navigation
canal, dug at the cost of nearly $20,-
000,000; the Huey P. Long bridge, the
finest span across the Mississippi river.
On to Tampa, and the adventure of
Cuba. The P and O liner, Cuba, takes
one via Key West and in a few hours
docks at the city of Havana. The ap-
proach is one of the most beautiful
sights on the trip. Morro Castle greets
every visitor with impressive dignity. It
is a touch of the Old World, so lasting
in the memory of all who visit the island.
One is greeted at the docks by agents
of all the leading hotels in the city. They
swarm about you, talking of the merits
of their respective hotels, giving cards,
booklets, pictures and sales-talks that
fairly daze the uninitiated.
All of the regular hotels are well con-
structed with marble and tile floors
throughout, and attractively furnished
with mahogany furniture and wood-
work. The rates are very reasonable .
On the door of every room there is a
card indicating the maximum to be
charged for the room. The rate is set by
the Cuban government.
After checking in at my hotel, my first
thought was "Sloppy Joe's." Fate had
been kind to me and I found the bar but
a short distance from the hotel. The his-
tory of "Sloppy Joe's" indicates a rather
unique beginning. It is said that the
place was originally a small bar in front
of a grocery store and that water from
the vegetable booths kept the floor wet
and sloppy. And, as the story goes, a
doctor from the States named the place
"Sloppy Joe 's," and it stuck. The supply
of liquors and cigars is large and one's
choice has little limitation. There are
no tables but the stools offer delightful
relaxation to any weary tourist.
The cleanliness of Havana is one of
the most refreshing features of the city.
Streets and sidewalks are always clean.
Traffic is usually heavy and offers some-
what of a problem to visitors. There are
no signals, with the exception of a few
around Central Park.
Many of the streets are narrow and
one-way and when the pedestrian
crosses the street he must watch all four
directions as the system is usually
"every man for himself." O'Reilly Street,
one of the main avenues in the shop-
ping district, is only wide enough for
one car.
The Prado, a very beautiful street,
was originally a fashionable residence
district, but is now the location of many
leading stores. Prado Avenue leads to
the Malecon, or sea wall, from Central
Park. In the center of the street, there
is a wide walk-way made of beautiful
terrazzo with rows of trees and marble
benches on both sides. The ground-
work is mosaic marble and is of the fin-
est workmanship.
It is around the Prado and Central
Park that much of the cultural and busi-
ness life of Havana is found. A large
two story building facing the park has
a roof-garden with a theater where you
may listen to musical programs and
plays. On one street facing the park are
several sidewalk cafes with orchestras
and entertainers.
The National Capitol faces Central
TURN PAGE -
•
SHOTS BY SCHOlT. Top to bottom:
Morro Castle, a visitor's first greeting in
Havana; Karl Schott e njoying a cigar,
and other things, at one of the many
sidewalk cafes; narrow streets of Ha-
v ana carry every class of traffic; interior
and exterior of the world famous Sloppy
Joe's Bar. Here vis itors from e v erywhere
gather.
https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com
ff
by Karl Schott
Prominent Yuma, Arizona, O perator
So I took a trip to Havana. As if to
prepare me for some of the beauty that
I was to see on the island of Cuba, the
lovely city of New Orleans was the first
stop of any length after leaving Houston,
the starting point of my vacation jaunt.
I arrived in New Orleans, claimed by
many to be America's most interesting
city, after the long trip across the desert,
prepared to spend several days in see-
ing the sights. Weeks could be spent in
and about the town and one would still
miss many of the beauties and points of
interest. Famous Canal Street, Amer-
ica's widest business thoroughfare, with
sidewalks paved with terrazzo marble, is
a pleasure to see.
The Municipal auditorium, used for
Mardi Gras balls, is a center of culture
for the city. Other points of interest in
this travel mecca are the Saint Louis
Cemetery, with its tombstone inscrip-
tions in French and Spanish and oven-
like burial vaults; Montairie Cemetery,
the most modern and beautiful in the
country; the inner harbor navigation
canal, dug at the cost of nearly $20,-
000,000; the Huey P. Long bridge, the
finest span across the Mississippi river.
On to Tampa, and the adventure of
Cuba. The P and O liner, Cuba, takes
one via Key West and in a few hours
docks at the city of Havana. The ap-
proach is one of the most beautiful
sights on the trip. Morro Castle greets
every visitor with impressive dignity. It
is a touch of the Old World, so lasting
in the memory of all who visit the island.
One is greeted at the docks by agents
of all the leading hotels in the city. They
swarm about you, talking of the merits
of their respective hotels, giving cards,
booklets, pictures and sales-talks that
fairly daze the uninitiated.
All of the regular hotels are well con-
structed with marble and tile floors
throughout, and attractively furnished
with mahogany furniture and wood-
work. The rates are very reasonable .
On the door of every room there is a
card indicating the maximum to be
charged for the room. The rate is set by
the Cuban government.
After checking in at my hotel, my first
thought was "Sloppy Joe's." Fate had
been kind to me and I found the bar but
a short distance from the hotel. The his-
tory of "Sloppy Joe's" indicates a rather
unique beginning. It is said that the
place was originally a small bar in front
of a grocery store and that water from
the vegetable booths kept the floor wet
and sloppy. And, as the story goes, a
doctor from the States named the place
"Sloppy Joe 's," and it stuck. The supply
of liquors and cigars is large and one's
choice has little limitation. There are
no tables but the stools offer delightful
relaxation to any weary tourist.
The cleanliness of Havana is one of
the most refreshing features of the city.
Streets and sidewalks are always clean.
Traffic is usually heavy and offers some-
what of a problem to visitors. There are
no signals, with the exception of a few
around Central Park.
Many of the streets are narrow and
one-way and when the pedestrian
crosses the street he must watch all four
directions as the system is usually
"every man for himself." O'Reilly Street,
one of the main avenues in the shop-
ping district, is only wide enough for
one car.
The Prado, a very beautiful street,
was originally a fashionable residence
district, but is now the location of many
leading stores. Prado Avenue leads to
the Malecon, or sea wall, from Central
Park. In the center of the street, there
is a wide walk-way made of beautiful
terrazzo with rows of trees and marble
benches on both sides. The ground-
work is mosaic marble and is of the fin-
est workmanship.
It is around the Prado and Central
Park that much of the cultural and busi-
ness life of Havana is found. A large
two story building facing the park has
a roof-garden with a theater where you
may listen to musical programs and
plays. On one street facing the park are
several sidewalk cafes with orchestras
and entertainers.
The National Capitol faces Central
TURN PAGE -
•
SHOTS BY SCHOlT. Top to bottom:
Morro Castle, a visitor's first greeting in
Havana; Karl Schott e njoying a cigar,
and other things, at one of the many
sidewalk cafes; narrow streets of Ha-
v ana carry every class of traffic; interior
and exterior of the world famous Sloppy
Joe's Bar. Here vis itors from e v erywhere
gather.
https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).