| |
|
|
Images of Güines
You are not an old enough Güinero
unless you remember…
By José M. Estévez Casanova
| «» |
|
The replacement of these enterprises to
form “Ómnibus Aliados”
(“Allied Buses”), keeping its first terminal
in front of “Plaza” Hotel, having Mr. Perea
as its dispatcher, who, everytime a bus would leave
he would yell: “Havana and to Havana”… |
| «» |
|
When Máximo Gómez Street
was called “Real”; Trujillo Street was named
“Barroso”; General Castillo Street, “Tacón”;
Gras Street, “Cuatro Palmas” (“Four
Palms”); Nicolás García Street,
“Duarte”; Maceo Street, “Reina”
and Martí Street, “Vapor”… |
| «» |
|
The Park’s gazebo where Pedrito Rojas
and his band, would delight us with his concerts… |
| «» |
|
That the gazebo located on “Central
Park,” was, for those true Güineros,
a mute monument to Mayor
Emilio Roger Calle built due to his efforts. It
was destroyed later on account of the transient motive
of erecting in its place a bust of our Apostle José
Martí, which later on still, was transferred
to another park named after him, located between Pinillos,
Gras and Amistad (“Friendship”) Streets,
leaving our “Central Park” without the bust
of our Apostle Martí and without that historic
gazebo, on which, as told in my previous chronicle,
we enjoyed the sweets melodies interpreted by the
Municipal Band under the direction of Professor Pedrito
Rojas… |
| «» |
|
That not only “Güines
Market Plaza” (r.i.p. thanks to Fidel) but
also “Asbert Bridge,” located at the end
of San Julián Street were constructions carried
out due to efforts made by the before mentioned Mayor
Roger, also known as “Mosura,” with
the Governor of Havana Province, General Ernesto Asbert… |
| «» |
|
That if we are talking about the “Market
Plaza,” there was a time during which the business
owners located there, knew of a few “klepto-distracted
people” that visited those businesses very often,
and as soon as they saw any of them they would give
voice and the butchers immediately started to make
noise hitting the pipes where the meat for the daily
sale, would hung from, either with their knives or
with their sharpeners, making such loud noise that
caused the “distracted” person either to
carry their hands way back or place them inside their
pockets… |
| «» |
|
When Leopoldo
Fernández, the famous “Pototo”
used to be a taxi driver in the taxi station located
at the “Market Plaza” and he used to take
trips to “Providencia”
(“Providence”) sugar mill charging ten cents
per person… |
| «» |
|
That Mr. Elías de la Torre, the
owner of the ice factory, lived, before building his
magnificent house in lands of his own factory, on
Trujillo Street, across the park, in one of the houses
that were demolished in order to build “Balerdi
Building”… |
| «» |
|
When Güines funeral homes used to
conduct burials in eye-catching funeral carriages
pulled by horses. Those of Genarito Cárdenas
were pulled on occasions by two and even three pairs,
whose horses were elegantly attired with a net that
would completely cover them… |
| «» |
|
That the highway from Güines to San
Nicolás was built due to efforts made with
the Provincial Governor of Havana, Mr. Alberto Barreras,
who attended the inauguration cutting the ribbon that
officially opened it to public traffic… |
| «» |
Continue: More
“Images”
Continue:
Our Villa of Güines
(Copied from La
Villa magazine, official voice of Círculo
Güinero de Los Ángeles, #107, November-December
1982, #108, January-February-March 1983, #109, April-September
1983, #110, October-December 1983, #111, January-June 1984, #112,
July-August-September 1984, #113, October-November-December 1984,
#114, January-June 1985, #116, November-December 1985, #117, January-February-March
1986 and #120, January-February-March 1987. Edited and translated
by the staff of Círculo Güinero
de Los Ángeles, Los Ángeles, California)
 |
|
Providencia
sugar mill mansion. Photo from the daily
Diario de La Marina,
Núm 25, Havana, Thursday April
11, 1929.
|
|
 |
|
Providencia
sugar mill mansion. Painting by María
(aka.
Maku)
Pérez de Alarcón, Hialeah,
Florida.
|
|
 |
|
Panoramic
view of the Providencia sugar mill mansion
and its surroundings. Photo from the daily
Diario de La Marina,
Núm 25, Havana, Thursday April
11, 1929.
|
|
|
|
