03709_0136: Dr. M. Santos

FL-36 1935 Dr. M. Santos (Cuban) Ybor City Tampa, Florida (Cigar-maker; optometrist) F. Valdes, writer, FERA Sociological Survey of Ybor City

[Struck: PERSONAL HISTORY] [Struck: Or] DR. M. SANTOS [Struck: Taken verbatim and Translated Literally

F. Valdes.]

"I was born in Sagua la Grande, Cuba, in 1888. I came to Key West eight months after my birth. Of Key West I remember very little. I remember that my father had a bakery, and I saw many horses. I remember having been in a private school which was more to keep me from annoying in the house.

"I had two years and was very fond of a lady that was named Mrs. Francisca. She had a baby boy, and I was so jealous that one day I grabbed him by the neck, and if he had not been taken away from me, I believe I would have smothered him.

"I was in Key West until around '94. The greatest impression I had was when I came to Tampa, and saw an electric street car move without horses. I would stand up on the seat and would ask my mother where were the horses, and she would tell me that they were behind the street car. The first thing I did when I stepped down was to go running to see where the horses were.

"The first school I went to here was the Free School on 8th Avenue, between 13th and 14th. The mother superior(superiora (1)) was called Mrs. Greer. All of us boys loved her very much. I did not complete this school.

"I remember that the Federal Government took military possession

[Struck: (1) I presume he means the principal.

1396

2

of the Centro Espanol [inserted above: Spanish Club] when war was declared between the United States and Spain. We used to holler through the streets, "Hurrah for McKinley." I also remember that they used to sell certain post cards with the "Maine" painted. One would place the fire from a cigarette on one extreme. The fire would travel until it reached the Maine, and produce an explosion.

"In '95 there was a great freeze which burned all the oranges. I remember this because all us boys would go to search for oranges.

"In '98 or '99 we went to Cuba and stayed in Cuba some three or four years. We came back to Key West where my father again opened a bakery. We stayed in Key West until 1902 or 1903, and I commenced learning how to make cigars at the factory of Teodoro Perez. Then my father determined to come to Tampa again where he had properties, and I continued learning the trade in Tampa at the factory of Principe de Gales, and afterwards in the one of San Martin, where I finished learning the trade.

Then I went to work in different places, and when I lacked two months to have 18 years, I went to New York with two friends. These friends did not know English and I was the interpreter. In New York I reached 18 years of age. I stayed there some three months. I visited the museums of the city, the Museum of Natural History, the Aquarium, where I was much impressed by the "Hipocampo", or marine horse. I also saw Caruso sing at the Grand Opera. Also the Flat Iron Building. Another thing that impressed me very much was the hour of the rush at the City Hall, down town, in order to take the subway. I also saw the Brooklyn Bridge.

[struck: (2) Cf. "Remember the Maine".]

3

"While I was working at the factory of Regensburg, in New York, I saw the first snow fall. This was something I had never seen, and I stood at the window to see the snow fall.

"l went to live at 74 street, number 202, where the Madame was an English woman, a very refined lady and of pure sentiments. Her name was Redicca. She fondled me as if I was a son of hers. One day I was going out, she saw me with a roll of bills, and did not want to let me go out. When I first went to live here I could not sleep because of the noise of the elevators. The noise was so great that it was impossible for me to sleep, until I began to get accustomed.

"The most difficult problem for us was the hour of eating. I did not know the name of the dishes, and I had to ask for the three. They would give me the list, and I would read and read it, but I did not know what it was. The only thing I understood was hams and eggs, and we ate hams and eggs for a few days. Afterwards I would point out a dish on the list to the waiter. The waiter would tell me the name, and if I liked it, I would write it on a paper.

'' On Sundays we would go to Coney Island and my attention was very much attracted to see so many people at the beach.

"As I had never left the family, I felt homesick, so I returned to Tampa. I continued working here as cigar-maker. Years later I returned to New York, and remained there various years. I returned to Tampa around the year 1911. Then I went to Chicago where I lived various years, always working as cigar-maker.

"From Chicago I returned to Tampa where I remained one month, and then continued to Havana. I stayed in Havana some five or six months.

1398

4

I was a policeman some three months, and resigned because the police were given very bad treatment. And then I went to New York. I stayed in New York two or three months.

" From New York I returned to Havana, as I had been called for a bottling factory of Palatino. I worked as interpreter with the engineer who had the construction work of the bottling factory of Palatino. I worked for about two months in that company, and then returned to Tampa. I went to work at my trade at the factory of Garcia Brothers.

" While at this factory I entered the school of the Tampa Business College, and was there some few months. I did not graudate [graduate] as I had to return to Cuba because my father sent for me to put up a business of machineries to fix shoes, which was not carried out because I did not wish to compromise my father in something on which he could lose the little money which remained for his old age.

"In Havana I had a friend of my infancy whose name was Dr. Ubaldo Ubeda, Optometrist. He advised me to study that profession. He insisted so much with a gift of persuasion which was inborn in him. He dominated my manner of being, which is very indifferent, and I determined to write to the American Optical College of Philadelphia, and I was enrolled.

"I commenced my studies which at first I thought were a failure because I believed that I could not understand that science. I must say that Dr. Ubeda; the Doctor and proressor of the University of Havana, Dr. Luciano Martinez; Dr. Magarita de Armas, Professor of the University of Havana; and also her husband, Dr. Justino Baez, helped me at the commencement of my studies with their vast knowledge. I graduated from said college with excellent marks in all the assignments except one.

1399

5

"In my profession I believe I have had a success as I estimate that in my work of optics, at least in 95% I have not had complaints.

''The business of optics nowadays is like a corpse with life, as the competition, so great and destructive that the chain stores make, selling cheap glasses, and in many cases harmful and injurious to the sight, is the principal cause why this profession is so extremely fallen. At the houses of the chain stores the glasses that they sell are usually spherical, and it is proven by the last statistics that more than 50% of the people suffer from astigmatism, and, therefore, these individuals need special cylindrical crystals, which the chain stores do not sell.

"As to the New Deal, I believe that it has been a failure as it has protected the trusts more than the American people. Today, the poor are poorer, and the trusts are richer. Another reason: this is a country that is controlled by the trusts. When one stands on the street, and closes his eyes for a moment, and then opens them and looks: everything, absolutely all that one sees is made by the trusts. The automobile that passes by, the street car, the trucks, everything that one wears; shoes, clothes, etc. When one enters a restaurant, he sees the plates, the tables, the spoons, all is made by the trusts. 95% of what one eats is controlled by the trusts. The trusts for more than 200 years have been controlling all the industries, and killing the small business men. We have reached a state in which the trusts dominate all, as they are the owners of the money, or nearly all the money that there is in the United States.

"The war can already be seen between one trist and others; the

1400