Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-26
Copyrighted 1851

der1ngs as we'll some OF these took alone and
afOot after my old Gypsy tramp fashion But there
Is no precedent for walking IN Cuba This has
some pleasant SompensationS, for there are no
tramps. Everybody rides Poor and In desperate
tOlor indeed Is the meanest guajlro who owns no
Iae.s,s or pony This has some unpleasant CON-
pensatiOns There are brfgands in Cuba But
these harm no one not Sp2niard. No Cuban or
American ever suffered from the attentions OF my
friend, Matagas, the terrible, whose name is a
positive horror TO each individual member OF
SPANS brutal standing army In Cuba Brig
and. or planter. guaIIro or montero. however,
always has a ready -saddled pony at command.
Like fash they are into the saddle and away.
And what perfect riders they areI They sit
not Ike your park hOrseman. who, rammin9 the
PonlmeI into the pit OF his stomach points to the
horizons with his trembling legs, and exposes the
laughing sky between himself and his saddle
straight as the Wild cane, their knees well for
ward, with loose rein. and are part OF every
movement OF the animal beneath them. Every
one OF them could pick his sombrero from the
ground at full run; and because their perfect
patent 10 their horse as 70 any onooker, there is
no behest OF human making within brute compre-
lenSiOn 70 which their ponies VIII not instantly
respond. These exhilarating rides In valley and
upon mountains furnish many Interesting Obser-
the espionage and public brigandage OF Spanish
sOldiery themselves, OF cuban deep woods and
their tenantry OF beast, bird, and reptile, and OF
Cuban coffee lands and coffee culture.
THE GUARDIA CIVIL
So far as the Spanish soldiery are concerned
their maddening gOading OF Cuban people Is no
better nor worse now than for years previous to
the recent proclamation OF martial law The class
which seems To have been detailed by the Spanish
authorities To lncte another revolution here is the
guardia civil. These prOwl about tn. country In
small squads, on the pretexJ OF searching for ban
dts ana Their harbOrers, perpetrating all manner
OF iDdignites and outrages upon helpless and limo
cent people. had personal experience or their
delicate system OF collecting Spanish revenues. A
+
along one OF the Trinidad Mountain roads when
there suddenly emerged from behind a thicket OF
tanarinds trio OF these guardia civil.
"ArtO!" (''Haltr) they yelled at US. We at once
stopped. when, with drawn revoIvers, they dashed
''whO are your" "where are you from, "Where
are you gotng?' they questioned In a brutal man.
Der All this was most humby explained. But
deserving On American among the party, 1t
seemed 10 become serious matter. My passport
was demanded threateningly. "Humphin "Ohor'
and an hundred "CarambaS!' followed its exami-
nation. IL was correctly Uised. Everything was
IS 10 should be-Saye II stated that was thirty
nine years OF age. They did not believe IL. they
asserted. with dark looks. Something was wrong.
For moment IL seemed that arrest would follow.
Drawing the indignant don Manuel aside, his
broth whispered In spanish:
AIS meIor darle IN doblen cada uno para que
nos deJen en- pazi" CIT is better to give doub-
loon and not be detained.'1
IL Was done, and we were permitted to 90 our
way. Bat they glared at Us savagely and shouted,
.Ble1, tengan euidado!" C'Well, have earer0
as We thankfully left the company OF these uni
formed spanish highwaymen-
CUBAN HOSPITALITY.
During these rides the remarkable Cuban hospi-
tally, OF which / have already spoken was again
and again emphasized. IL was simply impossible
20 get past any habitation from that OF a decayed
but still wel-tO-dO planter 70 the humblest char
cOal-burnerS cabin, without dismounJing for a
light for our cigars or few minutes chatter over
the dOlOrous condition or affairs in the island
during which ''cOTee" must be taken. This is for,
ever ready In every Cuban home. Neither coffee
nor fire are ever out; and as this was the coffee
island Or fharr
offered on these occasions Is remarkable Tor liz
excellence. IL Is invariably taken without milk
or sugar, and necessarily but sparingly, as Is
also true OF the Cuban use OF Iiouors
There being neither stoves nor fre-places
comes an odd one. In the cities an COOKING
Is done on charcoal urns, In the larger estab-
lishments these often being arranged In the form
OF massive charcoal ranges. But In these remote
country places little pagoda-like corner is built
next the house, or detached structure not unlike
an American farmers large smoke-house is seem
Here the lre is built squarely upon the ground or
upon, or within rude stone bases, and the smoke
aseends al VIII, usually finding vent underneath
raised roofs In this primitive cOcina or Kitchen
the guarda Candida literally candle, or fire guard
Is always smouldering. IL is practically the nre-
country-home. II 1t should happen TO go out
which Is seldom permitted, as unhappy SUPER
Instantly relighted from fiint-and-Steel sharks
struck into punches or corn-tasselS or dry and
spiintered leaves OF the palm
HoUsE-RAISING.
q
genuine 'cooiJar" or Cuban "house-raisingn A
couple had been married About a cabelleria OF
land had been given them by an old montero
father, and planters and yeomen alike some from
had come 10 make sort Of festiylty out CT settng
the queer home upon Its legs over a hundred
men were here, and their little ponies were teth-
cred for han-mie UP and down the road Two
lat oullocks had been killed and roasted and there
was no end OF roasted pigs and tender lambs from
the mountains, with ali sorts OF unnamable Cuban
a mel Wa
plOyed IN the cooking alone. There were Casks OF
asuardiente and nagons OF cheap Catalan wine
ana these splendid swarthy fellows made MANY
picturesque groups among the lalrels palms.
taInarinds, and mignonettes which here grow
but TO me the construction OF the house
IseH. as u arose In the wilderness gar
den under the lazy, visiting" sort OF efforts
OF the crowd was fully as interesting II was built
OF guabrah2ca (axe-Oreakerl wooden posts. inter
woven With the long, straight and thin sapiings
OF Lays until complete and most dextrous net
work OF sidewalks was made This woven work Is
perhaps Is inches In thickness, ana as rapidly A
i ~ Pro7I rs, upward score or so OF guajiros
plaster made OF clay, water, and the tough espar
to grass; so that blythe time the casa de vivienda
consumed In Cuban house-raisiDg the SIDES are
dry ana solid as a brick wall This particular
structure s was about 40 feet square In area, max
palr. Inc roof went 10 tremendous height at
lae dge ana with It's belIying arch OF Ilaya poles
matched with the broad leaves OF the palma de
manaca, small species Of the palm, which serves
I0r a perfect shelter for period OF seven years
IN THE DEEP WOODS
But TO me more fascinating than all were the
days In the deep woods Americans can form no
conception OF these Cuban forests Perhaps the
noDieSt OF them are In the region along the NORTH
east coast. There the statellness and GRANDEUR as
Wen as value OF these forests trees are almost in
credible. To Illustrate, In the wilderness between
the OLD walled town OF H0iguln and the sea ar
sepa, where the forests are almost impenetrabie i
have rriend, VINO at venture, three years since
purchased tract OF nearly 80 600 for 600
All commercial New York laughed at him. But be
went there and began In modest way cutting and
shipping Mahogany. To-day he Is worth nye MIL
non dollars; has 800 Jokes OF oxen; EMPLOYS
over regiment OF men; lives ike a lord
IN palace or mahogany, and practically has
not yet touched his giant trees, from among
ported 70 the sea, BY the use Of so Jokes OF oxen
which squared 50 inches, and contained o. 600 feet
commercial IneasuremenD OF lumberl That one
log laid down In Philadelphia, New York or Bos-
Ton, Is worth nearly 81 1000. Throughout the
whole island, with It's total AREA OF about $4,000
square miles, from extended observation and
travel In every one Of It's six provinces and aided
by the best OF Judgment OF hundreds OF Cubans
Win whom have conyersed would say that at
nouerate estimate, one half or fully q 600
square niles OF the entire Is covered by yfr-
gin forest And who could be so daring as 10 est1-
mate the value or these forests nlled as they are
win the most valuable OF woods known 10
commerce and modern architecture were cuba
oors and It's people free. At q no greater
price anan Is now paid for large tracts Of Amer