Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-23
READY FOR A MOUNT
Cuban Horseback Riding and Some
of It's Phases.
TEE GENERAL MODE OF TRAVEL
Bandits Are Numerous and Guards
Are Needed.
METHODS OF FOOTP ADS

STAFF Cores pondcnce of The Evening Star.
HAVANA, Cuba, January II, 1895.
Most Cubans outside of the large cities
live on horseback. They use for saddle
purposes the small tough Cuban horse, OF
else a half-breed, which combines the
toughness of the Cuban horse with the
larger size and speed of the American. me
Cuban horses natural gait Is pace or
rack. In travelling through the country
one is constantly meeting vaqueros, dressed
usually all in white, white canuSeta, or
short shirt or blouse, made with bosom
like an ordinary shirt, and duck Or cotton
trousers. A wide-brimned palm or felt nat
completes the outfit. The countryman goes
always spurred and ready for a mount
They ride like cowboys, sitting erect on
their horses and seldom touching the reins
Usually the reins are made of light rope
with a long end which the rider uses as
whip. The saddle ordinarily used is Mex
lean saddle. The motion Of the Cuban
horse is peculiar, but one soon becomes ac-
customed to it and finds it very easy. NO
Cuban countryman seems to be poor enough
to be without a horse. They cost little 10
keep, as they live on corn stalks and husks
and species of coarse fodder raised N
great abundance.
Some of the well to-do people have teams
and saddle horses imported from America
and they are expensive luXurles, as oats
and American fodder have to be imported
for them, as they will not eat the fodder
on which the Cuban ponies thrive.
These Cuban horses have great endur-
ance and have, it is said, frequently been
ridden hundred miles in day. They are
rough in appearance and are usually thin
and bony. The CubanS horse is part OF
himself, and in the county he viii ride
him right into the door Of a neighbours
house, when he makes visit.
Good HOrsemcn.
At the country railway stations one will
usually see a dozen or score of saddled
horses under the shelter Of the projecting
roof of the long, low building that serves
as a general country store, cafe and loung-
ing place. while their owners will be scat
tered about, tilted back in chairs, with
their feet up, smoking cigarettes, and ST.
lently observing the train and it's pasSen-
gers. Ordinarily there are only one or Two
passenger trains a day passing these sta
TONS their arrival and departure are
matters Of considerable moment to the
country people. The mail Will be broug at
to the train by man on horseback, who
has his package of letters in saddle bag.
He will ride up to the side Of the car, hand
his package through the window, receive
what is intended for him, and leaning
through the window, sign the receipt book.
During all the time he will never bulge
from his horse stop putting his cigar.
his spur into his horse and joys away.
The other day when coming from Matan-
zas, after the train l was on had left one
of these country stations, saw from the
rear window of the last coach two of these
whte-shirted horsemen come galloping af-
ter us beside the track The foremost over
took the train, but not until it was going
at rate rapid as to make 1t exceeding
ly dangerous to jump aboard. The horse
man coolly rose in his stirrupS, made
spring and landed neatly on the rear plat
form. The other horSeman, his att endant,
caught the horse that was now without
rider and started back with it The new
passenger who had boarded the train in
such an unusual fashion, was a slender,
Wiry man, as straight as an arrow and full
sixty years OF age. lie said he had been
taking q sesta when the train came and
had oversight himself. None OF the Cubans
seemed to regard the exhibition of horse
manship as anthing unusual.
Noted Bandit.
There is still a good deal Of the romantic
about Cuba. One could say there is a good
deal of lawlessness, too, but such comment
might be out Of place from Washing
tonian, when trains are held up and robbed
within twenty-five miles of the capital.
The other day the Havana papers told the
story OF the burning of the factory, store
houses and farm offices on plantation at
San Jose de las Lajas, about twenty miles
from Havana. 1t was stated that the
Manuel Garcia, and his followers. Garcia
had made a demand on the planter for
$50 COO threatening to burn up his estab-
lishment if the money was not forthcom-
ing This demand was made a month ago.
The planter refused to pay the money and
sought to save his property by doubling
his guard. However, the bandits slipped in
and burned up, it is said, 100000 or 100000
worth of buildings, machinery and other
property. -
Manuel Garcia has been a name with
which to terrorize country people and trav-
elers for several years. At one time he
made demand on one of the railroad COM
panies for a large sum of money, threaten
ing to destroy a certain railroad station II
the demand was refused. The railroad
company did not comply.
Garcia, man supposed to be Garcia,
rode inIo the STATEN one day with Dand
CT followers and burned all the railroad
property. He sent another demand, with
Il suggestion that he was just itching TO
wreck a train. 1t was a serious matter for
the railroad company, as 1t made travellers
some what nervous about travelling on that
road. The government in this case inter-
fered, and the railroad was almost COM
pletely lined with soldiers for long
while. This seems to have been effective
for no train was wrecked. Stories about
Garcia invest him with an air CT romance.
He Is made cut to be a sort of Claude Du-
val. He will not, 1t is sa1d rob the poor,
and is most gallant to ladies. When he
made his recent expedition to San Jose,
having need for a horse, he went to a
house where there was g. woman alone. He
expressed his regret at being obliged to
make a forced loan Of a horse, but prom
ised to return it in good conoition. In due
time the horse was returned promised.
The woman learned afterwards who the
borrower was, and It is said nearly tainted
with retrospective terror.
There are folks who say there is no
Manuel Garcia, but that that is name as
sumed by any freebooter or highwayman
who waylays a Strangers SORT of firm
name, under which they all do business.
1t is hardly likely that one baEdit could
have accomplished all the villainy that is
credited to Manuel Garcia. Whatever the
truth is the name is known all over the
island, and 1t is likely the bearer of the
name-whether one or many-could find
shelter ard concealment among the poorer
people anywhere. They would be afraid to
betray him, and then, as matter of fact,
thew have a sneaking regard for him. The
| government, probably, has never made a
very vigorous effort to suppress him, but