The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27

high, the-lsrecst stems reaching five inches in
diameter; There was 2 Sinmp S on the t BSnit o
riding rtick stuck in the ground.
The most wonderful product of the soil is
| the nnme banana used In Cuba. This must
have been the tree of evil that was planted IN
It grows, as men there have no object for OK
ertlon, for an acre of plantains would FUR.
nish food for 2uo men, and the hardest III, Labor 1s
In its cultivas lion and preparation for 1000 Is
the che wing OF It after Il is baked. Its spo1ey
trunk springs up from a%centr0l root. rising
into q dark purple blossom, from which grows
downward tho huge bunch OF fruit that steain-
boats aud Quick transportation have made "a
one blow of a mRchete cuts down the stem,
us place re-, being taken by an, another atdu IRON az .n ,b ssEpS
that no weeds can live TO drive 1t out. IN
Cuba It is Tho food of the people. from tbe
were not for tho hurricanes that break it
down occasionally. %stopping the supply for a
One day we decided we were smoking t. ex-
cess, and stinted ourselves TO- Twenty cigars
S as Ne a w aas' in M ESo w WmSita AZ Xbn S9r0 tSs m nSst' IA.
nous place in the world for tobacco At din
ncr on the Mercedita one day Don, Boniiaeio
The history, which was translated 10 me.
These cigars were made from the product Oft
small plantation. the name Of which l have
Cuba. He and one other had ordered all the
CROP for the next twenty years at its Weight IN
nude seven years, and had been sent on nine
voyages TO Spain in n sugar ship to ripen.
When a smoker first tries cigars in Cuba he
Is much disappointed in them. as they are too
bladder In your pocket without breaking item
after a little practice sou take kindly to them,
Tor of course they are much better than can
on the plantation where the weed is grown.
We bought them Of peddlers who brought them
on horse5esk; and they cost lsss than a cent
almost a sugar box full. When l had con-
sun,cd them l had to take to q pipe. for no ono
smoking nowadays and have anything left TOR
his other expenses. To descend TO the ordi-
R MoHld r' Se too St m soiaSy Of or f tnll. pif IN GmSa ali sizes tRs
men smoked all tho time, and ! didn't blame
them: We lived such an out-of.dcor life that
1t did not seem to hurt us. and as YET have
not lived long enough 10 see any evil enects
from my use Of toba GO. 1t must be- a slow
Dos Fermanos. or Two Brothers. for two
months, sSt,ing, uo and starting one of, the
country. while the country. l had left was very
hilly, and Ind but Just been cleared from
been cultivated for over II hundred years. We
had pretty bad living on the place for q time,
but II was suddenly i'm proved by a visit from
the. administrator. who STOPPED to breakfast
with us one morning. Finding on the table
ePnoS, p Ts ca plha T tbe COOK nRiR RSd teId h fpu, 10 ess
1t all up at once, standing over him with his
cane and rappinE him over the head. On tho
traitor wanted to know why han set such stuff
on the table for white men, and after a sound
gang and put one of HIS own cooks in his
place. One day when we visited him h." opened
n bottle of champagne into IL pitcher. filling It
up with water, and sweetcning the mess with
sugar. He set II before his company, reconi-
mnnding it as u pleasant beverage, TO tho
trea of good wine. Here ! suS a bet
made that a man could NOT tell whether the
cigars were prepared ready for smoking, tho
ends being cut off in the same manner. One
was lighted and got well. going. the other be.
ing unliRhted. The smoker. was blind tolded
and one of the cigars put in his mouth, he be-
lnE allowed to take only ono Whit. To the
great establishment of all present, he was un-
able 10 distinguish one from the other. al
ceive Il dollar every time he succeeded and lose
one every time he failed.
My second season in Cuba commenced tho
last OF August. when | left Havana for the b.
Tito. on which ! spent the winter. about ten
place were Don Juan. the owner and manager,
the mayoral who had charge of the negroes.
the bull driver. who looked after the cattle. the
administrator or clerk who kert the accounts
and gave out the ratinns. and finally Don San
tia2o. the maquinista. and myself.
The house servants consisted OF four women,
who were dressed in a fairly decent manner;
contra mayoral. and a hostler. who had charge
of the vclante and saddle horses. My par ticu-
lar gang consisted OF a man named ENRIQUE.
oil Jaw WV nNNtI "a u
also an old Congo carpenter. who always
rascal named Pntrieto. who went by the name
of Pat | chose him under rather peculiar
circumstance An old encineer advised me
in choosing a body servant 10 find out the great
est rascal and thief on the place and take him.
as l would lind him the most intelligent man
for my business. I had noticed that the boy.
who was about ten years old. was always in
trouble. being whipped almost every day. Ono
afternoon Don Juan, after giving him a ter
IlDlf DgAtllX, came 10 my room. Sl.inn.
What shall / do with that fellow? He is
the most inveteratc thief on the place" I said:
sent him 10 me. told him TO come and work
in the engine room, which is the highest ambi-
steal from me-. or arc caught stealing from any
one else. | will send you INFO the field" So
of Enrique. and gave Lin clean shirts. as he
had not arrived at the dignity of wearing trou-
sers. put him In charge Of my room. where
with those things that negroes most desire.
Though, he was constantly tempted with un-
corked brandy and uncounted cigars, l never
lost n thing while on the place. He was so
good a thief that he never allowed any one
else to rob me, rs he always slept ocross my
The great dread of all planters was the fire
in the cane, through which 1t would run with
suits. When n fire occurred an alarm was
on the great bell which hangs on The
IN hearing mustered their negroes and hurried
TO the rescue, for no one could guess how far
inc Hre Woulu spread. The only method or |
cane fires was by building counter
fires and then stutionine lines OF men to beat
back the flames from crossing the roads to
other patches OF cane.
I had given orders that in case of an alarm
nf fire my horse must'b be a. the door in a min
ute, as | wanted to get the start of Don Juan.
One morning the bell rang, and | saw Pat, my
body servant, on MY horse flying across tho
plaza. Before he arrived | got on my spurs
and started Off just in time TO see the old man
on the run for the stable. Isaw IA dense smoke
and made for It with bloody spurs rowelling into
the horses TANKS. beating everybody IN tho
mile race for the fire. which was on the near
est plantation. Sust across the high road from
our cane. II was a grand sight. tho black
tmoke rolling w from u bright line Of flames
which travelled very fast through the field.
The joints of tho cane exploded from tho heat,
making L noise like the roll Of musketry.
| looked back and saw Don Juan on a.vo-
lante horse which WAS at full jnmp. just be-
fore u reached mo the horse fell in n sink holo,
and the rider went over his head, but before |
could start TO help, him he was UP and on his
horse, digging In the spurs to make up for lost
AT u distance / saw the mayoral and
leading the whole gang of negroes
on the run. To tho right and left on the high
road saw other lines OF negroes led by white