New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-06

NJ neasant uprisings reveals how Iruning hooks
have been turned into swords: that fail In the
hands of muscular yeoman was as good as the
morning star of a hreling soldier and that a
pitchfork couli be made to match the deadly ef-
fectiveness of "A steel-pointed halberd
The machete. it is known and used to-day. -
not materially changed in character. except, per-
haps in the durability Of the material used. from
what it fifty years ago and at its best 1t Is an
exaggerated cutlass or sabre. The blade Of the
modern machete is from twenty-five 10 twenty
eight inches in length. according to the taste OF
the user and the use to which it is to be put The
hlade is wider and thinner than the sabre blade.
and of course the metal is not so highly tempered.
In fact, in of the cheaper grades emanatinS
from England and Germany where most OF the
machetes used to-day are manufactured, the blades
are not tempered ALL so that the things are AL
most equally useless for peace or war There are
better grades. however. which may well be classed
in the category of deadly weapons. especially IN
skilled hands The blade is furnished with ham
die of horn or bone: some. indeed. are furnished
with a dnger-guard. as though intended to be used
for defence in cas-. of need They the almost in
senarabe companions of the natives OF the West
Indies and OF many of the people Of South Amer
team Countries and they are not unknown among
the Mexcans. who them among the mesquite
bushes and in the chapparai thicKets whiGn cover
thousands of acres In southern Texas TEX, WIN nis
brush which he knows full we'll Is alive with rat
tIesnakes and will clear away acre after acre Of
the growth withou. accident to his own person;
Further south. in Honduras and in the tropical
depths OF the lower ishmus the machete II indis-
pensable the native residents for clearing path
through well-nigh impenetrable forests.
iut i'm Cuba and some other countries their par.
ticuar utility reserved for the and tobacco
fields and they have always been highly valued by
the natives because of the difficulties placed In the
way OF securing guns and ammunition. IL Is al
most a literal mpossbility for any one to pass
rifle or revolver into Venezuela at the present time
Cartridges bring fabulous price, creating strong
temptation strain the limit allowed for the cap
tains baggage" in any southward-bound vessel, for
the reason that the belongings of that official are
generally passed without question. Machetes. how
ever. serve a peaceful end. and the rule generally
is not rigidly applied except In the hour OF rev
olution. Then those In power are made 10 feel now
dangerous thing IL can become In the hands OF a
desperate man who is ; skilled In its use as an
expert fencer with either foil or broadsword or
sabre There is probably more than grain OF
truth in the reported wholesome fear OF the SPAN
iar(is for a Cuban armed with keen edged ma.
chete and certain II is that Spanish officials watcn
any attempt export tn IN from the United states
now as jeaousy they try to guard against the
landing in Cuba of rifles ammunition or dynamite'
but somehow the natives secure their beloved paos
The negro of the South has his cane knle. tnc
farmer OF the North his knife or cane cutter.
but neither of these has ever been MADE 20 pas
through the necessitous conditions by wnicm t
Cubans became the possessor OF some'n. srS Ths
is AZ once a knife a clearing-axe and sword, ,he
machete has no sheath. but Is carried haNeu '' '~
belt holder.