The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-07
CUBA FEARS EVIL EYE
superstition Prevalent Among
High and Low Alike.
MANY GOOD LUCK SIGNS
RECENT REIGN OF BANDITS IN
LONELY REGIONS.
(New York SUM

4hefe is probably more sl,nar,ti+i,,.
aInohg the country people Of Cubs +ba-
. .-iooe VI almost any other West Tnfiia1,
iSiaiLu- mis- is owing in mart 10 m
large impOrtations of Af-;cs,- -
working the tracts of SUGAR coefaa 80
looaceo land, and also in mart to -
s ss-l-l OF Arabic lore that comes ,,-i-6
spanish blood In the laborer,s b,,+ i
70 pe FOUND not only the susDendad
nor Sesloe and cows horn. brt alSo =
o1s sour9 containing animals teeth a
49, peculiar knot. a rabbits
lOot ana bones of other wild aDin7aIe
DRIED herbs and flowers inr,,1,a,. az
Inc WeH-to-dO store away in TTar,i -
drawers the supposed lucky, pI,,-,bl--
- my Iottery' squandering perhaDs all
nc aNdilaDIe revenue in this faDc,,-
NOth around Threats and wrists ara
ANS containing a certain number Of
Deaos' or single chain may hoo =
18re amulet OF jet, coral or ameth1,st
- nHere is a special reverence for iet
me my narrow HE led by the women fos-
80 auch lurking vagaries, which arr
Witchcraft. 'o'ieS OF
CUBAN plantation life is sadly IacL,i,,
IN hOFeIty or excitement. and T., one
tiiue eAcltlng phase of constantly ey-
Pectius bandits is now noticeablv an
sent. When the wealthy planter nov
STAR Is from ms home in the cool rnos-n-
ing hours to ride for his mail or u, Ioolr
aIter shipments or TO insDect his .
tdtes' ms family may Indulge in the
comfortable reflection that he may re-
turn awe, which possibly would NOT
Oeeh the case a few years ago.
ne Sehoras, as they sit and rock. SIN
ping Ihelr coffee or refresco and for
ming themselves YEARLY. find the b-'-,-,
lohs drawn out. Except for sev,inp-
tney 90 little work and no reading. So
mat the easiest way TO be entertained
- 10 listen TO some old crODe's tales
OF Africa. while the bees buzz in tba
tuoerose at the window ana the Ind
ing OF the canebreakers drums .no7,,to-
nOusly upon the ear.
II u long time since the sudden .,rv
OI Bandldos. broke in on this Iefb
d sy- Just before the recent insurrac-
Ilon planter was sometimes seized nv
bandits in broad daylight and carr,ed
on 70 mountain or cave and there
held Tor ransom, the ransom varying
with the reputed wealth OF his family.
Orten 1t Was the eldest son thus alb
quoted, and even little children were
cruelty detained. A Cuban bandit was
never Know 10 fear save two things
the evil eve and an American citizen
II requires al least one general ton to
GRACE the tendencies which come
through certain strains Fetish vor-
snip superstition and hero worship
nave descended upon the guajiro with
the forceful bondage of three or four
centuries. The benefit Of the public
schools of New York and other large
cities OF the United States has already
mad It's Salutary effect but as a rule
superstition is more tenacious than re-
llglon or education, and often is so in
terWoVen as to be scarcely distinguish
able from one or the other The Gu
ban has always preferred the vocation
OF planter TO that of tradeSman as be
ing more in keeping with the easy life
and the dignity of a gentleman. Some
OF their haciendas are handsomely fit
ted out as to carriages and horses. fur
nlture and such things. but most of
them are necessarily isolated. A large
family is desirable and an enormous
ret1nue Of domestic servants has ever
been one of the requisites TO comfort,
ease and safety.
Along in the '90s some Americans
had an interesting experience on one
or these large haciendas. The mistress
OF the estate, a native Creole. had
been educated in "a well known insti-
tuition of America. but had married the
native paraiSO (paradiSe), and was en-
tertaining some old schoolmates in her
secluded plantation home. These
schOolmates were genuine Yankees. A
large hand Of notorious bandits known
70 be near by only lent additional zest
to the pleasure of the guests. The
Americans all expressed themselves as
Just dying TO see a real bandit The
native women took more serious view
of bandits. On the occasion referred
to the masculine and protective ele-
ment was reduced to the negro cook
and the butler, the owner of the place
to return till about midnight, and hav-
ing taken along the other men from
the house.
Twilight is short but ineffably tender
and beautiful in Cuba After the days
heat and glare there is a sigh Of relief
from all nature, il seems. Bird and
beast alike murmur a hymn Of rest
from labor. One is tempted To % out
into the wide eXpanse of sky from IN
der any other shelter and drink in the
refreshing evening dew. But this is
not permissible. for the gentle dew is
said to be poisonous Therefore, ali
openings in the form Of doors or win
dows are closed at dusk, and yet those
who are obliged to keep out and work
in the dew are the most healthy. Not
only are the doors and windows closed
at dusk on plantations but on this par
ticular evening the ircn bar or trance
braced each one, for the lord and mas
ter being absent the butler recognized
his duty The dwelling was but one
story high. as IS usual in country
houses. and built around a court.
Every one had gathered into the cen
trail Sala to sip coffee. when a sudden
loud knock came at the entrance Il
was too early for the outing marty 10
return, so the butler was ordered not
10 omen until he discovered who was
demanding entrance. The pounding on