Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-21
RIDES FOR LIFE.
The Adventures of Two WashinStOn-
inns in HnNnmn and St. Petersburg.


The attention of the postal authorities
is closely centered upon Havana" said a
welI-known correspondent who spent some
time on the island. and l am reminded of
a little incident that occurred during my
stay in the city overlooked by Moro
castle.
1T was at the time of the visit of the
Postmaster General and his staff OF the
latter is a young man connected with the
generals personal force. whose pleasant
smile and suave manners lends additional
grace to his well-fed figure.
One day on the Prado I observed one
of the open hacks of Havana, which are
fearfully and wonderfully made, dashing
mady down the street. the driver flashing
his horses for dear life. This is the Gus
tomary way of operating these vehicles.
You enter. shout your destination to the
driver, who is block away before the SEN
tence is completed.
In the hack sat my friend holding on
like grim death with both hands, and with
bewildered expression on his face. See
ing that he was in evident distress L
stepped into the street and waved my arms
to the driver to stop.
Where you going l asked, as the
cal riage slowed up.
'Blest if l know, he answered, alieht-
inE, with sigh of relief, i asked this Jthu
a question. and he bundles me into his
wreck without further ado, whipped up his
horses and off they flew, with me on a stew,
not knowing what to do. and everything
askew The more l called to him to stop,
the harder he drove ana shouted back 81
scnor; 81, senor.' A kind providence alone
knows where he thought l wanted to CO.
and where l would ultimately have landed,
but for you. Don't tell anybody in the de-
r;irtment when you get back that l came
near being the hero Of a sensational story
which might be entitled kidnapped n
Havana or the Terrified Travellers Tale Of
Terrible Trials in the Tropics.
while | was in st. Petersburg last sum
mer my sister shared a worse fate. l had
ordered a drosky for afternoons drive
for her through the principal streets OF
the Russia capital. AS they disappeared
In the direction of the Winter Palace, con-
graduated myself upon securing for her so
careful a driver. and that she would have
such a real nice time She had II. Two
hours later the drosky drew up before the
hotel with both of the sturdy black Rus-
sian horses winded and in a white foam.
Nv sister recined in the vehicle in dead
faint The driver alone seemed happy. he
smiled as though he had done his full duty.
Il carried my sister up to her room.
where upon reviving, she told me that she
had requested the driver to go slower. He
INTERRUPTED her bad French and worse Rus
sian to mean for him to increase his speed,
which he did, lashing the horses furiousiy
after each terrified outbreak from my SIS
ter She was very nervous and kind-heart-
ed and the lashing of the horses she con-
siGered barbarous, vainiy protesting until
she finally collapsed The driver after
ward explained to me. through an inter-
prefer that he had heard that Americans
were a swift people, and that he did the
best he could with his team. l gave him
a good tip and enlightened him, to his pro-
found amazement