A Message to Garcia

“In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars at perihelion.” 

Hubbard refers to Lt Andrew Rowan, a man of focus who will, if anyone can, get a difficult job done. Rowan is the hero of the essay; his grit, perseverance, and competence portray someone Hubbard believes to be a beacon of inspiration for ordinary people, who can use his example to improve their own performance at work.

“There is a fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia for you, if anybody can.” 

President McKinley needs to communicate an important leader of the Cuban liberation movement, but he’s hidden deep in the island’s hinterlands. The only way to reach that leader is by a courier with the skills and determination to overcome every obstacle that bars his way. That person is Rowan, someone who won’t quit until a job is done, no matter what the job may be. 

“[…] the fellow by the name of Rowan took the letter, sealed it up in an oilskin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, and in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia […]” 

Time is short, the conditions are difficult, and impediments are many. Rowan simply moves relentlessly toward his destination, despite dangers both natural and human, and delivers the message in short order. The note is described as “strapped over [Rowan’s] heart,” as though his endeavor were far more important than his life.