New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-30
Mining ln Cuha-SIave Trade, &C.
Correspondence OF Tie Tribune.
sr. JAso DE CuEA, Feb. u, 1913

w q
from New-York.
This is the larges, and most important port on
the South side of the Island of Cuba lhe PoPu-
,s,;on ia estimated at a5 900. 1t is beautifully
situated at the head of a magnificent Day ehS'-
roped on all sides by lofty mountains, whose peren-
nial vertiure gives enchanting richness 10 Tue
landscape. Few places can boast better haFoor'
Indeed. it combines most of tho advantages taas
can be desired Ready of access, good hoialhs
ground, great capacity, and security from n'sn
winds, render it inferior to none In these respects
Its insalubrity at certain seasons is, however
serious drawback. The trade is considerable, but
I am without any statistical information on the
subject. It's consequence isyeariy being enhanced
bv the extension OF the Copper Mines at Cobre, ten
miles from the city. The ore from the mines at
Cobre sold a, Swansea, England, amounts to be-
tween two and three millions of dollars per
anpuu. and is increasing The operations are
chiefly conducted by two Companies termed ''ie
one the Consolidated Cobre Mining Company
the other the Royal Santiago. The Latter ias'
wear. declared dividend of 50 per cent tne'r
Steck sells in Europe at e33 for 10 paid ihe
Consolidated is much the largest coacern' ana
bv fer the least profitable. They last year de-
cIared dividend of per cent. their STOCK Is at
a discount Of about 80 per cent. lwehly't"o
huadred tons of ore were shipped by this Company
last wear to Swansea, and there sold at from
twelve to twenty pounds sterling per ton
Through the polite attention OF Mr.. MAHoN, the
American Consul, and Mr. CLARKE, the British
Consul, party of our officers visited the Mines,
and passed day in examining the works. These
gentlemen are employed by the Consolidated Com
pany as Directors, at liberal salary MIR. Clarke
occupies beautiful cottage in the vicinity, where
the party remained during the night The town
Of Cobre has grown up under the auspices OF the
Mines. The employ ment of three thousand miners,
and vast number Of cattle, he's given quite stimu.
lus to the Agricultural interest in the valley, ana
made the town wha, it now is The prices paid
for labor appear high. An ordinary Negroes gets
nine and ten dollars per month, with board and
cIotbisg. Better hands receive proportlonally
higher wages, while the salaries OF the overseers,
agents and other official personages, who are gene
rally Engsh,) are on a scale OF llberallty cores
bonding TO those allowed by the English Colonial
Governments and the East India Company. lhe
transportation of the ore from Cobre to st. Jago,
to be shipped, has hitherto been expensive, ana
attended with many difficulties. The ore IS con-
veyed in bags on the backs of horses and mules,
or in wagons drawn by oxen. The roads, at all
times execrable, are, during the season OF rains,
nearly impossible, from which frequent delays In
shipping ensue This is shortly TO be obvlated
bv the construction of Railroad from the Mines
to bay which approaches within six miles. The
Railroad Company is distinct from the Mining
Companies, but has contracted with them as TO
the rate of transport,-viz, six dollars per ton,
which, without increased product, will yield the
Railroad profit, at the estimated cost of con-
struction, sufficient to pGy forty per cent. The
Cobre Mines were frs. worked by the Spaniards,
nearly three centuries since, but never prose-
| cuted with yigor until the English Companies were
formed whose active and profitable operations are
confined TO the last ten years. 1t is remarkable
fact, thet of all the foreign Mining Companies in
which English Capital is invested, the Royal
Sautiugo' at Cobre 10 the only whose Stock ia
at par in the English market.
The Slave Trade to Cuba seems to have been
eaectually suppressed by the activity of British
cruizers and the operation Of the existing Treaty
between England and Spain, The attempt a,
suppression has been favored by the Shareholders
under the belief that it would give them an in,
creased value. The price of Negroes, however
has not advanced yet, but doubtless will, unless
the Produce of the Island fails TO justify,it. AL
ready complaints Of the depressed state of the
market for Sugar are loudly msde, and with q
good show of reason. The last sale brought only
a cent and a quarter per pound, which scarcely
more than pays the expense of Transporting from
the plantation to market. 1t is supposed that
much of the land allotted to the growth of Cane
will hereafter be turned to raising Tobacco, a
luxury which high tariffs and high prices will not
deler its yotaries from indulging in. The exorbi-
tant Duties on American Produce an
eifectuel barrier TO their general introduction.
While the Coffee of Cuba goes to the United
States unsi!nck!ed by any duty, and their other
$40 pie, free of onerous eXactions, Flour from the
United States here pays ten dollars and half per
barrel, which weli-nigh amounts to "a prohibition
Small sales are occasionally made to bakers for
the purpose of mixing with their Spanish Flour to
gye character to their bread; but if it could be
procured on any thing like equal terms, it would
be preferred altogether. How unfair and absurd
is the doctrine of Free Trade applied. the United
States, when all other Countries refuse TO adopt
course approxmatng in the slightest degree TO a
Reciprocity If American Produce were admitted
at reasonable rates, the price of living in Cuba
would probably be reduced one-half; but then
surplus of Three Millions year would no. be sent
:o olI Spain, after paying the costly Military
Establishment OF the isIand and providing nu-
merous snecure berths for the psmpered Aris-
tocracy sent hither from Madrid.
We sail tomorrow for the Isle of Pines and
Trinidad de Cuba. From the latter place you will
probably agaia hear from me. Yours, W.
--a----
The GRAVE ROBBERY AT NEw.ORLEAYs.-
The yound man Connah, or Conner, whose theft
Of jewels from grave we mentioned some time
since, pleaded guilty to the charge on the 18th.