Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-04-02
CUBA-MANUFA CTURING
SIG 1R.

L ODA-IHHN OF IL Y ChLN "
.SUGAR.
In the Southern Christian 1d0ocate we
find an interesting letter from an American
in Cuba, from which we extract the follow
ing. The writer was guest at the sugar
estate known as the "Fower Queen" and
says:
This estate contains five thousand acres of
productive land. We rode for hours through
immense fields of sugar cane, twelve to
eighteen feet high. These fields are divid-
ed by beautiful avenues of palm and mango
trees.
Many of the trees are sixty to eighty feet
high, in the distance looking like white mar
bic columns. They commence cutting the
cane in December, and the top is used as
food for cattle. In Louisiana the cane has to
be renewed annnually-here, once in ten or
fifteen years. 1t is hauled in carts drawn
by oxen to the sugar mill, which is usually
located in the center of the farm. The cane
is passed between two large iron rollers and
the JUICE is pressed out, flowing through
troughs into tanks, to be purified. 1t is next
pumped into cisterns and boiled to syrup.
On this estate they make both clayed and
Muscovado sugars. The former is made in
tin moulds, in the shape of a funnel holding
fifty pounds. These vessels are filled with
green sugar. on the top is placed layer of
clay two inches thick, and they are left three
weeks to drip and dry. The clay is then re-
moved and you have loaf of sugar, which
is divided into three qualities. The top be-
ing the whites, it is placed in boxes of four
hundred pounds each, and is known in the
commercial world as Havana box sugar.
The best quality of Muscovado sugar is
made by the centrifugal process. The raw
material is poured into machine which is
turned by steam with great rapidity. In a
few minutes you have well drained dry SUI
gar, which packed in hodsheads, is the quality
shipped to the United States, while the clay
ed article goes mainly to Europe. Lime,
blood, and animal bones, are used in the man
ufacture of sugar. The crushed caneis dried
and serves as fuel to heat the kettle in which
the sugar is boiled, wood being scarce arti-
Gle in this part of the Island. Formerly the
grinding was done by OK power, but recently
the American engine has been introduced.
The buildings and machinery on this estate
cost three hundred thousand dollars. They
work eight hundred hands, and about one
thousand oxen, for five months in the year.
The mill runs night and day-Sunday and
Monday. Three hundred acres are planted
in vegetables, fruit, ETC., for the negroes
They will make this year twelve thousand
boxes and two thousand hhds. sugar, besides
several thousand hhds. molasses. The pro-
ducts of this farm would be worth in the
Charleston market, one million dollars =
The good people of the Palmetto State have
to pay duty of thirty dollars per hogshead
to protect the Louisiana sugar planters, be-
fore they are permitted tosweeten their coffee
with Cuban sugar.
The family were invited to dinner party
at st. Helena, and said they would be pleas
ed to have me accompany them, assuring me
of welcome. There l had an opportunity
of seeing and hearing much of the manners
and customs Of the Cuban ladies. | found
them intelligent and educated, and as they
spoke English, l was SO much pleased witt
my visit that spent several days at st. He
lena. We discussed Cuban matters freely
and unreservedly. | was pleased to be cor
rected where / had formed erroneous opinions
When introduced to Creole lady, you thinl
her fiat and uninteresting. 1t is the fashion
to appear as Indifferent as possible. She
however, soon becomes animated, anC
then look out for those bewitching eyes ant
that soft, sweet voice. The education of the
females is too much neglected, and then they
are much restricted in their intercourse witt
the world. A very intelligent gentleman
told me that they did not wish to have thei
wives know as much as they did. | tolt
him in our country ignorant wives were the
mothers of dull, stupid boys.
In the lower classes the men are both igno
rant and indolent. They have no ambition
to improve their condition morally or physi
cally-gcnerally living in miserable huts.-