Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-05
SENIOR ZULUETA.


The Graatest Slave Trader aud Big.
gest Rascal OF His ARe-HOw He
Became Marquis aud Made a
Fortune of esO,oOO,OOO.
HAVANA, May 1S.-The most
prominet Spaniard in Cuba died
here on the 9Th inst, and was
buried with all but regal honors.
Don Julian de Zulueta, Marquis of
Alava, Most Excellent Sir, several
times civil governor of this city, ex-
president of the unconditional
Spaniards who formed the Spanish
Casino Of the island, the wealthiest
sugar planter Of Cuba, fell from his
horse, and died in consequence of
the fall.
Senor Zulueta was in no sense
celebrated man, but he was the
most notorious one that ever lived
on the island. He was pre-emi-
nently the type Of the illitcrate
Spanish provincial boy who, by
good luck, patronage and want of
principle, blossoms, as such per-
son can blossom in Cuba, into a
millionaire. he came out here
some fifty years ago from his native
province Of Alaya, consigned to
rich uncle, by trade tasaiero--
that is a dealer in jerked beef
(tasajo) and hides. The uncle took
fancy to the boy, and, dying in
1912, left him a legacy of over
million dollars in gold. Then am
bition claimed young Zulueta for
its own.
About that date sugar planting
was making prodigious strides in
the island, and Zulueta devoted
himself, body and soul, to the lucra-
tive business. His first essay was
the purchase from the old Count
Peualver (who had returned to
Barcelona and had been induced
by the Jesuits to abandon all con-
nection with SO nefarious a bust
ness as slavery of his two sugar
plantations, the "Narciso and
"San Nicolas" The gangs on these
estates, when Zulueta bought them,
were pretty well Worn out; had, in
fact, been driven to death, and
Zulueta bought them for a song.
He changed the names to alabama"
and "Biscaya" respectively. He
saw at once that with their then
force of laborers, the estates could
never be remune.ative. The value
of slaves was rising, and zulueta
saw that his only hope was to re-
oruit his slave gangs by direct i'm
portation from Africa.
He went into the slave trade, as
he did into everything, on the grand
scale. For over twenty-five years
this man was the bette noir of every
poor British vice-consul on the is
land, who were supposed to be able,
by conscientiously reporting cases
of infraction of the treaty between
Spain and Great Britain, to sup.
press the traffic. He worried the
British consul-general in Havana
almost into his grave. He monop-
olized the services of one consider
able British squadron for years on
the coast of Africa, and of another
in Cuban waters, and be kept the
Madrid cabinet in perpetual hot
water with Downing street.
He was pre-eminently the slave
trader of the century He import
ed into this island from Africa,
during the twenty-five years in
which he pursued the brutal traffic,
certainly not less than seventy-fve
to to one hundred thousand slaves.
Many people put the figure much
larger. His principal associates in
the business were Don Salvador
Sam1, Don Jose Baro, and Don
Fructu2so Munoz, chief of police
in this city during the reign of
Captain General Concha. His ac-
completes were, Of course, the sew
cral captains-generai of the island,
and their local representatives in
the outlaying districts.
Zulueta and his partners owned |
in the days of sailing vessels the
fastest clippers that could be built
or bought. Subsequently they built
in Glasgow the notorious ocean
steamship Nordaqui basque for
Fearless) which, with tonnage of
$500 tons, could steam fourteen
knots an hour, and show clean
pair Of heels to any British cruiser.
This vessel made two successful
trips, landing on each occasion
over 1000 African slaves. His YES
sells were always commanded by
the most experienced and, Of
course, unprincipled captains,
among whom Eugenio Vintas was
the most prominent and success
iul.
So scandalously at one time did
Zulueta carry on this trade that,