Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-06-04

Ills corn Is d recent discovery here
1t has now become the universal fod
der for horses and cattle, since it is so
cheap, and will grow the year around.
The reader must not imagine such
corn as our states of the great North
west have put on exhibition at New
Orleans IN the spirit of friendly emu
iatlon. The corn here does not seem
to grow more than two or three feet
high, and what they save as the ear
we would call a nubbin. But the
foliage fulhlls an important ,pission
as fodder.
The castor-oil bean is indigenous,
and may be seen frequently by the
roadside.
TWO KINDS OF EARTH ARE NOTICEABLE
in making the trip hither-one very
red, like that encountered in Virginia,
Georgia, the Carolinas, and some
otner Eastern States, and the other
black. L believe there is a contest
among travellers as to the worth of
these two soils for growing purposes.
The red soil is so intensely and so ten
aci0usly red that the hairless pigs
which root in the fields and the tails
Of the oxen that gaze wonderinglv at
the passing train (the oxen gaze, not
the tails) are dyed with the same bril-
liant color.
The country can not be called
pretty, in my opinion, on account of
the inferior quality of the grass here.
The brilliant green verdure of our
American hills is not realized in
Cuba.
On the way from Havana here [
think every traveller is surprised by
the apparent sparseness of the popu-
lation.
No village of any size is passed on
the way. The characteristic picture
of a native Cuban town embraces a
few matched huts, a CONSPICUOUS
Catholic church and cemetery,
FOURTEENTH CENTURY HUMAN BEINGS.
on horseback, resting Hnder the hang
ing roofs of the few decent buildings
near the depot, some notwithstanding
barracks for Spanish soldiers. Some
of the fences are made of our West
ern barbed wire; but the majority
are hedges of pr;ckly pear, or fences
But the principal thing that The
traveller notices on the way from the
Cuban metropolis to this, the second
sugar exporting city Of the island,
whether he come by one route or the
other is the series of mammoth sugar
plantations extending almost the en-
tire distance. The air is heavy with
the sickish sugar smell which ema-
mates from the mill-house and is
seldom out of the travellers nostril.
Every few miles the huge open build
ings of some large estate loom into
view, the tall smoking chimney visi-
bic for miles in this flat country.
Branch railroads belcn ging to the es-
tate lead from the main line all over
the plantation. But I shall hope to
give some more minute desert ption of
these sugar plantations in future
letter.
AS THE TRAIN NEARS MATANZAS
the ground grows less regular, and is
characterized by large curiously shap-
ed knolls, which in default of loftier
elevations might be called small |
mountains.
Whenever the train is ready to start |
out of station where it has made a
stop wizzled-up, weazen-faced China
man rings handbell vigorously and
the engineer opens his throttle.
IF you enter Matanzas by the Bahia
Line you are discharged at the most
ornate depot or building of any sort
that I have seen in Cuba. 1t naight
appear to have been transplanted
here from the north but for the one
fact that it is-stucco. And all Mat
anzas is stucco. gaudily tinted after
the Cuban fashion. Indeed. MAINTAIN
zas is much more distinctively Cuban
than Havana. That is to say, the
streets are worse kept, the houses as a |
rule are one>storied, its plaza is small
and choked with luxuriantEvegeta-
ton, and the other parks, as they are
inaccurately called, look seedy and
uninterestlng.
BUT THE CITY LIES HIGH AND DRY
and is recommended for obstinate
pulmonary or rheumatic troubles. [
believe I'd prefer the pulmonary or
rheumatic difficulty to the affection
of residence here.
Of course there are the conventions
al sights" which must be dutifully |
done" by the well-regulated tourIjt |
At the head of this list are the Caves
OF Bellamar, four or five miles distant,
over a road as ''hard to travel as
proverbial Jordon. The orthodox
way of going is to hire volante for
81 in gold (about half of which sum
doubtless drifts into the hotel pro |
prietor's p0cket.) The volante is the
one Cuban invention, and even this
is not patented, for there is no patent
Office On the island. 1t is a vehicle |
consisting of two mammoth wheels, |
two shafts 10 or 30 feet long, and one
or two horses, with the drivers seat
on the forem ost horse.
On the way to the caves you pass
along a bay~side avenue, which is the
one glory of Matanzas to nay mind.
IT IS LINED WITH p ALACES,
having broad porches in front, sup
ported by huge columns, and foored
and faced in front with exquisitely
beautiful thing. can only voice my