The sun. (Fayetteville, N.C.) 1883-188?, 1885-04-29

TtiE WALL STREET MAGNA7E TELLS
ABOUT HIS TRIP TO CUBA
Ashore on the Island Without II Passport
All but Arrested-Cuba's Enormous
PrOductiveness-Her One Niser-
able Little railroad.
iBrCOl.lvn Eagle Interview.

1t is cert ain that millionaire can't stir
without being followed by scrutiny and con-
lecture TIE climax Of the weeks talk in
Wall street the other day was that Jay
Gould's yacI ting expedition, from which he
has just returned, was chiefly for the cap
ture of Cuba. The assertions were positive
that, having got Western Union and Union
Pacific into a condition leaving him time and
capital fer other interests, he had decided to
go into the railway and commercial develop
ment of the island to our southeast.
The question was put to Mr., GIald di-
rectly. No, dpwn in Wall stssa Is the
place to get the news Of my doingS and in
tentions" he good -naturedly replied, as he
leaned back in the easiest chair contained in
the library OF his Filth avenue house. But
don't mind telling you of one thing that L
did bring hack from Cuba-a bad cold. 1t
was warm weather when my yacht sallel
out of Havana harbOr, and as we came
northwari neglected to thick8n my clothes
as fast the temperature fell, SO that by
the time we sighted Sandy Hook Oh a bitter
cold morning | was IS hoarse as AIN now.'
What is your opinion of Cuba, as to its
prospective value commercially"
There is the opportunity for immense de-
velopment. | sailed almost completely
round Cuba and made mcursions from
had neglected to provide myself with pa S.
port before starting from New York, as the
law of the islanl requires Most Of these
trips were made from Havana, and there
the officials were kind enough to be little
lax; but on landing at Cape Cruz, where an
outlook is kept, 1 believe, for raids by CuLa
patriots, l was all but arrested and sent
prisoner back to Havana
"WiH you give an idea Of the impression
that CuUa made on you as to her worthness
for commercial enterprise by Americans"
why, yes. The island has the climate
and soil for enormous productivenes5 in
wCys which are impossible TO any portion Of
the United States. Only the rim Of Cuba
has been touched, practically, by the disad-
vanta ged and not very enterpri-ing plant
ers. Inland lies region, 100 miles long by
thirty CT 1orty broad, that can't be beaten
on the face of the earth, for fertility, and it
is q wilderness. There is q miserable rail
running it would be more correct to say
walkiug-in the direction Of this section, but
without reaching it. This line extends from
Havana 10 NatauZas on the coast, and
thence southea tWarl altogether less than
100 miles, striking a railroad that crosses the
island i'll a strai ght line from Sagua on the
north shore to Cienfuegos Oh the south.
That IS all there is Of railroading in Cuba.
The coast skirtlng steamers are really the
only common means Of transportation.
WHAT the country wants is railroad from
CEc 81 Of the island to the other, TO carry
dis s,r 1e-7
and did you do anything toward build
ing one, Mr.. Gouid:'
III tell you what did do. [ saw some
OF the old plantations where the slave scenes
were like those OF our southern states thirty
wears agO. | went to q circus in the open
air o feature OF which was a sort OF bull
fight; | So W the oldest fish in the waters that
the Atalanta sailed, including naturally red
Holsters (they supported the ancient Italian
painter who was rillculed for painting his
live Holsters rejJ and drank quarts Of the
popular native beverage. They call it aqua
de COCO, and it is the ICED fluid from cocoa
nuts They saw a green nut in two, ice the
water found inside, and sell it to you for 2
or 3 c. Is The drink is palatable, refresh
ing alil certainly harmless.