The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-20
CUBA AND TIE CUBANS.
DR.. Alabaster Lectures at Meridian-St
Church on the Industries Of the Island.

Last night an attentive audience Of two or
three hundred, at the Meridian-street III. Il.
Church. was entertained by a lecture from the
Rev. John Alabaster, on Cuba" He graph
ically described life and scenes in this island, the
Queen of the Antilles. Referring to her indus
tries, he said that cigar and cigarette manufac-
tories and sugar plantations comprised
the far greater part of Cuban IN
dustry. In the cigar and cigarette interests
was employed wonderful machinery, in the
presence of which it seemed almost hypercrit-
ical to preach against the cigarette. Thousands
of skilled hands were employed, and in addition
to these large factories could be seen in the
streets the cigar-naker busily plying his trade.
He gave a fine description of a large sugar plan
tation visited, one that contained 2,7OO
acres, or nearly four square miles. To go
around this plantation and see all its
points Of interest required a drive of ten miles.
On it 500 negroes were employed, and varied ma
chinery for sugar-making ran constantly. These
are remarkable examples of mechanism, and
deal with the cane from the time it leaves the
plantation until it comes out sugar for export or
home consumption. The mills and machinery in
this plantation cost over $7G0, 900, and the whole
estate is worth over ST ,000. 900. The yearly ex-
penSes are enormous. In one year Cu-
ba exported ten thousand million pounds of
sugar. While she exports more than any other
country on the globe, from New England come
her fabrics and clothing, from Pennsylvania her
Goals, from New York her machinery. The
Cuban rides In street-cars built in the United
States, and puts his letters in mail-boxes OF
American manufacture.
The Spaniard is the ruler of the island, and he
is excessively loyal to Spain. He comes out to
stay five years, goes back to his beloved land
wealthy. There is a laboring class OF Spaniards
who do the work of ~carting. digging and other
drudgery. With this Spaniard his highest wish
is to keep a corner grocery, a grocery that Is
1900 years old, which is all that is ancient. and
nothing that Is Few. 1t is from four to six yards
long, and from two TO three yards wide. There
is in it strange packages, any quantity of fruits,
the grocery which Don Quixote saw, and from
the ceiling hung festoon after festoon of string
onions. The Cuban represents a new race. lie
comes from the Spaniard, but differs from him
as much as the New Highlander from the people
of old. England. He is courteous,
intelligent, of lighter complexion than
the Spaniard, has those marvellous eyes Mu-
rillo loved to paint. He is a d~iietante, affects
feminine graces, and allows his finger nails to
grow long, His thumb nail is a particular care.
The Cuban dude is never without his cane and
cigarette. He was never known to carry a pack
age; a negro must do that. He will hardly
carry his own cigarettes.
The lecturer drew such pictures as these with
graceful touches of humor and impressive de-
s~cription. He left no phase of Cuban life with
out pleasing reference or interesting detail.