The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-17
IN NEIGHBORING ISLES.
(CCBA, THE BANANAS AND 1HA
BERMUDASl
Tho Valley Of Guines. the Richesf and
Most Beautiful OF all the Worlds VAL
levs-Uer yipe.CIad Hoipes- Her sugar
Interest

leys-Her Vine-Ciad hoines"e' s"e"'
Interest
Copyrighted 1888 special Correspondence. J
GrINEs, CUBA, March l3. 1888 We'll
might the great Humboldt, pross'c as he
was, for once become enthusiastic over
the valley OF Cuines, the richest and
most beautiful Of all the worlds valleys.
Here are the mounlains that lay like an
impenetrablc wall between this wonder
iul garden and the North, forever bar
ring out al. chilling winds and giving q
thousand law Montefos vine-clad homes
adown their blooming sides. fairer than
the peasants home-ne in drcamland
Andslusia. To the South sweeps another
bold range bsibcd 10 blue mist:, lying
there like an cierlli dream. half hiding
another thousand Jonteros' homes, cas-
csdes, villas aud mountain chapels, white
as the face Of q saint against the cowling
Of perennial yerdure. Far 10 the West
another range, through which refreshing
streams come leaping down TO the shining
valley. Far 10 the East still other noun
tsins, over which the sun rises In royal
spendor, and winding with stately grace
comes the broad river, Santa Catalina,
cleaning like great bed Of silver, and
pushing the grooming wheels of an hun
dred dimnutive ancient mills. The quaint
old church of this Moorish town is called
san Julien de los Guines, or Saint JUL Il
of the Reeds-Guines being named from
guines, The reeds. which grew along the
banks Of Santa Catalina in the days Of
Columbus and Valasquez
Guines seems thousand years old
Yet il hss the faif, bright ways OF peren-
NAL youth. 1t is the only place in Cuba
where | have not found shrivellcd old
age, wolul lazzaroni, and iInportunate,
though contenied, squalor large part of
the coloriug and effect. The oulresching
ten'acles of the Spanish government
devil fish have yet TO suck substance, and
leave ruin here. 1t is the only spot in
this island-paradise where the heart of q
man who is not altogether brute will not
ache for the curse of Spain and the dolor
of the Cuban people. But think of the
marvellous produciveness of this won
dtriul valley Of Guiues, as ii is. and what
it might be in the hands OF people who
have wrung from the, comparatively, un.
willing soil of our own Mohawk and
Cumberland valleys such noble prosperity
and store, The entire valley has an area
equiyalen, 10 forty miles square Is sus-
cvpuible Of easy irrigation yields cease
lessly 10 constant cultivation; produces
three crops OF corn and all vegetables an.
Rually while the average depth of this
the richest soil on the earth Is upwards
Of thirty.six feet
The tourist who visits" Cuca ats un-
der the great porches of Gran Hotel
Pssaje. quarrelng with beggars and
coachmen, during the three lay-days OF a
steamer, and, may be, sees Colon GENE.
terv. the governor generals ouinta, a
bull fight, and possibly two penny
plantation just beyond the dreary Havana
hills, feels sure he has seen Cuba. But
he knows nothing Of the Island and Its
marvellous possibilities In the hands O!
good government and earnest citizens
until The heart Of the Island and II,
actual resources are seen and conpre
hended. The great plantations in tbi'
valley alone, like Ell Bilboa, Aleiandri,
and Amlstsd, are simply astounding II
their areas, equipment, forces oflaborers
and annual yield. Some OF them would
cover three or four American township,
in area, indeed, half Of many of oul
counties; and the populations OF escl
would frequently suffice tor incorporating
an American city"
Though natural conditions should make
this island. with Louisiana, the sugar
house of the whole world, there ia nc
profit In Cuban sugar-faising TODAY
Cuba ca la vaca lie Espana. Pero hacS
tempo que la vaca no la leche"-"Cubs
is SPANS COW. But she was a long tim,
ago MIXED dry"-is Cuban saving
grown out OF governmental pillage SC
lOng, 30 comprehensive and merciless
that any other people would have Con,
mad beneath ii. Half of the vast estate.
have heen robbed by Spanish taxation
here until worthless. then conflscated
then sold for pittance to plunderinl
Spaniards in league with the taxing DOW
ers, and these Spauiards, In turn, al,
now, in common with CuDans who hay,
so far survived, being ruined by the final
fiercest pillagings by the very power
which made their own villainy possible
The great combinations and trusts il
our own country are gradually forcinl
down the price 10 the producer, while
constantly increasing II 10 the American
consumers, by downward and upward
movements of fractions of one cent pei
pound, every one of which means a trus
profit of millions Of dollars The Gov
eminent planters taxes are enormous
Merchants are chary of making sdvanc 4
under liability of Government seizure e.
those taxes Labor Is constantly / ,nhs
though gold Is constantly. des .ref
costs more for an arrobs Of '.,ssato ,
terked beef with which 10 'nsd han,
than The planter gets Tor an a
roba OF sugar produ' ed by ia,
labor. ana o'Aly becau' &C the planter b.
from a MAJ. million IA a million dolla
already sunk in land and machinery, ca
ne .uggle on ana squeeze GU. anoth
u. d another crop--praying, as hard
another human can, that, by some prov
dence OF God, the next year the Cross
ST. George, or the stars and stripes. mi
host above him. Over ninety per Gel
Of all Cuban sugar is consumed by Z
United States. Cuba 10 now ours, col
mercially speaking. We are nation
towards that she is not ours wholly.