The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1890-12-13
The Cuban Iron Fields.

The Cuban Iron Fields.
The following description of the
Cuban iron mines is an extract from a
letter written by Capt. w. E. Dicken-
son to the Pick & Axe, published at
Bessemer, and will be of interest to
many Upper Peninsula readers;
Santiago is quaint old Spanish city.
I spent several hours in rambling in
the old streets and watching the GUS
toms and dress Of the people. There
are some fine stores, but the city be-
longs to past age. It probably never
will become q city of the modern age or
period.
found on the docks large amount
of Manganese ore, and several vessels
being loaded in the harbor, with such
ore. The grade was apparently very
variable in percentage. 1 understood
the ore represented the output of so
mines, so called, and all located ne r
Santiago. The check master upon the
dock in formed me, at the rate the ore
was being sent in, that he thought the
output of Manganese would soon be
1000 tons per day. All the work, SO
far, is only prospective, and the cues
ton of there being any continuous
working body of Manganese, is yet an
undecided one.
In the evening visited the Plaza to
hear the music and see the people enjoy
themselves. Think, o We Bessemerites,
of being out of doors at 10 p. m, Oct.
| 18th, with light summer clothing
ladies in white dresses and no bonnets
on.
On Friday started for the mines
| over the narrow gauge railroad, owned
! by the Bethlehem Iron Co. After 18
miles travel / met q man with horses,
and proceeded on our way on horseback.
I reached Dalguiri Bay at about l 30 p.
M, Friday, and expect to be located
here for some time. have visited the
Bethlehem Iron Co.'S mines, Iuriga
mine, and travelled over seven miles of
openings. found the development
much beyond my expectations in extent
and probable permanency. The grade
of ore is good at the present time. The
Bethlehem Co. are operating and ship
ping 80 to 10000 tons per month. The
! Spanish American Go. are building
four and one-half miles of railroad to
reach their mine. The sigma Co. ar Q
constructing eight miles of railroad to
reach their mlne. The Beracco Co.
are just starting up. These mines
cover an extent of about twenty miles OF
country.
The iron range, most undoubtedly, is
very extensive. and is but little devel-
oped. regard the mineral prospects
as being ve'y good.
Under the Spanish law anyone think
1 ing that he has found mine can de-
nounce the same to the extent of 160
acres. II he cannot arrange with the
I owner of the land he can call in the aid
of the law, under some sort Of condem-
nation proceeding.
The climate is warm but SO far have
not found it uncomfortably so. In this
part of the island there is an absence
OF tropical vegetation. The soil is
decomposed granite rock, and boulders
are plentiful. The hills are all on edge
we often travel two or three miles to
reach point not more than half mile
distant.
The labor OF this section is that Of
soldiers on some sort of detached duty
and they certainly are good workers :
when they work. Negro and Cuban
laborers are not plentiful. The soldier
labor con be procured by making appli.
cation to the civil and military author.
tiles, who forward the application to
Old Spain. The authorities there send
out the men asked for. There is no
military discipline on the work, but the
men are accountable to the district
military commander.
Wages for common labor is SLIGO per
day ordinary mechanics, $1.50; foremen
mechanics, $3.50 to $500; cooks $40
to $50 per month with board for self
and family.
Coffee ut 8 80 TO 6 a. m. Lunch, 8 O.
\ m. Breakfast, IL: 80 a. m. Dinner 9
4 p. m.
OF insect life there is a good supply,
also Of lizards and snakes; but it is said
there is no poisonous insect or snake on
the island. Sharks are very plentiful
on the coast
There are no roads, only trails. Good
roads could be had If the people wanted
them. Ii there was main line OF rail-
road in this part Of the island the devel.
/ opment Of the mineral resources would
be very much accelerated. Now every
mine has to bdld its own railroads
and ore docks, which, Of course, means
the investment Of q large amount Of
money, in things that are not used to
their full capacity.
This is important to nine out Of ten