Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-05
TAMPA AS A TYPE.
The Beautiful and Thriving Florida City Is a Fiji Exponent of Southern Progress
 and Prosperity.

Tampa, Fla, July 2.-(special Corre- spondence )-Although the orange crop will be almost a total failure through out Florida, though all kinds of veg etables and other produce which are usually raised here and put upon the markets much earlier than from any other sectiOn were killed by the extreme cold weather last winter and late frosts this spring, southwest Florida is now on a bigger and more substantial boom than ever before in her history. Over 800 fine residences, cottages and dwell ing houses are now under course of con- struction, many of which are nearing completion, and when finished they will add @ great deal to Tampa's already impressive appearance. A stock com pany has recently been organized. and the specifications are now being drawn up for the erection of another mag nifcent $200,000 winter hotel
 This, together with the big Tampa Bay hotel, which is already famous all over the country as one of if not the finest winter resorts in the south. will give her ample facilities for the aceommoda- tion of guests. Another very important building, which I had almost forgotten to mention is a beautiful Masonic tenn pie, which will cost nearly $75,000
 Carpenters and brickiayers are scarce and hard to obtain at a reasonable price.
 Tampa enjoys the finest retail trade of any town in Florida, and according to population will rival if not surpass any other point in the south. Trade opens LID very early. continues through the middle of the day and lasts till late at night. Money is plentiful, business ac- tive, times are flush everything and everybody are hustling. Business houses are all occupied, and desirable locations @f 1,r r1.t t,fW, rsA Ta1ria is very high. and in great many in- stances extortionate.
 Tampa is probably the largest cigar manufacturing center in the United States, and if she continues in the future to make such rapid strides as she has in the last few years she will rival any city in the world. There are now located in and near Tampa over 200 cigar factories, many of which employ several hundred operatives, and all are crowded with or ders Some of the larger fa actories have sold their entire product several months ahead, and are now running night and day. CigarmakerS get from s to $T per day, according to their skill and number and grade of cigars they can make. The Cubans have almost monopoly in this work. Only occasionally can you find native American or negro that knows how to roll a first-class cigar. Cuban men, women and children and negro men and women all work side by side, laugh and talk together, and seem perfectly al ease in each others society.
 Cigars of all prices and grades, from the cheapest to the finest, are manufac- tured here and shipped to all the prnci- pal cities in the world The percentage of Cuban population is larger here than at any other point in the United States. Tampa is almost wholly composed of yankees and Cubans and is an ideal town.
 Cuban clubs have been quietly organ ized here in the last few days, and will be found in every city of importance where Cubans reside. The object and purpose of these organizations is to aid and assist as much as possible their struggling countrymen to throw aside the Spanish yoke of tyranny and serf- dom, to gain their independence, and let liberty freedom of thought and speech be among the inalienable rights of every citizen. Quite a number of the younger and more hot blooded Cubans have re- gently left and others are daily disappear ing to fight for their oppressed country. They listen eagerly to every report that comes across the waters.
 A great deal of trading is carried on between Tampa, Cuba and the cities of South America. Port Tampa, which af- lords such a splendid outlet for export trade for all this section. is fast building up The great Plant system of railway has probably done more to develop this territory than all other agencies com bined.