The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-28
oUBAys IN THE UNITED STATES.
Their Number Increased Greatly since the
rirht FOR Freedom syss Begun.


Tho business Of cignrmaking has been very
largely In tho hands OF two classes OF cigar.
makers Of late years. the Bohomian making tho
cheaper grades and the Cubans making tho
more expensive grades OF cigars. There have
been. OF course, many retail dealers, Americans.
Germans, Russians, and Spaniards, who mako
and sell their own cigars; but generally speak
ing the employees OF the big factories have been
either Bohemian or Cubans.
Section g OF the now immigration Restriction
law provides that It shall not apply TO persons
arriving in tho United States from any port or
place In tho island Of Cuba during the continu-
ance OF the present disorders there who have
heretofore been inhabitants OF that island"
Under the operation OF this provision, what will
amount, practically. to an exemption for Cuban
immigrants and patriotic refugees is quite GER
tain to increase the Cuban population OF the
United States. now insignificant In numbers. and
to add materially TO the number of ~clgarmakcrs,
for this IL u business to which. most naturally,
Cubans take on arrival in the United states.
by tho Federal census OF 1890 there were fewer
than $4,000 Cubans In the United States. and
one.half Of these. about IL, 500 In oil, were resi-.
dents Of Florida. In which Cubans form the most
important element In the foreign population.
Exclusive OF the Cubans In and about Key West
there arc very few foreigners in Florida; but
UiIcr every SUCCESSIVE uprising OF tnc tuntils
against Spanish control there ia an immediate
increase IN tho number OF Cuban residents OF
Florida, so much so that the Cuban question has
long boon an important one In the politics OF
that State. Next TO Florida, In the number OF
Cuban residents, was New York. with u total
OF 1000 at the time OF the last census. The
only other three States in the country which
had fully or nearly 1000 Cubans Mt TINT time
worc Massachusetts,. Pennsylvania, and Cali
fornia. There is u considerable Cuban col.
ony In the. city Of New Orleans. but few
Cubans In other parts OF the state of Louisiana.
About four.flfths OF the total number OF Cubans
In New York state nj the time OF the last
Federal census were In the two cities Of New
York and brooklyn. Relatively, thcre were more
Cubans In Brooklyn than In New York al that
time. Since then there has been u pretty steady
immigration Of Cubans into the United states,
and particularly into the cities of the North
Atlantic scaboard. In the fiscal year OF 1897
the total immigration from Cuba into the United
States was 2,592. or about ten per cent. Of the
previous Cuban population here. In the fiscal
year OF 1906. however, the figures OF Cuban Inn
migration rose TO BOT. and there has been no
diminution OF the tide OF immigration from
Cuba to this country since.
Key West cigars have considerable vogue
among smokers, based on the belief that a por.
tlon, at least, OF the tobacco used In them Ii OF
Cuban expectation and that, moreover, they are
hand made by Cuban workmen, whose dexterity
In the handling OF cigars Is well known.