The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-05-01
les, and mountains 5000 feet high.

les, and mountains 5000 feet high. Il
mas 26O rivers. and it's seasons are uni
1ormly divided-rain from May to Octo
Der. sunny skies from November to April
Inc population is fully adequate to all
possible national and commercial require.
iheuts. Five years ago it was announced
| at l,o2l,GS4. Of whom 077.992 were
! Spanish, 1862 foreign whites, 4S9, 249
blacks, and 1851 Chinese. Havana alone
IS cfec!ted with a population of 100000
SONS lhcre are several short railways,
III the aggregate GOVERN. some 800 miles.
Cuba "bounds in citrus fruits. There
are peerless orange, lemon and lime
groves; cocoanuts, cocOanut oil, cocoa.
coffee india rubber, tobacco-thesc com
modIties form the base of supplies easily
obtained, while the interior and middle
sections boast immense forests of ma
hogany and dye woods 1t is estimated
that there are 100000 acres of unclear
ed mahogany forests alone. The wood is
so common that choppng blocks are made
or 1t, anu watering troughs of red cedar,
Llgnum vitae for flutes. lancewood for
carriage shafts and surveying instru-
ments, and other fine varieties of rare and
precious timber also exist in wild and ln
limited volume. There is the richest kind
OF grazing for cattle. Forty -four times
more food can be secured from an acre
OF bananas than from an acre of pota-
toes. and it is claimed that from that
small area in Cuba 10000 pounds of
Hour can be obtained in single year,
and the much-used banana wine in bro.
portion. With all these manifold re-
sources. it is estimated that the island in
normal times would take $500, 600 900
worth of merchandise annually from the
United States, to which country it now
sells 2J0,OoO,OO0 cigars every year.
Up TO the present time, when Cuban in
dependence is still lowering in the bal
ance, the history of the last great strus-
gle for independence in Cuba involves the
same line of victories and reverscs that
characterized the strife of the Cos. only
that the people seem more determined
and better organized The death of
Marti May 10, 1895, and that of Maceo
few weeks since, were severe blows for
the insurrectionists, for they idolized
these men. but intrepid leaders are not
lacking. Marti's great political act was
The summoning of the September conven-
lion, which declared a provisional govern
nent. He was shrewd, and persistent |
md in an incredibly brief space of time
lad vast quantities Of firearms imported
rom the United States. BY December,
1898, the Cuban forces were right in the
ENTER of the Spanish army. The latter
we're driven back for seven consecutive
lays, and Campos, then in command, was
creed to change his strategic positions
y Gomez, being overwhelmed at Calisco.
christmas eve, Gomez, as he had prom
sed, was within few miles of Havana
nd Matanzas, and SO certain of success
eemed the efforts of the patriots. that
zen. Neyler was sent ''tO subdue this
ong'omeration of negroes. bandits, assas-
ms and adventurers.' Then began the
obey OF terror and butchery ever since
pursued. The fortunes inflicted
II prisoners, on suspects. on HELPLESS, in
ocent women and children, almost out
wal the Armenian cruetics; men were
'shed to death, slowly garroted, women
nd children were cast into burning
ouses. bllstercd with lighted matches,
lsmembered, and these horrors, couplcd
'ith memory of what 800 patriot Cu-
ans were suffering in SPANS pet con-
let co!ony-Ceuta-fred the blood of