Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-20
POINTERS ON The CANARlES
A Few More Islands Within the Reach Of
Uncle Sam.
cLAsSED AS GEMS OF GREAT VALUE
MisruIe and Ov~ertaxation Keen the
People Poor-Fincst climate I'm
the world-Now n SPAN
ssh Province.

the wOrtu-NO" " spun
ish Province.
1t is expected. now that Uncle Sam Is
looking about for more Spanish islands to
seize, that Commodore Watson and his fleet
will take in the Canaries enroute to the
coast of Spain. But the taking will not be
an easy matter-not as dead easy as the
Ladrones,
The islands are seven in number, and lie
off the coast OF Africa, opposite the desert
of Sahara. Their combined area is nearly
5000 square miles, and their population
something over 300, 900. This population Is
thoroughly Spanish in language and national
feeling, quite as much as Spain itself, and
the archipelago constitutes n province OF
Spain, not a colony, like Cuba or the Philip
pines. Nevertheless, the officials are nearly
all sent out from the peninsula. Admins
~trative Offices of all kinds seem to have been
multiplied out of all reason to make sine
cures where pensions may be drawn by the
friends and retainers of Madrid politicians.
Even the smaller and more secluded viii
lagos have several Of these peninsula OIL
cials, the commandant and officers Of the
inevitable local garrison, the telegraph
operator, the postmaster, the registrar, the
tax collectors and numerous others, making
a heavy burden for the impoverished peas
antry, who must, however, in addition, pay
taxes on all produce taken into towns to
be sold, rents and taxes on their miserable
huts or caves in the hillsides, and taxes on
the very daylight, since they cannot let il
into their houses through windows without
paying. Some forms of taxes are still
farmed out to the highest bidder, who is
thus in position to extort Indefinitely from
the ignorant and helpless people, for whom
Justice and redress are alike impossible.
The Canary peasants are an unusually
kindly and peaceable people. Grimes OF all
kinds are very rare, and s~tabbing ARRAYS
are almost unknown. The smaller land
owners and tradesmen and artisans have
also many promising qualities, and with any
reasonable opportunities much progress
might be expected.
Frugal and Industrious.
The islanders consider themsel YES highly
civilized, and are doubtless correct from the
Spanish standpoint. The peasan ry are fru>
gal and Industrious, as they are, indeed,
compelled to be in order to make a living
under the hard conditions of wretched gov
eminent and over-population.
Probably less than a quarter of the super-
nclal area of the islands is under cultiva-
ton, owing to it's very broken and noun
famous character. Wherever the water sup
ply is sufficient the volcanic soil gives the
usual evidence of great fertility, and under
an enlightened government improvements
would be made by which the area of culti-
walton could be largely extended. This
would be readily practicable with a better
system Of reservoirs and aqueducts, as the
winter rainfall is adequate except in the
two eastern islands.
The eQuable, sunny climate permits the
continuous growth of crops, so that the re-
turns of efficient agriculture would be very
, great, and land is even now held at a rather
high valuation. The islanders, while reck-
onihg themselves as loyal and patriotic
Spaniards, chafe in secret over the govern
mental oppression of the peninsula, and,
; while under the present circumstances there
is no thought of revolution among them,
they have seen enough Of the superior
justice and business methods of the English
. to be able at once to appreciate the i'm
proved conditions under which they would
find themselves were their government
justly administered
l English interests in the islands. especially
in Grand Canary, have greatly increased in
the last two decades. Several of the largest
mercantile firms, both at Las Palmas and
U Santa Cruz, are English and these, with the
numerous English steamship and coaling
SoiuphHles,C OHuuCL ny LAT the iuTReT part OIL
c the business OF the islands. A line of small
. steamers plying between the islands Is also
) owned by an English company. These inter-
ests, especially those Immediately concerned
l with shipping, center chiefly at Las Palmas,
5 which has outgrown its competitor, Santa
= Cruz, in population and commercial i'm
1 pOrtance. Las Palmas and Santa Cruz are
I located near the northeastern corners of
i their respective islands, Grand Canary and
y Tencrife, and are fifty-three miles apart.
u Both towns are built on narrow shelves
between the sea and the steep hills which
rise behind them, and being thus at low
elevation and sheltered by their thanking
hills, they become in summer uncomfort
U ably warm and dusty. On the somewhat
more elevated and exposed parts of
the islands, however, the climate is simply
, heavenly for the entire year. The winter
u rains fall almost entirely at night, while
the days remain gloriousIy bright; weeks
y together from November to May are like
our finest spring weather. In NOR.
sheltered places of low elevation bananas
:" are grown for the English market, and the
graceful date palm is everywhere in evil
dence, but the climate is as a whole
strictly temperate, the thermometer aver
aging about 10 degrees, seldom reaching 81
and seldom falling below 60 except al
8 higher elevations.
d Magnificent Climate.
Several books have been written by Eng.
Il lish medical men TO show that particular
places in the Canaries have really the fines
y climate in the world, being dry, salubrious
e~quable, sunny and everything else thai
d goes TO make climate, and shiploads of in,
yalids and tourists visit Tenerife anC
Grand Canary every winter.
A majority OF these invalids are sufferers
d from consumption or other lung diseases
IS but many are brought by the assurance tina
they can here escape the fogs Of old Eng,
land and spend a wi4ter in the open ali
with the flowers and bright sunshine.
n On both islands are numerous large Eng
lish hotels, those of Grand Canary center
n ing about Las Palmas, while in Tenerif,
the foreign element has gathered in tn,
magnificent valley Of Orotaya on the ives
10 side of the island. This is one of severa
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