The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-03-19
Cuna.i

Sioux CITY JOurnal:--EVerVUOuy
knows that Cuba is an island about
eighty miles from Key West. full OF
fight and misery. but few have know !
ledge Of its character and resources.
1t ia one OF the most productive spots on
the globe and its inhabitants are as
industrious in peace as they are active
in war. At the last census. taken 10
1887, it had a population OF 1851, 900, OF
which 1858 900 were white and 62S.COO
black. Notwithstanding that its pop.
uiation grew more rapidly, up to the
breaking out of the war, than that Of
any other Latin-American country ext
cept the Argentine Republic and Uru-
quay, 1t is doubtful If the island num-
bers as many inhabitants as when the
census was taken. so destructive has
been the warfare waged by Spain. the
larger proportion of Its victims being
among the peaceable and nnarmptl
Starvation and disease have killedsyastly
more than bullet and sword. The
population in 1887 was nearly equally
divided between town AMI country. 903.
600 being rural and 77S,00O urban.
Havana. the capital. has about: 100000
population. with Bne bonlevards, streets.
theaters, cathedral and university.
The other cities OF the island are Mat
auzas. Puerto Principe and Santiago de
Cuba. with about 10000 population EACH,
and Cienfuegos, with 25OO0 0inhabitints. 4
The island is sdiyided into six protipces
for purposes of administration. viz: Hs-
van,, Matanzas. Pinar del Rio. Santa
Clara, Puerto Principe and Santiago de
Cuba. From east to west Cuba's great
est length is l,12S miles aud itsscoast
line 1,7l9 miles. Its average width is
about SO miles, its greatest breadth Of
100 miles being in the eastern part and
its least in the province OF Havan4 as222 a22
miles. Cuba has about 1000 mf1Gsof
railroad track. Several steamship 9Nnes
ply between its ports and the United
States, and there are other lines con-
Meeting it with European and South
American ports, as well as coastwise
transportation lines. Three OF its Cities
Havana. Cientuegos and Santiago lie
Cuba-l,ay cable connections, and there
is cable communication with the neigh
boring islands as we'll as Will! North
and South America.
Cuba is said to have rich mineral re-
cources, but they have been developed
very slightly, and its geology and min
eralogy have received little attention.
Copper, iron, plumbago, manganese, an
,tlmoDy, lead, asbestos, gypsum. ,Wilet.,
some, coal, asphalt, marble and meg
netic iron are said to exist in abundance
IN the provinces.
The soil Of Cuba is remarkable rich
and fertile. Tropical veg citation grows
with extraordinary luxuridnce, tho .corn
and pDtatoes proince two or three
crops year. Sugar aud tobacco has
been its chief elements OF agricultural
wealth. the sugar crop having reached
a maximum OF l.s0O,CC0in a year-a
ton OF this prodcct alone for each in
habltant OF the island. Experiments
have proven favorable to the cultivntion-
| Of coffee in the eastern part Of the is
land, but tho plantations which We're
10 yield their first crop in 1855 have
been destroyed by the insurgents. The
wonderful productiveness of Cuba is
shown In the fact that in 1891 it exports
to the United States amounted to $93,
4 000,U00. Its imports from this country
| the same year wero $33,0C0,000, largely
food products. Its commerce has dc
cIined greatly because Of the war, tnt it
was chiefly with this country, its ccn.-
hlned export and import trade with
| Spain is 1894 amounted 10 only about
| S40000,000. The sanitary condition OF
Havana is bad, but 1t is said That in
ordinary times its d,aill rate is 23 per
ce1t, less than that of Naples, Rio
Janelro, Santiago de Chilli and Val
paralso, while the interior is inclined to
be unusually salubrious for tropical
climate.
4 Such is the richly productive island
that Spaii's barbaritv has filled with
destltution and death.