Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-11

nual expectation grew to be more thai
500, 600 tons of iron ore and 40, 900 ton
of manganese, amounting to So, 900, 90
in value at the lowest estimate.
Mining Is Easy.
Mining was nominal, as the ore coult
be readily broken up by surface blast
ing. In order to carry ore to the United
States a lar 20 fleet Of steamers was nee
essary. On the return trip from the Unit
ed States these steamers at first wen
empty or with ballast only, but it final
ly dawned upon the owners of the YES
sells that loads might as we'll be carried,
and the steamers began to take coal tc
the West Indies. And thus it came
about that the shipment of iron ore tc
the United States facilitated the expor.
tation of Pennsylvania coal to the Yves
Indies.
The development of this industry was
Il of many enterprises that have been
successfully pursued in this wonderful
land despite the singularly unfavorable
conditions that have existed. .Cuba's
greatest weslth must always come from
the vegetable products of the earth.
Her soil is wonderful. 1t is not only
fertile, but inexhaustible. Three crops
of cane grow from one planting. No
fertilizers are used. The soil in places
has the great depth Of n feet. Tobacco
needs no guano to make a crop and not
nearly SO much labor as is required in
cultivation elsewhere. Anything that
grows under the tropical sun can be
grown in Cuba, although during recent
years the soil has been given up to the
production of sugar and tobacco.
Before the devastating torch of war
had laid waste the canetields and de-
stroyed factories and mills the busy
hum of fruitful labor stirred all the air.
The cost of making sugar was gradually
reduced by the introduction of labo"
saving machinery, and the business set
tied down to a paying basis, and by the
increased power of production the de-
mand for cane grew, planters were ell
couraged, and the fruitful island began
to wear a prosperous air. The tobacco
planters and manufacturers also i'm
proved their methods, and this rival
product kept even pace with it's saccha-
rine competitor. The annual sugar crop
was worth $45, 900, 900, the tobacco
crop SO, 900, 600. Then came the reyolu-
ton. Somehow, when one writes Of
Cuba, everything back to that
point and strikes it as against a dead
wall after clearing the cruel hurdles of
Spanish tyranny.
But let us revert to the first branch of
the subject-the island proper in it's en-
tirety. The coast contour of Cuba is
broken with hundreds of inlets, all of
them harbors in greater OF less degree,
each having it's small Notifications, its
villages and its special industries. The
profile Of the island, to quote the Ian
guage of the railroad engineer, is varied
and picturesque, here a high peak, there
a valley, there a plain. Beginning at
Santiago de Cuba, the most easterly of
the six provinces, and proceeding west
ward through Puerto Principe, Santa
Clara, Matanzas Habana and to the
lands end of Pinar del Rio, the tourist
traverses magnificent stretches of pla.
teau and crosses innumerable valleys,
skirts high mountains and follows deep
and picturesque gorges, bnt the noun
tains become hills, and these are grad.
ually shaded down until in the extreme
west a surface, generally level, is reach
ed, although in the vicinity Of the
Queen City, Havana, small but rugged
peaks, with PERCEPTIONS sides, may be
seen in many directions along the shore.
Picturesque Havana.
To say that Havana is picturesque
and beautiful is but to give vent to the
first superficial expression that comes to
your lips. Spain itself cannot show a
more curious or interesting city. Study
it as you approach it from the sea, with
mighty Moro set high upon the head
land, time dyed in notified splotches Of
yellow, gray and black, and the red and
flags above, with La Junta across
the narrow channel, prim and white,
where the ugly dahlgren guns flash
at you like venomous black eyes, and
the city is as interesting and impressive
a sight as human eye ever beheld.
AS the capital, metropolis and chief
seaport of Cuba it is II of the best
known cities in the American hemi-
Its splendid harbor, its ommer.
cial importance, its climate and tho
tinge Of that ever attaches to
its people have made its fame world.
wide. Havana has about 260, 900 inhah.
1t was founded but 23 years
the discovery by Columbus and
has always been the commercial en-
Of the Antilles.
Few cities have such beautiful parks
and driveways as has Havana. The great
Plaza de Armas is the chief. It COM
prises four parks, in the center Of which
is a statue Of Ferdinand VII. Then
there are the Alameda de Paula, Dor.
on the bay, and the Campo de
used as a drill ground for the
military. This is an enormous park. It
has four handsome gates, named respec-
lively Colon, Cortez, Pizarro and Tacon.
The Paseo de Tacon is a magnificent
drive with double rows of trees. It has
numerous columns and statues. among
the latter one of Charles Ill, ranking
among the finest works Of art in Amer
lea.
The commerce of Havana is only SUI.
in the new world by that Of New
York. Two-thirds Of the products Ut
Cuba find outlet through Havana. The
exports Of sugar alone are annually about
GOO, 900 pounds.
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