Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25


BuraCoa and New York. The plantains
and bananas are extensively used in the
manufacture Of vinegar.
The woods and forests Of Eastern Cuba
abound I'm every variety of hard woods,
the principal being mahogany cedar, rose
wood and 'majagua," Il wood known the
world over as the strongest and most dur
able of all woods. of u greenish ashy hue
and an exceedingly close grain. Most of
them, in fact nine-tenths of the woodla n1s
are virgin forests which II would take
years and years to dccimatc and which
have so far escaped the destructive hand
OF man owing to the lack of transporta-
ton facilities to the sea coast
The 'yaya" or lancetspar, grows by the
thousand acres, and so does the lignum
vitae, so much sought after for the manu-
facturc of block sheavcs and of heavy
balls used in bowling alleys.
Palm leaf in great quantities Is exported
to Europe and the United States for the
manufacture of hats. and "palmiche"
finds a ready market abroad for the man.
ufacturc of oil
Honey and beeswax are other very i'm
portant articles of export. and modern
hives on the plan of the French and Dutch
hives would amply repay the investment.
Some parcels of tortoise shell find their
way weekly into the market and, as
rule, are shipped to Paris.
Irs IRON MINES.
| Next in importance to its agricultural
products. Santiago de Cuba's iron and
Manganese mines demand universal atten-
tion. The great iron mountains and
mines Of Santiago are owned and operated
by three CompanicS-the Juragua Iron
company. the Spanish-Amcrican company
and the Sigua Iron company. The Jura-
qua Is the Oldest and largest company OPP
Grating here. This company. of which Mai.
is president. was formed and the property
acquired in ISL. Its shipments Of Bessc-
mer ore 50 far. exceed 100000 tons The
total output of the Juragia mines is con-
trolcd by the Bethlehem Iron Works. the
Pennsylvania Steel company and the
Maryland Steel company Its maximum
monthly output is 1900 tons. Siboncy is
the shipping port of the Juragua Iron
company's mines.
/ The Spanish American Iron company of
which Charles T. Rand. of New York, is
president, acquired its property in 1859. Its
shipments so far have been 100000 tons to
Philadelphia, Baltimore, England, Scot
land, Wales, Belgium and Germany, where
it has been sold in the open market. Its
maximum monthly output is 1900 tons.
Daquiri is the shipping port of the Span
ish- American Iron Co. Both these min
ing companies shut down, owing to the
war. on April q, 1893. They will resume
work at once.
The Spanish American company gives
employment TO 5S2 men and the Juragua
company to over 800
4 The Siaua Iron company, which started
with big boom in 1890, built a broad
guage railroad nine miles long and en-
tensive buildings and sheds, shipped foif
carpoes i'm 1874 nrpresatinp 70 Ooo tons and
have not been heard from since. aban.
doning their nrouertv and closing down
their mines Sigua. about seven miles
east of Daiouiri. was their port of shia.
mcnt. All their buildings, sheds and
.wharves. valued at 81 900. 600 we're burned
down by the insurgents. and their rail.
road bcds and trestles evidently very
, badly built have all been washed awal
; I'm the last three wears by the heavy rains
Thor machine shops have all been de-
, stroved and were at one time used as sail
, works by the Cubans. They brought tn,
salt water along the railroad tracks 70,
a distance of "A mile. boiled IL in the com
: inanv's watts and boilers and thus obtaine,
Tho silt
/ The prico of ore to-day Is about 50
> ton. bu, when tho Juragua Iron compan,
y began to operate IT was worth in tn,
! neirhborhood of 81 "A ton.
ono thing must be said i'm favor of tn
. Spanish government I'm this respect Thei
p mining laws have been exceedingly liberal
encouraging and Offering every facility Il
4 tho oncnine M of this new field All tn
, machinery received by the mining com
n panies was exempted from duty and al
q tho coal imported and used by them wa
4 entered free
! Daiouiri deserves speciaI mention an
. rcccllections as being the great slave Gu
= porium of Eastern Cuba in the days o
v slavery. They were landed at Daiauir
: and thence marched UP to IA village cale
= Ninent, where they were parcelled off 4
the different planters The walls of tn
6 old slave pen at Ninent are stil stand
: inc.
The Ignorance and densencss Of the flow
4 err of SPANS nobility who once dourishe
A in Santiago province is manifest In tn
+ fact that they never knew nor suspecte
: the existence of ore in their property
calling the ore veins that ran throug
their estates the "callo negro" or "hlac
,o.I" without for n moment wonderin
at ar investigating its nature.
= As is well known the Santiago ore. wit
. It's low pcrcentage of phosphorus ranl,
: ltopether with the Swedish. and the Spar
:, ish Dcmarara mineral as the '.crack ore
:, of the world.
Tho pompo Mining company. of mar
- rannsc orc. is a relatively new concer
i and only shipped before the war about a
- .ons If ore II has. however. excellen
- nrosnccts as II can easily compete in pric
=, and nu,litv with The Japanese or any ott
y or manganeso ore in tho world.
Tho nrice of hauling the different ore
. r.,,, ,,a r,tnos 10 tbe;r shinning uoint
II sol, ,i,,o,,. insignihcant
- nor tho greater mart of the way III
= road 10 down grade. on the stone of IA hill
~ romr,ain 2rho motive mower emnIovq
., T., s,n,,i,, gro,,itv
~ " ,',I,e,'., ,.a,,. or cobla 10 which 10 a
,aohod ono fuli ,nd ono EMMY bonner"