Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-08-12
COMMERCE Of SANTIAGO.
Principal Capabilities Of the
Eastern End Of Cuba.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

UAUVlUQ In In v66IM6N1SA Uv4S6O
a. gu HE .------ 49, 49, S., Ft,.
Iron Ore aad ssgar Are the Chief Experts.
Manganese and Copper Are Also Found
seisntias l1aehinsry Must BE Employed
In suss. MILLS 70 Yield Good Returns.
Rich Forests of Mahogany. Cedar and
Ebony Abound - santiago's Important
Fruit Supplies '," 'E' VI.
As the first part Of Cuba to come I'M
der the stars and stripes, Santiago and
the region tributary to, it are now Of in
terest from the commercial point Of
view. The isolation Of the eastern end
of the island from the rest is almost
complete. Virtually the only connection
with the populous oenters Of Havana,
Matanzas and Cienfuegos ia by water,
and the distances are much greater than
those from Jamaica, Haiti and other is-
lands Of the Antilles. By land the trip
is almost out of the question. CONNER
cially Santiago de Cuba is a country by
itself.
Baracoa, on the north shore, the old
est settlement in the new world, land
ing place Of Columbus, was included in
the military district surrendered by
General Toral to General Shafter. Fruit
Is its great staple, and large quantities
are exported from there. In good times
there is a daily sailing Of fruiters.
Guantanamo, east Of Santiago, is also a
port Of some consequence, but Santiago
Is, Of course, the chief city Of the terri
tory, ranking normally after Havana
and Matanzas in population.
AS the war Of 1868 went on. Santa
go suffered with the rest of the island.
A large production Of sugar had been
attained, the growth being gradual aft
or the Ten Years war and finally TAX
ing a squirt. But the devastation Of the
plantations by one side or the other cut
down the expectation to almost nothing.
This has always been the most consid-
cradle agricultural product. The COM
MERGE of the city got to be almost one
sided. There are no manufactures, so
clothing and food supplies had to be
shipped in constantly. Little or nothing
went out except iron ore. OF course
trade of this sort could not 60 on for
ever.
It seems likely that the mineral
wealth Of the province will become it's
chief resource, although sugar should
under present conditions remain impor-
tant. There are many stories Of the in.
exhaustible wealth Of the mountains
that stretch along the backbone Of the
island to its eastern end. Cubans be-
lieve it to be veritable Ell Dorado. The
Ai.t is clear that it's iron mines can be,
Yw<sA with profit. American capital
has demonstrated that. The Juragua,
Iron company, with eight o. ten mines
near Fermeza, back Of siboney, ard the
Spanish American Iron company, VITA
q large shaft few miles back Of Bal
quiri, have made large shipments Of
ore to the United States It goes chiefly
to Bethlehem, Pa, to be mixed with
the native product, but is used by other
big steel companies. ,.,.. !
Some Of the most important iron and:
steel interests of the east are Joined in
this Cuban venture. They have their
own vessels to transport the ore. AT
Baiquiri is a large pier from which the
ore shoots directly from the car to the
hold of the ship The Juragua company
has railroad running to Santiago har-
Dor, it's pier being in the outskirts Of
the city. Here it's ships are loaded. La
Dor in the mines is 81 day Spanish
money. The distance from tidewater is
small, so that conditions favor the cheap
production of the ore. The men who
are conducting these mines are Of such
wealth and of such ability that they
will certainly make the most of the op-
portunities of peace and stable, fair
government.
Manganese also promises we'll. Ar
rangoments had all been made to work
a mine Of this when the war began.
The preliminary tests gave indications
Of excellent returns. Doubtless it will
need only the settlement Of political
uncertainties to set the machinery 60
ing. The mine is north of Santiago and
is connected with it by rail. Copper,
too, is known to exist in the mountains
Indeed long range is known as the Ell
Cobre. In the present high price Of the
metal and the large profits from the
mines of it in the United States it is
certain that capital will seek invest
ment in this industry il half the reports
about the deposits Of it in Santiago
province are true.
But sugar will engage the widest at
tention when business is again able to
raise it, head unafraid of war. It is
th.r tSst had come to be the richest Of
Oxhau crops. The big percentage Of
gaia bosn it led. to q large extension Of
the area under cultivation. It was
found that tho new lands were wonder
fully fertile, and q se1ll further increase
In the production may be looked for il
prices warrant It. There are fields on
tho island which havv yielded cane for
30 years without rsplanting. You cut
them down, and thaS grow up again Of
themselves. - .,'.'z-'.s'' ~ ~. '.'~
Just now the subject Of sugar pro
duction IL complicated BY various ele-
49,