Washington sentinel., 1898-05-28
~ SENTINEL
Cuba's Resources.
Chicapo 7fnss HeyaHl.

tnere is no space OF edINn IuG SQudl
in size to Cuba that can begin to
compare with her in the produc
ton OF those things that are useful
to man. Antonio y Morales, a
noted authority, has prepared a
table sho wing the variety and
quantity OF the staples that can be
raised on a tract of thirty. three
acres in Cuba. Alarm ofthat size
in one year produces thousands OF
pou nds Of sugar, coffee tobacco,
cacao (chocolate)1 cotton. indigo,
corn, rice, sage bananas and yucca.
The choicest lands in California
noted for the variety and quantity
OF ftheiTproducts-cannot approach
the soil oil Cuba in this respect.
With its mild climate, its exuber-
ant vegetation and the eagerness
OF the earth to respond to the slight
est efforts in the way Of culture.
Cuba offers an ideal home for the
man IN love with agricultural lite.
The commerce of Cuba, even
under the blighting rule OF the
Spaniard, has been great. In 1898,
before the curse OF war fell on the
island, Cuba exported 7tS,2o4
tons OF sugar and prod ueed SIS,
So4 tons. Is exports Of molasses
to the United States alone in that
year were 1884 hogshesds. Oi
rum the exports were 9 ,5oS pipes.
In So3 the Cuban exports of leaf
tobacco were a27,865 bales. OF
manufactured cigars I47365,oo
were exported and of cigarettes
39,5SI ,4o3 packages. These are
only the main exports. They show
what NAV be done with the ex-
haustless soil and climate OF the
island when its people were in a
condition of virtual slavery at a
time when chattel slavery had been
aboli ished only seven years. 1t is
an axiom of economic science { at
free labor is infinitely more pro-
ductive than slave labor, and the
industrial growth Of the United
States is an example OF the expan-
sion oil industry when enterprise is
unhampered by the curse of slavery
and by foreign political interier-
ence. Cuba's chief industries were
growing in spite OF the drain upon
her before the present war began,
for in 1894 her total production OF
sugar was T,o5A2I4 tons, an in
crease OF 238. $40 tons over the pre-
ceding year.
The natural resources of Cuba
are INFINITE, one may say, in vaIi-
ETY. OF her area only 10 per cent
is under cultivation, 7 per cent is
not reclaimed, and 4 per cent is
under forests. Great tracts Of the
land are practically uneXplored.
She had in 1894 a population OF
little more than soc, 900. Olthese
nearly one-half have been starved
to death during the present war.
Cuba could support in plenty a
population Of 10000, ooo Her
forests are stocked with the finest
wood in the world-wood several
species Of which are as hard as
iron, turning the edge Of the axe
and remaining imperishable under
water. There are found woods in
valua bic for the dye industry,
ebony, cedar, iustic, lance wood,
mahogany, rosewood, jocuma,
acana, and many others. There
are fifty varieties Of palm. Her
fruits are valuable and little cult
waited The climate is admirably
suited for the olive; and the orange,
the lemon, the pineapples, and the
banana are Indigenous.
he mineral resources Of the
island are great, yet the mineral
industries are in their infancy.
Almost all the metals are found in
Cuba There are gold, silver, mer-
curry copper, lead, and all the forms
ofasphaltum; antimony, msgnesia,
copperas, gypsum, red lead, ochre,
salt, arsenic, tale ard many others.
Copper is abundant in all the meta
phoric rocks OF Cuba. 1t is true
that coal is yet undiscovered, but
under free republic capital would
flow into the island, and there is
no doubt that true coal would soon
be found to replace the bitumen
that is now used, and which is
found in springs and mines in great
quantities.
Cuba is rich in marble, awaiting
the capital OF the speculator. Great
deposits Of this rock are found, and
in the Isle OF Pines there is marble
of a quality as fine as the best of
that material used by the sculptor.
Beautifully colored marble and
jasper are common. On the coasts
are immense deposits Of rock salt,
and there are also Unlimited guam
titles OF the purest white sand,
capable of being converted into
fine earthenware. Even the illus
trious Humboldt was amazed at
the richness and variety OF the
mineral wealth Of Cuba. How
much Of this wealth has been util-
lied may be gathered from the fact
that at the end Of 1891 the total
number Of mining titles issued in
Santiago district was 296. Of these
1873 were iron, s8 manganese and
So copper.
AS a pastoral country Cuba was
more a century ago than she is
now, but her pastures are broad
and rich and the possibilities are
unlimited. Cuba, with her grand
natural pastures, was just begin
ming to raise fine Durham and
Devonshire stock when the ten
year war desolated the country and
put a stop to the industry. The