Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-03-16

This "the gem of the Antilles, D
the largest in the West India group
of islands, was discovered by Co.
lumbus about two weeks after he
first sighted land in the new world
and 1911 it was colonized by Spain
Twice has it's capital city been de-
stroyed by the French (1534 auo
1854, in their wars with their Eu
ropean neighbor, which extended
to their respective colonies; in
1924 the Dutch took it, but in s
short time restored it; in 1852 the
British possessed themselves of the
coveted little country, holding il
till the next year, when it was sur
rendered by treaty to its former
masters. Since that time they have
held 1t without contention of for
eign powers, but against the will
of an increasing element of its. in.
habitants, and despite their occa'
sional fierce resistance.
Cuba lies between 190 and 23'
nor, b latitude, and 740 30 and 95s
west longitude. AT point on ita
north coast, directly south from
Cape Sable, Florida, it is distant
about 120 miles. In length, e1-
tending east and west. it is more
than 600 miles; in it's narrowest
part it is 21 miles wide and in itH
widest III. It's area is 1920
square miles, or 27,66O,S00 acres.
Compared with American States,
it is somewhat larger than Ken
lucky, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia,
and as large as seven of the East
ern States, Connecticut, Delaware,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, Rhode Island, and
Vermont. Its population is 1882
600, about one-ffth Of whom $780,
OOO) are residents of Havana, the
capital. The island would furnish
homes for twelve millions of peo-
pie, and then be but little more
densely populated than Massa-
chusetts now is. In the southeast
it is mountainous, some points of
the ranges being about 5000 feet
high. The central and western
parts are the most fertile, but
much of the surface is still cover
ed with forests of various growth,
among which are valuable timbers,
palms mahogany, ebony, aud cedar.
Tropical fruits, of course, abound.
The chief and very profitable crops
are sugar, coffee and tobacco.
These, with molasses, some of the
most valuable timbers, and some
Observation-Disclosures
rious parts, chiefly to the United
States, and in time of peace are
sources of great revenue, of a large
part of which, however, the island
ers are despolled by the Spanish
government. In 1894 the sugar
crop was 1,O50,OO0 tons, and the
average annual tobacco crop, under
normal conditions, is about 45O,-
900 bales; out the war has brought
disaster to all agricultural inter-
ests, so that in 1895 the sugar crop
was about 100000 tons, or less
than one-ffth, and the tobacco
crop was $4,000 bales, or one-ninth
of the normal quantity. The de-
cline of the islands commerce
with the United States, as indi-
Gated by statistics prepared for the
Agricultural Department, shows
how ruinous the conflict has be-
come to the Cuban people. The
year before the present war began,
the trade amounted to s1O2,S64,-
2O4; but for the fiscal year ended
June 90, 1896, it was op'y s47, ,54S,-
61O, or 46 per cent of what it was
so recently. 1t is estimated that
the close of the year, June 80,
1897, found it to be only about
$20,OOO,O0O, or less than one-ffth
of what it was before the revolt.
OF the population, % per cent
are white. This consists OF native
Spaniards (known as the
peninsular classj, who are recent
immigrants from Spain, mostly
officials, e1-ofhcials, wealthy plant
ers and merchants, to the number
of about 10000; and about mil
lion of insulars, or native Cubans,
descendants, of the Spani sh
conquerors. There are
probably $4,000 Chinese laborers
OH the plantations, and the