Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-07-21
Clba's Wealth to be Expanded.
THE ISLAND is UNDER STABLE
GOVERNMENT.

The Manufacturers Record requests
me to say something of the opportunities
and advantages which Cuba with an OF.
derly and just government will offer tC
American capital. energy, intelligence
and enterprise, and it will be very advan-
ltageous to the United States and to Cuba
that clear understanding of the condi-
tions be arrived at.
Cuba lies across the mouth of the Gulf
of Mexico. 1t is 760 miles long, and in
breadth is from 20 to 1876 miles. 1t is
long, narrow and slightly curved, it's con-
vex side being toward the north. 1t is
130 miles from Florida, as which it is
geographically and geologically the same
construction and an equal distance from
Yucatan. By it, therefore, passes all the
water-borne commerce of the valley of
the Mississippi, from the Alleghanies to
the Rockies, and from Minnesota to the
lGulf. and by it will pass all the commerce
|of Asia when the isthmain canal is con-
|structed, as it will be in few years. The
harbor of Havana is the finest on the
American hemisphere. 1t can accommo-
date 1000 ships.
The population of Havana is 300,0 900;
of the island !. 100000 of which l 10000
are pure white and 520,516 colored, mean
ing blacks, mulattoes, Indians, Chinese
and mixed blood.
The total exports of Cuba amount to
$90,O0O,OOO year, of which we take
$75, 100000.
Our export to Cuba consist of bread
and meat, machinery and manufactures
of iron, amounting to $24, ,157 ,o9S in 1898.
There are 1000 miles of railroad connect
ing Havana with the other cities and
most cultivated plantations. The war
has destroyed the trade temporarily.
War has existed in Cuba since 1868,
with semi-truce from 1878 to 1895. The
island has be ravaged from end to end;
plantations have been destroyed and
buildings burned by both sides.
The country houses in Cuba are some
of them grand palaces. One of them
which 1 visited covered probably ten to
fifteen acres of ground. Around it was a
wall twelve feet high, fifteen through
the base and eight feet on the parapet.
1t was fortifcation and could be held
against everything except heavy artillery.
La Guinta Delicia de Plantino,' near
Havana, is much finer than Buckingham
Palace or anything l saw in England.
When l was there it was garrisoned by
500 infantry and light battery of 20
10-pound guns.
This description of country houses
shows why the Cubans destroy them.
They furnish refuge and depots for the
Spanirds who cannot sleep in the open
and dare not venture far from their sup
pies. Gomez's policy is that of William
of Orange against these same Spaniards.
He cut the dykes of Holland and destroy
ed the country to get rid of the Duke of
Alva and his barbarians.
The Cubans now tell you, 1--WE will
make the country desert, but we will
have the sky and the soil left. We can
reconstruct our homes; we cannot live in
the same one as the Spaniards. know
gentlemen who were sick, who have been
reduced to poverty by the distribution of
the estates by the rebels, but have never
known one to complain OF who did not
rejoice that he could thus contribute to
| the final success Of the cause.
| The fortunes in Cuba were surprise to
nae. l had no idea that such great estates
existed. The Grand Central st. Lucia at
Gibara is 100 miles square-not 100
square miles, but 100 miles square. 1t
fronts on the coast, and has its port
G1bara some 800 miles west Of Havana.
1t used to produce $4,000 hogsheads of
sugar, which it shipped by it's own YES
sells from Gibara to New Y ork; employed
5000 people, doubled during sugar grind
ing, and coined its own money of silver
and copper. I never saw any of its gold
coinage. But when was there it kept
about $4,000 in circulation, which it re-
deemed in gold by keeping reserve in
New York, from which it was constantly
supplied. l asked, Why coin metal I
| Why not use paper? 1t is cheaper, more
convenient and more profitable to you.
The answer was, "Our people won't use
paper. We only coin money to keep them
from being cheated by the Spanish cur
rency, which is constantly vaciIlating,
and we supply our own people with our
own coin, which is of full weight and
value and redeemable in gold. 1t makes
them better satisfied, and our profit comes
from their contentment" Which I
thought pretty fair political ecouomy
from an ignorant ''Cuhan." 1 have not
noticed that such ideas have attained
much. either in Pennsylvania or Massa-
chusetts.
On great plantation which 1 visit.
ed near Havana they were grinding
The owner told me his plant cost him
$940,000. There was complete outfit
for the manufacture of sugar, grinding
and boiling, with a chemical labora
tory and an electrical plant for lights
for in the busy season every body works
twenty-four hours day. There was
a portable tramway, which was laid
down. through the canefields; on il
were tracks with iron cars. in which
the green cane was loaded; then trair
of these trucks was hauled by electric
ity to the house, where big crane
clamped whole carload and swung il
on to sliding crane, which carried tn,
crane to the mill. The juice ran into
the boiler, and the cane into the fur
mace, which supplied the power for tn,
steam and electricity. Then the tram
way was taken up and laid down ovel
another part of the field, and SO on
1 The sunerintendant of the snuar.hnns.