The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-15
IT'S An ISLAND PARADISE
The Immense Natural Resources
of Santiago Province.
MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
Large Estates on the Southern Coast.
Coffee and Cocoa Plsntations-Span-
ish Owners Spent Their Lives
In Gaiety and Deosuch

CORRESPONDENCE Of the Associated Press.
santiago, July SI.-The province of
Santiago de Cuba, especially that part
of Il east OF a line drawn between
Sagua de Tanamo. a Luis and San
tiago. is to-day OF vital interest to
thousands in the United States.
The natural Of the country
and its fertility, its products and its
industries are Of paramount import
ance. The richnes Of the soil here, as
elsewhere in the island. entities it to
consideration from an Agricultural
standpoint. The raising Of cane and
the manufacture Of sugar are the CHIEF
sources of wealth in the province. In
the Immediate neighborhood of santa
20 are the following uga estates:
santa Ana, owned by Francisco AuZar
an American citizen, whose average
annual output is 10000 bags leach 500
pounds); Hatillo, owned by j. Bueno 4
Co, Cubans, annua output $1,000 bags;
Union. owned by Santiago Roussea. a
French citizen, 90 1000 bags; Sabanilla.
owned by Line Salozar. a Cuban, 25.-
GOO bags; San Sebastian, owned by
Brooks a Co.. British subjects. 10000
bags: Triumfo. owned by Mr.. Whiting,
an American citizen. 5000 bags; Me
jorina, burned and destroyed by the in
su%rgenis: San Luis. owned by Angel
Norma. a S~paniard, now abandoned.
In the vicinity of Guantanamo the
principal estates are San Miguel, santa
Cabel. Confuente, Los Canos and SOLO
dad The average annual crop of these
estates is estimated at $4,000 bags each.
There are many smaller estates. The
estates are all on the south coast. on
this side of the Sierra Maestro chain OF
Mountains. No sugar cane Is grown
on the north coast in Santiago province.
Manzanillo, further westward, on the
south coast, boasts of many large cen
t~rales.' or central sugar estates. The
zane grown on neighboring fields is
brought and ground, SC many c~artloads
of cane being delivered against so many
pounds of manufactured sugar. the
grinder or owner of the estate making
his profit out of the amount OF cane
brought him, OF which he keeps a per
centage or royalty. the small planter
finding II 10 his advantage 10 have his
cane ground on a royalty instead OF
laying out a large sum of money foI
machinery, ETC.. unwarranted by the
smallness OF his crop. Guantanamo
Santiago and Manzanillo are the three
important sugar shipping ports OF East
ern Cubs.
Next in Importance agriculturallN
come the coffee and cocoa plantation
with which Santiago province is thick
iy covered. Coffee and cocoa plants ar
generally on the same "1neas' or plan
tations, the frail coffee shrub requiring
for It's growth the shade offered by tn
tall and o~verhanging cocoa tree. Tn
coffee shrub yields its crop in Novem
Der. but as IL Is not regular and uni
form three harvests are made annually
- a. - AW~,aAa. III EAaAnA d
January and the third in March. Larg,
quantities of cocoa IA been shipped
annually TO Spain and France at price
varying between SIS and 81 per hun
dred weight. free m board. but 70
many years no coffee has been export
ed from the island OF Cuba. The rea
son for this lies in the fact that Cuba
coffee, like Cuban tobacco, is of a rar
quality and aroma, and is raised an,
selected by experts, and of necessit.
bringing a price which would not easil.
ind a market for the product abroad
In the fields Cuban coffee sells for fror
s21 10 SIS per hundred pounds, In by
gone days these "cafetales' tcOffe
p~lantations) used TO be the pride of tn
Spanish ~grandees, their original own
ers, who lived on their plantations {
great style with their suites n ret
nues. Six months in the year the plar
tations would be the scenes Of feastin
and merrymaking, neighboring gran
dees coming from miles around I'm the.
volantes and on horseback and sta
ing in one "hnea" a fortnight at a tim
then pushing on to the next plantation
carrying their last host with them unit
the complete round OF the c~afetal'
was made.
The Spanish owners therefore sper
their lives in gaiety n debauch, pay
ing little attention to the managemeT
of their Estates. while they yielded
handsome living. But gradually the
plantations ceased to produce thes
kingly incomes and their fortunes h.
gan 10 dwindle. Thrifty and shreN
Frenchmen. driven out from Hayi
formed a strong colony in Santiago
those early days and they took a,
vantage of the lax and short-sight'
hidalgos. They loaned their money
the plantations. had themselves a.
pointed overseers, foreclosed the
mortgages and became the owners
the rich cafetales. most Of which,
this day, are owned by their descen
ants. OF 50 cafetales. IL will be -four
that 40 are owned by Frenchmen.
A very common parasite creep
which clings 70 the rough and stur'
mahogany trees choking and killii
them inch by inch until after 20 yea
the trees are dead and decayed is IT
called the French overseer.'
Maize. yams. sweet potatoes a
other vegetables grow everywhere vi
little care or supervision. In 5
months the coffee shrubs need I
shade. and these plants offer II. T
result is that on most coffee plant
tons the vegetables are grown viii
amply fec and sustain the plant
who, after six months. is on a self-sl
tanning basis with a good coffee CT
ahead as clean profit.
Tobacco is grown extensively at p
ma Soriano. San Luis. Barre, Jigua
and Guica. most Of which has hithe
been shipped to Germany. Guica p
duces the best leaf. although. Of cour
of an inferior grade as compared W
Vuelta or Partidos tobacco.
Baracoa. on the north coast. is
home of cocoanut and plantain in
wild. luxuriant state. The shipme
Of these fruits to the north has,
many years, warranted two steams
lines exclusively engaged in the n
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