The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25

eminent positions. Yet many of them ara
growing Ominously. They did the fight
ing and now that independence has come
they want voice of their own in the sv
making. Cubans. however, laugh at the
idea of negro problem" These mig
gers" said the Cubans in Santa Clara.
will go back 10 the cane-felds and work
just as peacefully as ever"
Many of the estates through persecution
and confiscation, have fallen into Spanish
hands, The mere suggestion that Cubans
may now govern Cuba fills these Spaniar.js
with terror. Scores of them are in Santa
Clara awaiting the issue-Cuban independ
ence or annexation. And how they pray
for annexation! This is one Of the MANY
things Americans will have to investigate
in helping New CUBA. Capital will NOT
rush in off-hand. In the South il was
not until years after the civil war that
fortunes were made. In Santa Clara the
Cuban merchants understand the situa
ton thoroughly. They liken Cuba to an
Infused individual, who has been rescued.
by a powerful friend, from persecution
and poverty, ana told to go ahead and
begin life anew, with the promise of every
possible assistance from the benefactor.
From Santa Clara to Santiago the Jour.
ney included the crossing of the oft-de-
scribed trocha. Once beyond this mass OF
barbed wire that formerly marked the line
between Spains Cuba and Cuba's Cuba.
we were practically in a jungle. The
desert we had left behind was really a
civilized country compared to the coun-
try which we now entered, this Cuba Libre
which the insurgents have held during
all the war. Here, in the province Of
Puerto Principe, were not only no rail-
roads, but no roads for wheeled vehicles.
Excepting in the vicinity of the town Of
Puerto Principe, there is no road over
which carriage or wagon can pass. Here
is a most important field for engineering
enterprise-the development of transpor-
tation facilities. What is now known as
the Royal road is merely a broad strip Of
country, sometimes fenced by cactus and
barbed wire and passable only on horse
back. Two days of heavy rain practically
stops traffic in all directions. Here "a
a great opportunity for building common
roads There is plenty of stone for the
purpose. Such roads as now exist cross
rivers and streams by fords, which are
impossible soon after the rains set in.
The necessity for bridges is great. Our
progress was uneventful, monotonous
Heat and mosquitoes were the only enc
mics encountered. In desperation, we hur-
ried on TO the coast, through miles and
miles of virgin forest, where the finest
mahogany was In evidence, where rich
iron mines were merely indicated to the
valley of Guantanamo. Here Is the COT
fee district of Cuba. The plantations
were deserted, but not In ruins. Coffee
In great quantities than ever will soon Do
raised here, just as the cultivation of to-
bacco, in the province of Pinar del Rio,
west of Havana, will soon again be
thriving industry. 1t will take more than
war to deprive Cuba of her natural wealth.
Every foot of the ground over which we
jouTneyed is capable of cultivation and
that without hard work. There were no
untillable declivitles or rocky areas as in
Connecticut; no fields of sandy land as in
Florida. The islands area is about equal
to New York state, and only 10 per cent,
of this resourceful area has ever been UNI
der cultivation.
At last we reached hamlet, a place of
adobe houses only. All the inhabitants
were gone. But small patches of ground,
here and there, were planted with coffee,
or sugar cane or tobacco just like the
door yards in the suburbs of Havana. We
knew now that we were nearing the end
of our journey, for all the people had
left their dooryard farms to go to Santiago
city. ellison Wilets.