The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-20
FGcts About Cuba.

The powerful and righteous reasons
which impcllcd the Cubans to revolt
against the continued domination Of
Spain, and engage in a war for indie
pcndcncc, are generally known and
heartily sympathizcd with, but there
! is less familiarity with the character
Of the country and its wonderful re-
sources in time of peace. OF an ir-
regular crescent shape, Cuba is much
larger than popularity supposed, for it
is $50 miles long, has an average width
of 50 miles and an area Of 1879
square miles. without including its
adjacent islands, which add ovcr2,0 900
square miles more. Although noun
famous in the interior, much Of the
coast line is low and fiat, and difficult
OF approach OF accOunt Of the numcr
Gus reefs and small islands. \otwith-
ing this feature Of the coast, it is said
that no other island in the world has
as many excellent harbors in proper
ton to its size. OF these Havana.
Mantanzas, Bahia, Honda, Mariel,
Nucvitas, Nipc and Cardcnas, on the
north side, and Santiago dc Cuba,
Trinidad, Guantanamo and Cienfuegos
on the south side, are the principal
and best known.
The island of Cuba is divided into
six provinces, the most thickly popu-
lated Of which is Havana, and the
least is Puerto Principe. The total
population before the present insur-
%rcction was over goo, 900, but it is
estimated that at least 500, 900 have
since persisted in battle, by disease
and by starvation. Although there is
much cleared and cultivated land,
there are no less than 20, 600, 900 acres
of almost impenetrablc forest, fully
1900, 900 Of which have never been
disturbed by man. But the soil which
has been cultivated is marvelously
rich and productive. To what extent
this is SO is shown by the fact that,
Notwithstanding the discourogcments
to Industrial enterprises through the
misrulc of Spain, the exports in 1893
were valued at we 80, 600, 900 Span
ish dollars.
Notwithstanding the prevalence Of
yellow fever in the seacoast cities and
towns, the greater part Of Cuba is
said under normal conditions to be a
very healthy place. Although not
altogether in the tropics, it has all
the characteristics Of the torrid re-
gion. 1t has a wet and dry season,
and except in few spots in the noun
tains not even light fTosts. The pre-
vailing temperature is not unpleas-
antly hot, for the highest is rarely
over 50 degrees, while the average is
a degrees.
The chief agricultural products are
sugar, coffee and tobacco. of which
the United States takes the greater
part: In 1893, for example, there
were SIS, 1874 tons of sugar produced,
of which 1890 tons were exported,
the United States taking $50, 642 tons.
OF 227 900 bales Of tobacco exported
t%wo-thirds came to this country, to-
gcther with more than half the 147,-
800 900 cigars made. But while the
exports footed up a total Of 80, 00O, 600
Spanish dollars, and the imports $685.
OOO. 900, the taxation on the people
reached nearly , 5000, 900 Spanish
dollars. OF this tremendous burden,
which is more than one-sixth the
combined value Of the imports and
exports, less than one-half came from
the customs, and one-fourth Of the
whole is entirely diverted from the
island to the uses Of the Spanish
crown.
1t is supposed that che negro race
either predominates in point of num-
bcrs in Cuba, or at least nearly so
put THIS does not appear to be the
fact, for just before the. rebellion it
was estimated that there were less
than 800, 600 of this race on the
island, against over 1000, 600 whites
and about 80. 900 Chinese. OF the
whites, the native born, or Cubans,
are by far the best educated, but nei-
Their the mass Of the Spanish resi-
dents nor the negroes are o. erburden-
ed with scholastic knowledge. There
seems no doubt that under proper
government the wealth of Cuba would
be p%rodigious. and even with !. poor
rule, but free from the oppression of
Spain, it should be Of more than or