Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-04
May "a. 1898.


Most visitors to Cuba touch first and
last at Havana, on the northern shore
and restrict their explorations to that
city and it's envlrons, Those travelling
know about as much of cuba as the
foreigners who spend few weeks in
New York, Boston and Philadelphia,
and then go home and write exhaus-
tyle treatises on America, The truth
Is that this largest island Of the An
titles, extending throughout three and
half degrees of latitude. presents as
as many varied aspects as n journey
across our continent from the Atlantic
TO the Pacific. Its length from east
to west is only a trine more than the
distance between New York and Chi
cago; but the northern coast is entire
Nv different from the southern, and the
eastern portion from the western. APP
preaching cuba as Columbus did
across the narrow stretch of sea from
santo Domingo. you first sight the long
low promontory of the eastern tip,
which the discoverer named Point
AIalsi. SO different is the aspect from
that seen at the other end of the island,
ns YOU come down in the usual route
from New York or Florida, that you
can hardly believe 1t Is the same small
cor-,ry.. From Maisi point the land
rises in sharp terraces, backed by high
hills and higher mountains-all so
vague In mist and cloud that you do
not know where the land ends and sky
herins. Coming nearer, gray ridges
are evolved, which look like cowled
,conl,s peerlng over each others shout
ders with here and there majestic
nenlt towering above his fellow-like
the Pico Turquino, 1000 feet above
the sea Sailing westward along this
south shore the queen of the Antilles
looks desolate and forbiddlng, as COM
pared to other portions of the West IN
dies. a panorama of wild heights and
sterile shores, and sage-beaten GIFTS
covered with screaming sea BIRDS Az
rare intervals an opening in the rock
hound coast betrays a tiny hHrbor,
bOrdered by cocoa-palms, 50 guarded
and concealed by hills and its sudden
revelation, when close upon 1t, as
tonishes you as II did the first explorer.
According to tradition, every one of
these was once a pirates lair, In the
good old days we read about, when
"long, low, suspicious looking craft,
with ralking masts," used to steal out
from sheltered covers to plumber the
unwary. Each little bay. whose eX-
istence was unknown TO honest mar
iners, has a high wooded point near It's
entrance, where the sea robbers kept
perpetual watch for passing merchant
men and treasure-laden galleons. their
own swift sailing vessels sufe out of
sight within the cove; and then at a
given signal out they would dart upon
the unsuspecting prey like a spider
from his web. Among the most notori-
GUS piratical rendezvous was Guantan-
amo, which our warshps are said to
have shelled two or three times OF late.
In recent years its narrow bay, branch
ing far inland like river. has become
CT considerable consequence, by reason
of railway which connects II with
Santiago; and also because the patriot
army hidden in the nearby mountains,
have entertained hopes Of overcoming
the Spanish garrison and making 1t n
base for receiving outside assistance.
Before the war. there were extensive
sugar plantations in this vicinity-now
all Is devastated The Cobre noun
tains, looming darlSly against the hori-
zon, are the great copper and iron
ranges of Cuba-said to contain untold
mineral wealth. waiting to he developed
by Yankee enterprise. In early days,
four million dollars year
was the average value of Cuba's
copper and iron exports: but In 1867,
5000. 600 tons were taken out in less than
ten months. Then Spain put her foot
in 1t, as usual. Not content with the
Hons share which she had always re-
allied in exhorbitant taxes on the pro-
duct, she Increased the excise charges to
such an extent as to kill the industry
outright, For long time the ore lay
undisturbed In the Cobre pockets"
until o. ntlon of Americans was turned
this Their first claims on iron and
copper in these mountains were recog
nlzed by the Cuban government about
seventeen years ago. Three Yankee cor
porations have developed rich tracts of
mining territory hereahouts, built rail-
ways from the coast to their works on
the hills, and exported ore to the Unit
ed States. The Oldest of these compan-
les employed 1000 men. and had 1000
cars aud feet of 90 steamers for the
transportation of It's output, The Car
negle company, whose product was
shipped to Philadelphia, also employed
upwards of 1000 men.
At last an abrupt termination OF the
stern, gray cliffs which made this shore
line, indicates the proximity of Santiago
harbor; and nearer approach reveals
the most picturesque fortls castle, as
well as one of the Oldest, to be found on
the Western Hemisphere. An enormous
rounding rock, whose base has been
hallowed Into great caverns by the
restless Caribbean, standing just ut
the entrance of the narrow channel
Leading into the harbor, Is carried up
from the waters edge In a succession of
walls, ramparts, towers and turrets,
forming n perfect picture OF n rock