The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-25
AXE ABOUT CUBA
S.sIntelligencer. Correspondent
TellsiAbott Sugar Making.
TRIP INTO THE INTERIOR.

l1nlf4o.
THE CUBAN AT HOME:
oisLYsrx SUGAR PLANTATIONS
fNsoPERATIoN-TrIE SOUND OF
THE GRINDING Is Low"
Special Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-when the
present war began Cuba had fifteen
hundred and twenty.one prosperous
sugar plantations. To-day "the sound
Of the grinding is low" for only six Of
them are IN operation. a few weeks ago
Visited. one OF the six, which Is situated.
in the southeastern corner OF Matanzas.
II was an all-day's railway Journey,
leaving Havana at 6 a. m. and reaching
the goal soon after uunset. Probably
200 miles would cover the distance. rs
the crow files; but the road-originally
built to accommodate the large estatea-
zlg-zags to and fro like the lacking OF q
ship. Travelling by rail in Cuba Is sell
dom iunalloyed delight, and In these
~ AAlAI - aLG hUublcut
BesIdea the usual slownesss and irreg-
ularitys OF service, heat, dust and alb
sence OF eating stations-trnins are now
n-days in momentary danger OF being
fired into. derailed. exploded by bombs,
and. each has Its dlsQuieting attach
ment of two ironclad cars. filled with
Spanish soldierB standing by their guns
at the loop-holes. Sophisticated travel.
ers watch every thlcket, hill and hollow
which might possibly shelter On insur-
gent and throwselves fiat on the dirty
floor;o the car at the first Indication of
! attack. Miles after miles OF burned
cane fields. slnged trees, ,scorched
hedges. beginning close on the outskirts
of Havana, show the boldncss OF the
rebels in spite Of the multitude of forts,
Avenues of royal palms are passed
magnificent vistas OF smooth, round
columns, arched with living green. Each
of these splendid avenues once marked
the entrance to a rich plantation; now
theyAlead to nothing but melancholy
ruins. Falling chimneys standing alone
blackened towers. tumbled walls, piles
of rustlng machinery, are all that Is left
of homes and sugar mills. Atop each
ruin perch the scavangerst Of Cuba,
@gorged black yultures-the only well
conditioned creatures to be found on the
island. Here and there tall celba trees.
pronounced lsay-bah) stretch wide their
arms. laden with many colored orchids.
Occasional sections. burned some
months $780,. show how nature hastens
to hide her wounds In these warm re-
sions. Lusty weeds spring thIckly
among The charred cane stubble; BIOS
coming vines creep over %blackened
walls. and roses riot in the signed
hedEe-rows-not the delicate pink ones
ne are accustomed to see growing wild
in the north. but troplc roses, gorgeous
a IN pink and yellow. The voice of the
m~eadow-lark is heard, the p~laintive
call OF phoebe" and the sweet little
/, song of the Cuban tomeguin. Palma in
crease IN height and number standing
So groves, lining ravines and browning
the hilltops; but nowhere in all the Desc
lated country Ia there a trace Of q gar
den. q cultivated field, or sign of human
occupancy outside the fortified villages.
On every hand the beehive forts are
aeen-often as many as fifteen or twenty
can be counted at once-all so tiny that
one Is continually reminded OF Senator
Proctor's suggestion to carry M home
on;h his watch chain. Jaruca, MatanZas,
Cardenas. and other towns are passed
each with its inevitable accompaniment
of reconcentrado wretchedness.f in groups
of squatted huts under the GunJ ofsthe
forts. At every station Spanish soldiers
swarm and starving beggara make pit
eous appeals. To distribute coin enough
TO relieve their distress would require
the wealth Of Croesus. My escort did
the best he could for them by rushing
out at every stopping place and buying
the entire stock Of oil the bread-men In
sight, with which to MI the skeleton
hands. The Cuban bred-seller Is worth
a special paragraph. Besides paradlng
the city streets numerously. at all times
and seasons, he Is always found at the
railway stations when trains come in,
withsa very large, low, wicker basket on
his head. filled with small. crusty loaves
that resemble over-grown biscuits. He
is dirty beyond degree, barefooted and
generally b~areheaded, economizing his
battered hat by carrying It in the bus
ket among the loares.
After hours OF slow riding througha
totally u~noccupied country, between
burned cane fields on either side, with
the smoke from more burning fields or
t%nsurgent camp fires visible in several
directions. we left the car at nightfall,
alta miserable little hamlet Of palm
matched huts. What was u aston
ishment, on alighting in the mud OF this
desolate place. to behold. 4 few yards
away, 4 modern horse-car, exactly like
those in New York and Washington.
only decidedly cleaner. Everything
about st vas fresh and trim-spotIess
windows: strays to hold on by; nothing
missing but the nickel-box. or the con-
ductor with his bell-punch. We were
within the boundaries OF the sugar es-
I tntc and the car Is for the use OF tho
planter and his family, VINO had come
to meet us. Then away we were
whlsked, over three miles Of car track
between rows OF stately palms, hedges
of giant aloes and boundiess stretches
of s~ugar-cane-to tho archway OF roses
and jessanlne which leads to the door
OF the motor-house. And here new sur
prises awaited us. The enormous, two
story casa, with, its many windows and
latticed ~verandas, was brilliantly illu-
minated with electricity, and Is furnish
ed with all tho e%lesancies OF city life.
1.-The! apartment assigned to- my use
was the most beautiful I have occupied
in many q day. with Its handsome
French furniture and delicate frescolng,
under the soft glow OF electric lights In
the form of pink lilies; and better than
all, II had the welcome adjunct OF. n
perfectly appointed bathroom, with all
modern improvements" as the adver-
" tiSements say, Presently dinner ynq