Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-04-07

Sierra del Cobre and has its outlet on
the south coast near Manzanillo. There
are few other streams which are nav.
igable for small boats for a distance Of
from s to 30 miles. Next in importance
are the streams Guines and Ay. At one
time it was the intention to cut canal
through the land intervening and bisect
the island, but the idea was finally
abandoned as impracticable.
Cuba contains many mineral springs
which are famed for their valuable heal
ing properties, principal among them
being those known as the baths of San
Diego.
The temperature of the water is SO
degrees F., and it is very strongly i'm
pregnated with oxygen, carbonic acid
gases, chloride of sodium, sulphate of
lime, nitrate of lime, iron, magnesia,
silex and chloride of calcium. Four
glasses of it day and two baths are the
regulation cure for almost every disease
known to materia medica, but it is
probable that the warm, pure air, sim
pie diet and faith have much to do with
it. At any rate, great many surpris-
ing cures have been effected, particular
ly of bronchial and scrofulous COM
plants. People have been taken from
the steamer on litters, apparently just
ready to die, who in a weeks time
have been riding over the hills on horse
back and in a month have gone home as
"good as new" and we'll as anybody.
If these springs were in the United
States, with the same air to accompany
them, or if managed where they are by
some sensible, wide awake Anglo-Sax-
on, they would become the sanitarium
of the world, beside which Saratoga,
Carlsbad, Las Vegas and White Sulphur
would hide their diminished heads.
All Kinds of Minerals.
Nearly all metals and minerals that
are useful in any sort Of industry are
found in Cuba-gold, silver, iron, cop
per, quicksilver, lead, asphaltum in all
its forms, antimony, arsenic, manganese,
copperas, red lead, etc. In the Sarama-
guacan and several other rivers gold has
been found, though not in paying guam
titles. Silver of certain grade abounds
in Pinar del Rio, San Fernando and
Yumuri. Almost all the metamorphic
rocks contain copper, and these are scat
tered all over the island. 1t is usually
found in the form of pyrites and sui
phurets.
In the eastern part Of Cuba, about 10
miles from Santiago, the rich copper
mines of Ell Cobre were worked for
good many years by an English COM
pany. They were abandoned during the
last revolution. There are other mines
not yet open and some not yet exhausted.
The city Of Santiago, by the way, is
worth more than mere passing mention,
it being the chief city of the eastern de-
partment. It lies 600 miles southeast of
the present capital and ranks third in
commercial importance-Havana first
and Matanzas second. 1t is the archbish-
ops residence, and to it people flock
from all parts of the island during GER
tain yearly religious festivals, which are
celebrated with remarkable pomp and
ceremony. 1t is also the terminus of
two railway lines, one of which is the
outlet of Lomas de Cobre, the famous
copper mines, and the other, passing
through the richest sugar district, af-
fords transportation for that great
staple. The exports Of the port reach
the handsome annual aggregate of IS, :
900, 900, three-fourths of which is in
sSngar, the rest cocoa, rum, tobacco,
loney and mahogany.
OF the fertility Of Cubas soil too
much cannot be said. In the western
part the celebrated Vuelta Abajo tobac-
co is raised. 1t has no equal in the
world In the eastern part near Santi-
ago, there are some tracts of land which
yield excellent tobacco, almost as fine as
that of Vuelta Abajo
Even Coffee Thrives
The sugar cane grows all through the
island and yields the largest percentage
known Of saccharine matter. In some
parts of the island the coffee tree thrives
very we'll, and the quality of the bean
is equal to the best Maracaibo or Cen
I trail American. The banana and the
plantain also flourish. Large quantities
of the latter are raised and consumed
in the country. 1t is an exceedingly
nourishing food. OF the former, in the
eastern part, there are great planta.
lions, and several million dollars worth
are exported every year to the United
States.
The orange and the pineapple abound
in the island and about ID other spe
cies of most delicious fruits, as tn,
guava, the mango. the Nancy, tn,
anona, etc.
AS has been said. the forests of tn,
island contain great number Of valua
BILE hard and cabinet woods, among ther
the mahogany and the cedar, of which
there are very large quantities.
There are plantations of the cocoanu