The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-05-19
WHAT ROOSEVELT pERsoN1F1Es.
CUBA's RESOURCES.

CU6A . RESU 6GG0.
Chicago Times-Herald
The area of Cuba is about $4,000
square miles: It's greatest length is 76O
miles, and its breadth ranges from 20
to 1876 miles. Perhaps there is no space
of earth the equal in size to Cuba that
can begin to compare with her in the
production of those things that are
useful to man. Antonio y Morales, a
noted authority, has prepared table
showing the variety and quantity OF the
staples that can be raised on tract OF
thirty-three acres in Cuba. A farm OF
that size in one year produces thou
sands of pounds of sugar, coffee, to-
bacco, cocoa (chocolate), cotton, indigo,
corn, rice, sage, bananas and yucca.
The choicest lands In California-no-
ted for the variety and quantity of
their products-cannot approach the
soil of Cuba in this respect. With it's
mild climate, it's exuberant vegetation
and the eagerness of the earth to re-
spond to the slightest efforts in the way
of culture, Cuba offers an ideal home for
the man in love with the agricultural
life.
The commerce of Cuba, even under
the blighted rule of the Spanlard, has
been great. In 1898, before the curse
OF war fell on the island, Cuba export
ed us, 2O4 tons of sugar and produced
S15,S 1894 tons. Its exports of molasses
to the United States alone in that year
were 1864 hogsheads. Of rum the ex-
ports were 9,308 pipes. In 1898 the
Cuban exports OF leaf tobacco were 227,
865 bales. Of manufactured cigars lat
365 900 we're exported and Of cigarettes
SO, 581 ,493 packages. These are only
the main exports. They show what
may be done with the exhaustless soil
and climate of the island when Its peo-
pie were in condition of virtual slav-
cry at time when chattel slavery had
been abolished only seven years. It is
: an-axlom of economic science that free
, labor is infinitely more productive than
. slave labor, and the industrial growth
of United States is all example of the
expansion OF industry when enterprise
Is unhampered by the curse of slavery
and by foreign political interference
Cuba's chief industries were growing
in spite OF the drain upon her before
the present war began, for in 1894 hel
total production of sugar was 1864 l4
tons, an increase of 23S, 800 tons ove1
the preceding year.
The natural resources of Cuba are in
/, finite, one may say, in variety. Other
are only 10 per cent. is under cultlva
ton, per cent. is not reclaimed, ane
per cent. is under forests. Great
tracts OF the island are practically I'm
exploree. She had in 1894 popula
ton OF little more than 100000. O.
these nearly one-half have been starvet
to death during the present war. Gu
, ba could support in plenty popula
, ton of 100000. Her forests arr
:, stocked with the finest wood in tn,
world-wood, several species Of which
are as hard as iron, turning the edg,
of an ak and remaining imperishabl'
under water. There are found wood.
cedar, fustic, Lakewood, mahogany
rosewood, jocuma, acana and many
T others. There are fifty varieties O
r palm. Her fruits are valuable and lit
: tie cultivated. The climate is admir-
ably suited for the olive; and tn,
4 orange, the lemon, the pineapple ano
the banana are indigenous.
The mineral resources of the islant
: are great, yet the mineral industrie
}. are in their infancy. Almost all tn
l metals are found in Cub. There ar
+ gold, silver, mercury, copper, lead an,
all the forms OF ashpaltum anthony
magnesia, copperas, gypsum, red lead
0 ochre, salt, arsenic, tale and many 9th
ers. Copper Is abundant in all tn
metamorphic rocks OF Cuba. It 10 tru
d that coal is yet undiscovered, but un
t. der free republic capital would flo,
d into the island, and there is no doub
" that true coal would soon be found t
replace the bitumen that Is now used
and which is found In springs ant
mines in great quantities.
Cuba is rich in marble, awaiting th
capital of the speculator. Greater dc
u posits of this rock are found; and in th
/" Isle of Pines there is marble of a qua
B. ity as fine as the best OF that materia
used by the sculptor. Beautifully CO.
y ored marble and jasper are common
2 On the coasts are immense deposits Q
rock salt, and there are also unlimite