The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-06-18
THE RESOURCES OF CUBA
HER PROSPECTS FOR PROSPERITY
WHEN A LASTING PEACE COMES.


not Approach the Soil Of Cuba in Fer
tility-The Mineral Wealth Of the Is
land-It Is an Agricultural Paradise
Now that Cuba is assured Of her
freedom, it may be interesting to in
quire into the resources of the coun~
try, and ask what may be her pros
poets for prosperity when she is no
longer restrained and oyertaxed by the
greedy government Of Spain. The
area Of Cuba is about $4,000 square
miles. It's greatest length is 7GO
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, noted authority, has pre-.
pared a table showing the variety and
quantities of the staples that can be
raised on tract Of thirty-three acres
in Cuba. A farm of that size in one
year produces thousands of pounds OF
sugar, coffee, tobacco, cacao (choco'
late), cotton, indigo, rice, sage, bananas
and yucca. The choicest lands IN
California-noted for the variety and
quantity Of their products-cannot
approach the soil Of Cuba in this re-
spect. With its mild climate, its ex-
uberant vegetation, and the eagerness
of the earth to respond to the slight
est 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 blighting rule of the Spaniard,
has been great. In 1898, before the
| curse of war fell on the island, Cuba
exported 7l8,2O4 tons of sugar, and
produced 1855 tons. It's exports
of molasses to the United States alone
in that year were 1854 hogsheads. OF
rum the exports were 930S pipes. In
1898 the Cuban exports of leaf tobacco
were 227, 1865 bales. OF manufactured
cigars 147, 1865, 900 were exported, and
of cigarettes 1851, 493 packages.
These are only the main exports
They show what may be done with the
exhaustless soil and climate Of the is
land, when its people were in condl-
ton of virtual slavery, alta time when
chattel slavery had been abolished
only seven years. It is an axiom OF
economic science that free labor is IN
definitely more productive than slave
labor, and the industrial growth Of
the United States is an 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 ins1894 he1
total production Of sugar was ], 054 ~
tons, an increase of 238, 800 tons owe
the preceding year.
The natural resources of Cuba ar
infinite, one may say, in variety. y
her area only 10 per cent. is unde
cultivation, I per cent. is notreclaimed
and 4 per cent. is under forests. Grea
tracts of the island are practically un
explored. She had in 1894 o popula
ton Of a little more than 100000
: OF these nearly one-third have bee
starved to death during the presen
war, Cuba could support in plenty
. population of 10000, 900. Her fo'
ests are stocked with the finest WOO
in the world-wood, several species
which are as hard as iron, turning tn
edge of the axe, and remaining lmpe'
! ishable under water. There are foun
! woods invaluable for the dye industr!
ebony, cedar, fustic, Lakewood, mi
hogany, rosewood, jocuma, acana an
many others. There are fifty vari
ties Of palm. Her fruits are valuab
and little cultivated. The climate
admirably suited for the olive; aud tt
. orange, the lemon, the pineapple al
the banana are indigenous.
The mineral resources of the islal
are great, yet the mineral industry IT !,
are in their infancy. Almost all &
metals are found in Cuba. There q
& gold, silver, mercury, copper, lea
Z" and all the forms of asphaltum; an
mony, magnesia. copperas, gypsul
red lead, ochre, salt, arsenic, tale a
many others. Copper is abundant
all the metamorphic rocks OF Cuba.
y is true that coal is yet undiscovere
but under freerepublic capital wou
l. flow into the island. and there is
e. doubt that true coal would soon
k, found to replace the bitumen that
I now used, and which isfound in sprlr
Id and mines in great quantities., ..
at Cuba is rich in marble, await
l the capital of the speculator. Gr
e, deposits of this rock are found, and
Id the Isle of Pines there is marble o
quality as fine as the best OF that
nv terial used by the sculptor. Sc
IN tifully colored marble and jasper
,le common. On the coasts are imme'
deposits of rock salt, and there
mt also unlimited quantities of the pur
>. o,ol,1o of haine cOnvl