The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-15
4 YERlTABLE GOLCONDA

or Agricultural and Mineral WeAith -
the ProVineo Of santiago AWa'tieG
American DsveIopmsuL
Correspondence Of the Associated Presa-
SANTIAGO DE CUBA. July si.-rhe
province OF Santiago de Cuba, and espe-
cially that part Of it east Of a line drawn
between sagua de Tanamo, San Luis
and Santiago, ls to-day OF vital interest
to thousands in the United States.
TIE natural resources OF the country
ard It's fertility itsproducts and Its In
duatries are OF paramount Importance,
The richness Of the soil here, as else
where in the island, entities It TO con-
sIderation from an Agricultural stand
point. The raising Of cane and the
manufacture Of sugar are the chief
sources of wealth in the province.
Guantanamo, Santiago and Mauzan-
no are the three important sugar ship
ping ports Of eastern Cuba.
Next in Importance, agricuBurnliy'
come the coffee and cocoa plantations.
with which Santiago province is thckiy
covered. Coffee and cocoa plants are
generally grown on the same "hncas,
DldlE2luOIl1s gLlG AEALAA SI4ANE sue -
requiring for its growth the shade of
fered by the tain and Overhanging cocoa
tree. The coffee shrub yields Its crop
in November, but Us it is not regular
and uniform three harvests are made
annually, Large quantities Of cocoa
have been shipped annually 10 Spain
and France, at prices varying between
SIS and SIT per hundred weight, free on
board; but for many years no cottee has
been exported from the Island Of Cuba
The reason for this Mes In the fact that
Cuban coffee, IKE Cuban tobacco. is OF
a rare quality and aroma, raised ana
bringing q price which would not easily
find market for the product abroad
On the fields, Cuban cotfee soils troIp
SO to $25 per hundred pounds.
Agricultural Features.
Maize. yams, sweet potatoes and other
vegetables grow everywhere with little
care OF supervision. In SIX months they
bear. Conee shrubs need the shade,
and these plants offer 1t. The result Is
that on most coffee plantations these
vegetables are grown, which amply feed
and sustain the Planter, who after st&
months Is on a Self-S1stnining basis
with goodly coffee crop ahead as clean
profit.
Tobacco Is grown extensively at Pal
ma Sorfano, San Luis Bafre, 5iguany
and Guica, most OF which has hitherto
been shipped to Germany, the balance
to the Spanish ports.
Baracoa, on the north coast, is the
home OF the cocOanut and piaintaan IN
its wild, luxuriant state. The shipment
Of these fruits to the north has for
many years warranted two steamship
lines exclusively engaged in the fruit
trade to run between Baracoa and New
York, The plalntainS and banGnus are
extensively used In the manufacture OF
vinegar.
INC woods and forests Of eastern Cuba
abound in every variety Of hard woods,
the principal being mahogany, cedar.
rosewood and 'majagua," wood
known the world over as the strongest
and most durable Of all woods, OF
greenlsh asfiy hue and an exceedingly
close grain. Most OF them, In fact nine
tenths Of the woodlands are virgin for
ests which It would take years and years
to declnate and which have 80 far es-
capped the destructive hand Of man ow-
ing to the lack of transportation faclli-
ties to the sea coast.
Grsat Iron Ore Deposits.
Next In Importance to Its agricultural
products, Santiago de cuba's iron and
manganese mines demand universal at
tentlon. The great iron mountains and
mines OF Santiago are owned and oper-
ated by three companies--the Juragua
Iron Company, the standardization
Company and the sIgua Iron Company.
The Juragua Is the oldest and largest
company operated here. The company,
Of which Major Bent, of'the PennsylVa-
MIA Steel Company, Is president, was
formed and the property acquired In
1881, It's shipments OF Bessenler ore so
far exceed 100000 tons. The total out
put OF the JuraGua mines is controlled
by the Bethlehem Iron works, the Penn
syivnnia. Steel Company and the Mary
land Steel Company. Its maximum
monthly output Is 10000 tons. Sihoney
Is the shipping port Of the Juragua Iron
Company's mines.
The SpanIsh-American company, OF
which Charles F, Rand, OF New York, Is
president, acquired its property in 1889.
Its shipments so far have been 100000
tons-to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Eng
land, Scotland, Wales, Belgium and
Germany, where It has been sold in the
open market Its maximum output Is
$4,000 tons.
AZ IS well known. the Santiago ore.
with its low percentage Of PHOSPHORUS
ranks, together with the Swedish and
the Spanish Damarara mineral, as the
crack ore" Of the world.
AS its name indicates, "El Cobre,
about fifteen miles from Santiago, Is the
heart OF the copper fields Of Cuba. These
copper mines are extremely valuable
| and have been worked since carly In the
century.
Wealth OF Natural Resources.
They are owned by two companies.
one English, the other American. but
have been abandoned now for almost
thirty years. They were forced to shut
down by the Cobrc railroad company.
that held the charter rights, and with
which they rot into litigation, The
mines are In no wise exhausted and still
| possess n rich treasure OF buried wealth.
/ This rich and fertile soil with its
wealth OF agricultural and mineral re-
| sources. where drouEhts, floods and
frosts are unknown. is practically unde-
velopcd owing to tho total absence OF
| transportation facilities either by rail
or by roads.
In the whole province OF Santiago de
Cuba there are only eighty miles Of
railroad.
TcleGraphIc communication exists be-
| tween the different Interior towns and
principal villages over Spanish govern
| mont lines put up In the rudest fashion.
IndustrIaliy Santiago Is woefuiiy be-
hind the times.
with q wealth Of natural resources,
rich in agriculture and mineral soil,
| Snniinpo de Cuba only awaits American