The Republican journal., 1898-05-05

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estate of which l speak is by no means
one of the largest in Cuba. The pro-
prietor told me that it is only 16 miles
long by or 10 wide, comprising about So
600 acres. At present it supports some
thing over 5000 people, collected in four
villages. In ordinary times, 1000 was the
usual number of retainers, all employed
upon the estate in one capacity or another.
Since the war, the planter has been COM
PEELED to maintain 1900 Spanish soldiers,
in II forts erected at his own expense
along the edge of the estate. After Wey-
ler's concentration order 2, 900 reconcent-
RADIOS were quartered upon him. The
poor people were driven from their homes
and forced to go to the cities, or the forti-
fed plantations. There is no city in this
section and no other plantation in opera
ton; SO they flocked here, and could not
be left to starve. The humane planter
built them houses and protected them as
best he could, and for more than two
years had furnished them with food,
clothes and medicine.
OF course they have more than absorb
ed the profits of his business, though some
of them have been able to work a little
on the place. The greatest trouble is
with their alleged protectors, the soldier
guard. If the latter want beef, they kill
the first COW they see, though it be the
finest Jersey. Iftresh horses are needed,
they help themselves to the best the
plantation affords. When the spirit
moves them to recreation, they troop
over to the manor house and demand its
use for a dance. On such occasions, "a
high old time but tamely expresses it.
They pick up female partners wherever
they can-the daughters of plantation
hands, good looking reconcentrado girls,
and camp followers. Champagne, (the
proprietor 81 flows like water,-or rather.
as water never flowed for the external use
of these sons of Mars; and it they do not
end the orgie by smashing things general
ly and making bonfire of the buildings,
the planter considers himself lucky.
There has never been any danger from
the insurgents to make this So called
protection necessary, because the
proprietor and his family are known to be
in sympathy with the Cuban cause; but
there is everything to fear from the Span
sh soldiers. And when the crisis comes,
if Spain is forced to withdraw her forces,
they will probably celebrate their depar-
ture by burning the place, if not murder
ing the people upon whose bounty they
have SO long subsisted.
The magnitude of things on this
''smalr' estate amazes the stranger.
There are % miles of broad gauge rail
road within it's limits, besides the 3 mile
tramway. Its equipment includes loco
motives, 300 freight-cars of largest size
and $50 box-cars for a narrow gauge
track. There are thousands of mules and
horses and carts; a dry goods and gen.
era[supply store, pharmacy, schoolhouse,
church, ice making plant, machine shop,
carpenters and blacksmiths shops; in short
all the requirements of an isolated COM
munity. The enormous grinding house
contains several great engines and wild
erness of wheels, bands and machinery.
1t is lighted by electricity, and has 72O
tanks, each of which holds a ton of crude
sugar. In prosperous times this planta-
ton turns out 100, 600 bags of sugar every
year, but this year, when more than ever
ought to be made to keep up extraordi-
nary expenses, it will hardly make half
the amount. The sugar is sent to New
York to be refined, and much of this sea-
sons yield will bring low prices because
of scorched cane. Passing bands of SOL
diers often burn few acres. The stalks
are generally ground with the rest, but
the first squeezing turns out juice black as
ink. 1t lightens considerably in the pro-
cess of refining, but is yet too dark for
first class sugar. We occupied long day
going over the plantation, but several
days would be required to see all it's
''points of interest," Besides the extern
sive flower garden, with it's fountain and
shrubbery and shaded walks, there is a
park of many acres, containing the choic-
est trees of the tropics-cinnamon, spice,
Peruvian pepper, thickets of bamboo,
fruits of every variety, an aviary with
countless birds, artificial lakes covered
with water fowl, deer-in short regular
"zoo'' and botanical garden combined.
Then we took 16 mile car ride to visit
one of the villages. What would my
reader give to have just one of those
sky scraping palms in his front yard
and here are thousands of them to spare
Our host sent man to climb one of them,