The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03
CUBA WHEN THE WAR is OVER.
Americans to Resurrect Fruit Guilt
walton on the Island.

Americans to Resurrect Fruit Guilt
walton on the Island.
New York Letter in Baltimore American.
Among the things Of which but pleasant
may be- counted the fruit industry that
was once thriving business that
the native planters f9ndly believed
change came over the spirit of their dream
when the Americans decided to try their
hands at raising oranges and pineapples,
and the dream has been changed ever
since, until to-day the Cubans and the
Spaniards of Cuba would be glad to see
some chance of getting back even small
remnant Of their former prosperous fruit
trade. How it came to pass that the fruit
trade of Cuba passed from the islanders
into the hands of the American growers
who lived in the fruit district for many
years, and, in fact, until the loss of the
fruit trade to the island forced him to
when we have won Cuba" said this
gentleman, "the Cuban fruit trade will be
once more a part of the industrial life of
are perfect for the cultivation of fruit like
the orange and the pineapple, but the people
are quite unequal to the task of taking adj
vantage of these conditions. 1t is not quite
fair to call the native Of Cuba lazy. Shift
lessness or carelessness more aptly de-
scribes their state. They always choose the
leave the rest to Providence.
Now, fruits like oranges and pineapples
REQUIRES
time it is picked until it is offered for sale
in the markets. How do the Cubans gather
and market this fruit, or, rather, how did
they for the market is theirs no longer?
ITO get the fruit from the trees the Gu
ban or Spaniard planter shook the tree,
or knocked the fruit down with a long pole
1t reached the ground bruised by the fall
and battered by the rap from the pole.
Considering that the fruit was picked for
a journey of thousands of miles, It will lie
seen that it began its market life seriously
handicapped for competition with the care
fully picked fruit Of the American planter.
'The next step was to transport the fruit
to the town to be packed for shipment.
This was done by mules. The oranges or
pineapples were bundled into the paniers or
the rough country roads, jolting the fruit in
the saddle bags, and making sad havoc
with the cargo. When the destination was
reached, instead of carefully lifting the bur-
den from the mules back and disposing 1t
tenderly on the ground, the mule driver
dragged it off in the toughest way and
threw it down in the nearest corner or the
storehouse. The next man threw his con-
signment of fruit on the top OF the other,
and so they were piled up without the
slightest regard to the consequences 10 the
Next we come to the packing process.
1 have seen the men stand several feet
away from the barrels or hampers, in
which the fruit is to be packed, and actual
ly throw 1t into the mouth OF the recep-
tacle, hit or miss, and in either event add
ing to the bruises that the poor fruit had
received. When the barrel was full the lid
had TO be got on, and If 1t didn't quite
fit a little physical force would make 1t.
Have you seen an obstreperous trunk lid
forced to close by being sat upon? Well.
that is actually what have seen done with
the oranges and pineapDles that were ship
ped from Cuba to this country. After the
box or barrel was packed the next thing
was to roll it down to the steamer. No care
was taken TO carry it gingerly If barrel,
it was rolled down the gangplank and drcD-
ped into the hold Of the vessel. II box,
1t was carried down; If that way. of getting
1t there was the easier, and then dropped
on top of the others.
''The inevitable result OF all this rough
treatment was that the fruit had become
rotten for the most part, when 1t arrived
In America, and half of it was wasted; II
is not to be supposed that this sort of thing
could continue American planters decided
that they could beat the Cubans at fruit
growing They tried ii, and the Cubans
speedily found that there was no longer
market for their bruised and rotting
oranges and pineapples.
"As / said before. the market Will be
Cuba's again. when Americans have taught
them how to handle the fruit. so that 1t
will reach the traders in good condition. :"