Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25

In pumping the mines dry or In living up
TO expectations. The mines are In no wise
exhausted and still possess rich treas
ure OF buried wealth.
This rich and fertile soil with It's wealth
of agricultural and mineral resource,
where droughts. floods and frosts are un-
known Is practically undeveloped owing
to the total absence of transportation Ia
oillties either by rail or by roads.
THE RAILROADS.
In tho whole province of Santiago dc
Cuba there are 50 miles of railroad and
not milo Of road deserving the name be-
tween any two towns or villages excepting
narrow paths scarce allowing Il horse or
mule to pass through the woods across
streams and over the mountains.
Tho railroads are: The Sabanilla and
Moroto Road, which starts at Santiago
thence to d place called Cristo, ten miles
distant where 1t branches off IN a v one
branch running to the Poinpo mines, the
other to San Luis where II ends. total dis
tance covered, 20 miles. This road Is own
ed by American capitalists.
the Guantanamo Railroad starts from
Caimancra and runs to the Sodad sugar
estate, which Is its terminus, passing
through the town of Guantanamo and
with Il branch to Jamaica. Total mileage
of this road is 30 miles, which is owned by
Cuban capital and managed by English Of
ficials.
Tho Gihara and HTosuin Railroad. rum
ming between those two points covers 80
miles. 1t is owned by Cuban capital.
These three roads arc the only railroad
lines in the whole province.
TELEGRAPH FACILITIES.
| Tclcgraphic communications exist be-
tween the different interior towns and
principal villages over Spanish government
wires resting on trees without tho v"stge
of an insulator, The dependence that can
be placed on such lines H. obvious.
! IT would be natural to expect Santiago
De Cuba ana Havana to he connected
by land wires; but as - fact the only tcle-
graphic communication between the East
crn and the Western capitals is over an
English cabl, between Santiago ana Cien-
fucgos, whore the message Is transmitted
to or from Havana by land.
LITTLE MANUFACTURING.
Indutrially Santiago is woefully be-
hind the times.
Manufacturing plants are limited to -four
or five cigar and cigarette factories. a
rum 1istllery. and an ice factory which
turns out between two and three tons a
day which sell at the modest price Of $500
a ton. Little ice is therefore consumed
by the general public who otherwise would
bi'I dH tN'fli'ul MAJ htl lOl Al ltSS tNDtll-
sivc product
Experiments have been made at inter
walls to establish soap. candle, souppasto
and match factories. but on such small
scale that they were never able to pay ex-
penscs and closed out. Such are the pres
ent conditions of one of the richest dis
triCts IN the island.
With a wealth of natural resources, rich
in agricultural and mineral soil, Santiago
de Cuba only awaits American brains, en-
tcrprise and capital to make 1t one of the
richest. as well as one of the most beau
tiful spots in the world.
: The last cargo of provisions landed a
Santiago lie cuba before the blockade, wa,
that of the German steamer Polaria. con
sistng of l3,0OJ bags of rice, and 100 case.
OF cornmcll.
These practically were the only provls
| ions in Santiago during the blockade ant
siege.
The rations issued to the soldiers her,
were.
one half pound of rice.
one loaf of bread made. of rice flour.
= one horse for every four battalionS
each battalion consisting of six companies
. each company of 1870 men.