Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-05

Americans Who Have Grown nicI,
ON the Island.

Record.)
Outside Of Cuba one hears little about
the Valley of Trinidad; yet IT Is the very
garden spot OF the isIand-not only for
extraordinary beauty. fertility, and per-
lection of climate, but Is the place par
excellence for growing coffee and sugar.
| | have been told. but cannot say with
how much truth. that the English and
| American syndcates which have secured
rich concessions In the valley are keep
ing their operations as secret as possible:
| TO avoid competition. Trinidad City lies
at the seward edge of the valley Of the
same name. on the south shore Of Santa
I Clara Province, about fifty miles cast
| from Cienfuegos. You may reach il from
Habana, going all the way around by
| water; or by railway 10 Cienfuegos, and
| thence by steamer; or as / did, by rail
to Batabano, the southern port OF Ha-
! bana province, and then on a leisurely
| cruise Of one hundred and fifty miles
| among innumerable Gays and isles.
one who does not mind hard climbing
finds Trinidad the most charming place
| in the world. with views on every hand
| Which would drive an artist wild with en-
| thusiasm. Rambling and billy, with
| antique casas and palm-shaded gardens.
| the old town clings to the side OF Villa
| CWatch Tower mountains, six hundred
| feet above the Caribbean. Exposed to
| both mountain and ocean breezes. with
| neither excessive heat nor cold from year
| to year, its climate is about the most per-
! feet under the sun. Surely this Is the
heart of that land wherein it is always
| afternoon" Everybody seems to sleep
| through the hours Of sunshine In
| long walk at midday through the town
! Of 10000 inhabitants you meet only here
and there lazy donkey or sleepins
| dog-not a human being except at rare
intervals a barefooted servant shutting
along the shady side Of wall The only
drawback 10 the place Is its loneliness
and the feeling which possesses the for
eigner Of complete isolation from his kind.
| There are several mesones and third
class inns. but. you are not Obliged to stay
in them long. Especially If you have letters
Of Introduction. The citizens are pro-
verbally hospitable. and 70 them the
breath from the far-away world is
godsend.
BEI.LAMY'S DREAM REALIZED.
The streets Of Trinidad are narrow as
the narrowest In Spanish-America, aud
mostly unpaved. but extremely pictu-
RESCUE. with their low-walled, rough-tiled
houses ami high-sounding names over the
doors. AS IN Habana. the business streets
are a realization OF Beiamys dream of q
universal umbrella. because Of an min
;errupted series of awnings stretched
across. affording complete shelter from
the sun and rain. In the arstocratic
quarter the houses are mostly built OF
stone, and some OF them are imposing
with arched entrances and much-bestuc-
coed iacades resembling carved marble.
They differ from those in Habana i'm not
having any divided walls between the
rC Jrns, only the kitchen and sleeping
apartments being partitioned TO the cell
inS The rest are series OF open arches
vast, high ceilings. expanses affording
free circula ton OF air and magnificent per-
spectiyes of marble floors. rich frescoes.
mrrored panels. and tasteful furnishings.
One OF the finest houses In the town, II
not In the whole island, Is owned by an
American citizen-Mr. Baker by name but
here rendered Senior Bahquare. Perhaps
the handsomest country home in the val
Icy is owned by blr. Stillwell, New
Highlander who has a large plantation.
and lives like n prince. The war has not
affected this part of cuba 10 any appre
ciable extent, and when visited the place
q few weeks ago things were going on
as usual. Nothing short Of Skaters
and SIMPSONS guns can wake the Trini-
dadians up TO a realizing sense of the
true situation. They talk I'm q sleepy way
of political troubles in the island" but
as Of something which does not concern
them in their Arcadian retreat. The
nearest approach TO life and gayety In
Trinidad is seen on Sunday and Thursday |
in the Plaza Garlic. The big square in |
the centre Of the town, opposite the |
Governors residence, Is beautiful place, !
and differs in some respects from any |
large dome-ike arbor hOm which stone |
walks radiate. bordered by fiower-beds |
and shaded by ornamental shrubbery. |
Around the outskirts of the park extends |
a broad stone pasep,' or promenade sep
arated from the main garden ov fanci- |
full iron railing. and from the street By "A |
low stone coping. A profusiOn of gas |
lamps afford brilliant illuSination. and |
has "A beautiful effect at night amid the |
dense green foliage.
h. al Tnfr "a Hn0
large plaza at the southeast end of the
town, with barracks and backgrounds for
the garrison.
FORTUNE MADE IN SUGAR.
But the most attractive resort OF the |
place Is what Is known as the Villa |
watch Tower, point oil the adjacent
mountain which may be easily reached |
or horseback, or even in a volante. For
those who are good climbers Ii Is the |
fashionable thing to go up before break
fast. There is a rustic road winding under
pines and palms, past straw-thatched
huts, the military hospital. and the Ermi-
tt de la Pota, and he who has not seen
The sun rise above the Incompatible vale
OF Trinidad and illumine the heights
around II or sink among the green Gays
In vain. Speaking of American capitalists
in this region. time was, and time will
be again. when well-located sugar es-
tate in Cuba was considered as safe and
V3lldDle an investment as one cOulu poS- |
sibly have. OF course, the war has great
~ deprecated values. but when IL is over
things will be booming as never before.
Everybody knows how, during our civil
war, sugar attained a phenomenal price
n the United states, the best grades
20 cents a pound. The crcum-
stance induced William III. Stewart, the
New York millionaire, to purchase the
estate called La Carolina"
n Matanzas province. It's annual yield
vas about 100000 pounds of fine white
sugar. He paid $4,000 IN gold for the
and for years IL returned 10
Tim at least 100 per cent. on the original
Investment. In 1852 Moses Taylor, another
Itch and influential New Yorker, who had |
been large importer OF Cuban sugar, |
purchased a half interest in the famous
San MARITIME plantation. IL was just the
lie of the District Of Columbia (teu
niles SQUARED, and was superbly equipped,
having q fine old castellated mansion of
tone for family residence. What MIR.
Taylor paid for his half was never known.
nut for years the crop was simply marvel
,ounds. II eyas said at the time that Tay-
or received back his purchase In
ess than two years.
BATS AS VALUABLE TENANTS.
The great firm of Ojeiro, Waiburg &
20. Of New York. is o heavy owner OF
lgar property in Santa Clara province.
he WeIshes. sugar refiners OF Phila-
elphia. are also owners of large Cuban |
states II will be remembered that |
rhen President Grant named the eldest |
4 the Welsh brothers To be Minister 10
England, his confirmation was strongly |
btected TO by a faction In the Senate, on
Ia We worked estates and profited by their
-. Iust affer g4ir war James Me- | a.