The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-02
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be made in the saddle. Santiago has
never been connected with the rest of
Cuba by rail. Boats seemed to be good
enough for Cubans and Spaniards.
But an American company has already
sent down there to report on the best
route for a railroad to connect San
tiago with Santa Clara, and thence
with Havana.
The train was scheduled to leave Ha-
Vana al in the morning. 1t started at
9, q little reminder to the passenger
that Cuba is still manana land. Some
of Us had been over this same ground
in April, Just before the war. W /: OBJ
served now that the physical appear
ance Of the country had not changed.
The rains had turned the ashes that
lay over the burned fields, like a crust,
from gray to black. That was all.
THE REAL CHANGE
lay not in nature, but in man. In April,
an armored car full Of Spanish soldiers
was attached to the train. Now both
car and soldiers were left behind. No
fear now Of a sudden rain of bullets,
no need now Of a scouting engine to
precede the train in search Of bombs
or broken rails. For now we were
journeying through Cuba the new.
Even though the country is still all di-
vine overhead and al devastation I'M
derfoot, the condition Of the inhabi-
tants Is changed. The people are free,
free in their misery and their hunger
to rove over the blackening fields, over
the ruin and the desolation, unmolesr-
ed At the stations along the line the
surviving reconcentrados gathered,
mute stupefied either by their long
suffering or by the news that relief
would soon come-with los Amerlcanos.
The train rolled slowly through Ha-
l.1A~ l, Inn ~
MatarZas, into the sugar cane ValIey,
once the Valley Beautiful now the Vale
of Death. In April when we were
there before, the smoke Of hundred
fires hung over the valley in one great,
black pail. But now there was no
smoke; the last ernbers had ceased
smoldering, the plantations, centrals,
adobe houses, were masses Of black
ruins, the terrible autographs of fire
and sword. The whole province re-
sernbled nothing so much as huge
esh-heap.
On, into Santa Clara province, into
the former garden spot of Cuba, per
haps Of the world. Here were the roy
al palms. still dominating; but they
were sentinels in a wilderness. This
was the sugar paradise. In 1895 Gomez
and Maceo oVerran 1t "al machete."
Today it is what the insurgent chiefs
left it, paradise burned. Not house
Is standing, not q soul inhabfts the
region Such is the desert that was
created when 00000 900 of sugar cane
became drifting ashes. And such, in
deed, is the condition Of all the $4,000
farms, plantations and ranches that
were destroyed throughout Cuba dur
ing the war Machinery here, as well
as all over the island, Is a thing of the
past What is not rusted In the fields
has been broken up and shipped to
America as old metal. Cuba must
have a new outfit of machinery. But
first she must get money. Are the
Cubans really so poverty-stricken, all
Of them? From my own knowledge
can state that gold was boarded by
many Cubans during the war, and that
its hiding places.
THE EARLY BIRDS.
In this province Of Santa Clara are
the tracts of land which Cuban 'Iand
company" with headquarters in Santa
Clara and Washington. D. c., claims
to own. According to the prospectus,
the company can buy In this same
Santa Clara, for 100 cents, an acre of
land, which will soon be worth 500.
eve are the early BIRDS" the docu-
3I1ent continues. IF you would get the
worms, stick to us-shares 81 each.
We have located valuable tracts of
timber, mineral and farm lands in the
new Cuba We will be the first on the
spot to develop these resources Bet
ter than government bonds" So runs
the prospectus 1t will be just as well.
however, for possible stock takers in