New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-04
COMMERCE OF SANTIAGO.
IRON ORE AND SUGAR THE CHIEF EX.
PORTS.


CEDAR-CAUTIoN IN INVESTMENTS
IRON A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBvNEl
Santiago de Cuba. July 23-As the first part
OF Cuba to come under the stars ard stripes
Santiago and the region tributary to 1t are now
Of interest from the commercial point OF view
The isolation Of the eastern end OF the isiahu
from the rest is almost complete. virtually the
only connection with the populous centres OF
Havana, Matanzas and Cienfuegos Is ny water
and the distances are much greater than those
from Jamaica, Hayti and other islands OF the
Antilles BY land the trip IS almost out OF the
question. Commercially Santiago de Cuba is
country by itself
Baracoa on the north shore the oldest settle
ment in the New World, landing place OF CO.
lumbus. was included in the military district
surrendered by General Toral 10 General Shaf-
ter Fruit is It's great staple. and large quanti-
ties are exported from there. In good times
there is a daily sailing of fruiters. Guanta-
namo. east Of Santiago, is also port of some
consequence but Santiago is. of course. the cher
city Of the territory. ranking normally after
Havana and Matarzas in population.
EXPORTS OF SUGAR.
As the war Of 1S95-'9S went on Santiago suf-
fered with the rest Of the island. large pro-
duction of sugar had been attained. the growth
being gradual after the Ten Years War and
finally taking a squirt But the devastation OF
the plantations by one side or the other, cut
down the expectation to almost nothing. TINS
has always been the most considerable aSri-
cultural product. The commerce OF the city gov
TO be almost one sided. Their are 10 menufact-
ures so clothing and food supplies had to he
shipped in constantly. Little or nothing went
out. except iron ore OF course. trade OF this
sort could not go on forever
Y seems likely that the mineral wealth OF the
: -ovince will become its chief resource. although
sugar should under present conditions remain
important There are many stories or the mex
heustible wealth Of the mountains that stretch
along the backbone Of the island 10 It's eastern
end Cubans believe It to be veritable Edo
RADIO The fact is clear that its iron mines can
no worked with profit. American capital mas
demonstrated that. The Juragua iron COM
pany with eight or ten mines near Fermeza'
hack Of Siboney and the Spanish American iron
COMPANY. with a large shaft few miles back
Of Baiouiri. have made large shipments OF ore
70 the United States II goes chiefly TO Bethle-
her, Penn TO be mixed with the native PROD
uct but is used by other big steel companies.
Some Of the most important iron and steer IN
terests OF the East arc Joined in this CUBAN
venture They have their own vessels TO trans
mort the ore At Baiquri is a large pier from
which the orc shoots directly from the car 10 the
hold Of the ship. The Juragua company mas a
railroad running to Santiago Harbor. It's pier
being in tho outskirts Of the city. Here us
shlps are loaded Labor in the mines is 81
day. Spanish money. The distance from It'd
| water is small so that conditions iaVor INV
| cheap production Of the ore. The men VINO ARE
conducting these mides are Of such wealth and
/ ~ such ability that they will certainly make the
/ most Of the opportunities of peace and stable
fair government
OTHER MINERALS.
Manganese also promises well. Arrangements
had all been made TO work a mine of this wher
tho war began. The preliminary tests save In
dlcations OF excellent returns. Doubtless II VII
need only the settlement OF political uncertain
ties to set the machinery going The mine II
north Of Santiago. and Is connected with 1t b.
rail Now that part Of the track lying within
four miles Of It's terminus in the city has beer
made useless by the Cubans. but repairs are
under way. with the likelihood of being finished
in a week
Conner. too is known to exist in the noun
Cobre. In the present high price of the metal
and the large profits from the mines OF 1t In the
United states. it is certain that capital will seel
investment in this industry II half the reports
about the deposits Of it in Santiago Province are
true
Rut sugar will engage the widest attention
when business is again able to raise It's heac
unafraid Of war II is this that had come tC
ccntage Of gain from It led TO a large extension
Of the area under cultivation. II was fourd tina
tho new lands were wonderfully fertile and I
still further Increase in the production may b
looked for II prices warrant it. There are held
on the island which have yielded cane for twent!
wears without replantlng. You cut them dowr
and they grow up again Of themselves.
SUGAR OF THE FUTURE.
lust now the subject Of sugar production II
complicated by various elements. Jamaica ha
suffered much from the decline m this industry
and there are opinions that beet sugar vii
seriously cripple ever Cuba's trade. CrHsus
ike as It has been However there are ais
careful students Of the situation who do no
believe that the beet can ever yield sugar 81
economically as Cuban cane They point 4
the richness Of the growth and TO the It'll
care and cultivation required as advantage
which must make the Cuban article prohtabl
for an indefinite period
This ,ndustry thrived under the ruinous taxa
ton of the Spaniards and was partly able q
meet even the added tributes demanded by tn
insurgents Certainly a relief from ooth o
these ought TO compensate TO greater or les
degree for the competition Of the beet.
one thing is certain: Sugar must be produce'
on a large scale. with the most improved ma
chnery and under intelligent. energetic man
aCemcnt to yield good returns old method
were wasteful To a degree. but had given way II
good part to new ones more appropriate u
the last decade Of the nineteenth century