The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25
TRIP THROUGH CUBA.
THE INTERIOR OF THE ISLAND AS
IT IS TO-DAY.

Ruins of Sugar and Coffee PIanta-
tlOns-Need of Money, Machinery
and Means of transportation.
American Land Owners Returning.
Spanish Soldiers Glad to Go and
Spanish Residents Anxious for An
ncxatiOn.
Santiago, Sept. 19.-We know all about
Havana In the west and Santiago in the
east. the New York and San Francisco of
Cuba; but what about the country be-
tween? Since the blockade of Cuban
ports began early in the war the interior
section of the island, so far as the out
side world is concerned, has been a place
of vast silence, Correspondence with pen
and camera and military couriers with dis
patches went inland only as far as Gar
cia's camp, in Santiago province, or 10
the headquarters of President Maso, and
the Cuban government in the province of
Puerto Principe. Occasionally there were
brought TO light small morsels of news
about Matanzas or Cardenas on the north
coast. or about Cienfuegos or Trinidad
on the south. But the interior, all the in
land towns, remained in impenetrable
gloom. In shut-up Havana knowledge was
less than in the United States until the
signing of the protocol and the coming OF
peace. Then the opportunity 10 move
about at will proved too tempting to be
resisted by the trio of American CORE
spondents cooped up in the Cuban metrop-
oils for over three months. We decided to
take look at new Cuba during the first
moments of its freedom
Between Havana and Santiago the dis
lance is 500 miles. The railroad extends
only half way, ending at Santa Clara.
The remaining $50 miles must be made in
the saddle. Santiago has never been con-
nected with the rest of Cuba by rail
Boats seemed TO be good enough for Gu
bans and Spaniards. But an American
company has already sent down there to
report on the best route for a railroad to
connect Santiago with Santa Clara, and
| thence TO Havana
The train was scheduled to leave Havana
al 6 in the morning. 1t started at S
a little reminder to the passenger that Gu
ba Is stiH manana land. Some of US had
been over this same ground in April just
before the war. We observed now that the
physical appearance OF the country had
not changed. The rains had turned the
ashes that lay over the burned fields, like
crust, from grey to black. That was all
The real change lay not in nature, but in
man. In April, an armored car fun of Span
tsh 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 scouting engine TO precede
the train in search of bombs or broken
| wa Uar inc
Cuba the New. Even though the country
is stiN all divine overhead and all devas-
tation underfoot the condition of the In.
habitants is changed. The people are free,
free in their misery and their hunger to
rove over the blackening fields, over the
ruin and desoiation, unmolested. At the
stations along the line the surviving re-
concentrates gathered, mute, stupefed
either by their long suffering or by the
news that relief would soon come-with
los Americanos.
The train rolled slowly through Havana
province and into the province of Man
tanzas, into the sugar-cane valley, once
the Valley Beautiful now the Vale of
| Death. In April when We were there be-
fore, the smoke of a hundred fires hung
over the valley in one great black pail. But
I now there was no smoke; the last embers
had ceased smou{deIng, the plantations
centrals, adobe houses were masses of
black ruins. the terrible autographs of fire
and sword. The whole province resembled
nothing so much as huge ash-heap.
On, into Santa Clara province, into the
former garden spot of Cuba, perhaps of the
world. Here were the royal palms, still
I dominating; but they were sentinels in a
! wilderness. This was the sugar paradise
In 1895 Gomez and Maceo overran it "al
machete." To-day 1t is what the insurgent
chiefs left it, paradise burned. Not a house
q is standing, not "A souls inhabits the re-
gion. Such is the desert that was created
when $60,000000 of sugar-cane became
I drifting ashes. And such, indeed, Is the
condition of air the frty thousand farms,
{ plantations and ranches that were destroy
: ed throughout Cuba during the war Ma
! chinery here, as we'll as all over the is
land, is thing of the past. What is not
rusting in The fields has been broken up
, and shipped to America as old metal. Cuba
! must have new outfit of machinery. But
first she must get money. Are the Cubans
, really so poverty stricken, all of them?
From my own knowledge 1 can state that
gold was boarded by many Cubans during
J the war, and that now this gold will be
brought from its hiding places.
: In this province of Santa Clara are the
! tracts of land which a Cuban land com
! pany," with headquarters in Santa Clara
and Washington, D. c., claims to own
4 According TO the prospectus, the company
. can buy in this same Santa Clara. for one
r hundred cents, an acre of land, which will
soon be worth one hundred dollars. I'VE
are the early birds" the document eontin-
; ues. IF you would get the worms stick to
! us-shares 81 each. We have located val
/ liable tracts of timber. mineral and farm
lands in the New Cuba. We will be the
first on the spot to develop these resources
/ Better than government bonds" So runs
: the prospectus. 1t win be just as Well how
/ ever, for possible stock-takers in this com
pany to take, first a little journey through
! New Cuba.
Then came Santa Clara city, where the
poorer people were standing around idly
seemingly waiting for somathing TO turn
up. Their countenances seemed to say:
, well, the chapter of horrors is ended.
we have buried our dead, and still there
is reign Of misery. What next?" Santa
Clara being so far inland had received
no relief for months. Upon this city Wey-
. ler's RECOMMENDATION edict fell as heavily
/ as upon any of the sea coast towns. Fifty
thousand reconcentrados were gathered