The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-11-09

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THE USEFUL CALABAsH TREE.
have been but slightly developed. AS
fields for American enterprise both
sources Of wealth present attractive pos
sibilisies. Under the new order Of things
which viii prevail in Cuba fields $50 In
Eising viii rot remain long unoccupied,
and IN the consequent Development of
her great productive capacity both Cuba
and the United States will be the
gamers.
The mineral wealth Of Cuba is so
great that il even partially developed
sic would take high rank in this re-
spect. Gold and silver have been found
ia paying quantities, but this industry
has never been properly attended to,
and under more skillful management,
with better methods, both these metals
could be mined adyantageously.
Copper was mined by the natives at
Copre before Columbus discovered the
ISLAND, and there is strong proof that
native copper was carried across to
F,orida and used by the Florida Indians
mary centuries ago. The mound build
ers Of that state buried with their dead
copper ornaments and utensils, and
as there is no copper in Florida or IN
the United States fer long distance
from there it is reasonable to conclude
that the metal was brought from Cuba.
Certainty, however, took the place of
conjectHye when a chemical analysis
showed tke identity of Cuban copper
with that found in the mounds.
Copper mines were opened in Cuba
as early as 1916 to obtain metal for
casting cannon, but they were soon
abandoned owing to the restrictions
placed by the. government on the bust
ness In 1741, when Admiral Vernon
captured the bay of Guantanamo, cop
per money was coined by the order of
Governor Cajigal. From this time up
TO 1880 the mines we're unworked, but
in the latter year foreign companies re-
opened them, and native company
was organized soon afterward. a min
ing excitement followed, and in 1914
!, there were 227 mines in operation.
Nearly all of these were subsequently
abandoned, but two foreign companies
and one native company still continued
TO work the mines about nine miles
from Santiago.
For many years preceding 1857 from
S2, 600, 900 to So, 500, 900 worth of cop
per from these mines was exported to
the United States, besides the quanti-
ties sent to other countries Since the
year mentioned combination Of cir
cumstances led to the mines being
closed, though still as productive as
ever, and the various shafts, from 600
to ] 200 feet deep, filled with water,
all save 800 feet of their depth being
below sea level. In later years consid-
cradle copper has been taken from these
mines by pumping the water from the
shafts into tanks, which contained
scraps of iron. The copper held il solu-
ton by the water was deposited on the
iron and was removed when sufficient
quantity had accumulated. The process
of freeing these submerged mines from
water would be a costly one, but ex
perts say it would prove profitable.
The iron mines Of Cuba, all of which
SO far worked are in the vicinity Of
Santiago, overshsdow in Importance all
other industries on the eastern end Of
the island. Furthermore the industry
is the only one that has been able to
Withstand the industrial paralysis con-
sequen: upon the present insurrection.
The Juragua and Baiquiri iron COM
of over So, 00G, ,oo0, now operate mines
In this vicinity, and usually employ
from 500 to l,4o0 men. The two COM
panies chip into this country from 80
O00 to so, 900 tons of iron ore per month,
the largest portion of which is used at
Bethlehem, Steeltoa, Sparrows Point
and the Carnegie iron works at Pitts
burg. The ore derived from these mines
is among the richest in the world, yield
ing from 62 to 81 per cent of pure iron,
and is almost free from sulphur and
phosphorus There are numerous unde-
yelcped mines of equal richness in the
same region.
ManganeGe, metal difficult to pro-
cure and so indispensable in the manu-
facture OF steel, also exists in Cuba.
Numerous deposits of this metal are
found in the Sierra Maestro range on
the southern coast, from Santiago west
to Manzanillo, within a distance of 100
miles. An en5erprising American open
ed mine about 20 miles from Santi-
ago, at place called Ponupo, and built