Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-18
AMERICANS IN CUBA
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| naIItliSfuNS lS SOOV
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"and bought the first one that was offered.
They thought | was, green and was buying
| a Dig in a poke. Maybe I was, but the
Engiishmen want that factory and have
| paid. 1t would make q good commission.
| Reckon they'd Offer little more If they
thought they could get II. ut bought that
| cigar factory as an investment and mean
| to keep it, r.
A Missisrippf Capitalist.
| 1 met him on the Prado. He hesitated a
moment, then halted me Say. you're an
| American, amt you? Knew you were by
! your walk. Saw you coming along and said
I'd speak to you. I'm powerful lonesome.
| Been sitting down here by the water for
| three hours"
In New York or Chicago the lonesome
| man is to be avoided. particularly il one
has the appearance of having come from
the hayfields. On the ocean steamer or the
| Pullman sleeper 1t Is wen to receive his ad-
vances with caution But with a stranger
among strangers In Havana 1t is different.
Moreover, no man can sit three hours at
the Prado, and, after watching the azure
| sky and the emerald waters of the gulf
start out in mood oo'prey On his fellow
man, who may be of a conf1ding nature
| So we struck up an acquaintanceship and
| sat down one of the benches for a good
| talk My companion's comment on the
jaunty Spanish officers who sauntered by
with the air of being victors instead Of
| vanquished, was Interesting. as were also
| his remarks on the other classes of the
population: Those may wait for another
day. His impressions of other things were
of more immediate value.
After having again given his thanks for
the relief from lonesomeness, he turned to
me saying: You speak the lingo, don't
you? After a while, if you don't mind I'd
like to have you go around to that money
exchange. I want some bills changed. They
cheated me the last time, and l want them
to understand I'm through with them"
The exchange house had taken advantage
OF strangers ignorance and made few
extra cents out Of him through sheer dis
honesty. In doing SO it lost a good Gus
toner. Having received my promise to
"lambast' the money changer my acquaint-
biography.
Why He Had Hopes.
I'm from Mississippi he said, but I've
lived in the western states. I'm down here
to buy land. Thought there was a good
chance. Haven't been out in the country
yet and don't know how it looks But they
can't scare me By that kind of talk I've
been in ansas, when the grasshoppers
were there. and I've known the drouth In
Nebraska. / didn't come here expecting to
find everything In shape. You needn't tell
me what the land looks like after war or
how the folks feel. Our family had IT'S
slaves. The cotton was all burned, and we
had no niggers when the war ended But
We pitched in and We're all right in cou-
pie of years That's what l lock for here
Now, do you know anything about lando
A Texas man, who had been to Santa
Clara, told me good land could be had for
$lO an acre. m ready to pay that
With some knowledge of ii soil In
Santa Clara province / felt nc hesitation
in saying that 1t was probably worth $40
an acre and more, but had the Texas man
inquired about the cost of transfer and of
perfecting the title? Under SPANISH laws
the cost of land transfers is very heavy
The saying is that when a piece Of property
has changed hands four times the value
of the land has gone to the government
in taxes and fees. The Texas .prospector
had not thought Of, that. Mlny others
who are seeking investment ar. like him
They learn the truth at the last minute.
Uncle Sam Must Be u Partner
The Mississippi ca p9italst was grateful.
I'm glad you told .me,g bout that" he
said. "Of course, wouldn't invest cent
while these Spaniards' are running the bus
mess, but when they gel out I'm going to
have some OF this Cuban land. What do
you think of these Cubans?' The infiec-
ton of his voice wassorfe of doubt but he
did not wait for an answer. They're a
good people he said, "and they've treated
me mighty kindly. j know thny suffered
a lot from the; SpaniaTds, and ] wanted
them to win in their fight. But I'm doubt
ing whether they have the right sort of
stuff in them to manage a COVE rnment OF
their own. Wouldn't they better have us
in as kind of partners? Td.nev ar invest a
cent here If l didn't think the United
States was back of it,
1t is rot my purpose now to SO into the
future government of Cuba The idea of
managing partnership has found lodg-
&C., ,1. tLot
ed from the Cuban point of view. Who
has partner has a MASTER says the
French proverb. and that may prove as
true in government as in business. The
man from Mississippi will not be kept from
making his investment In Cuban lands
through uncertainty, because he will come
to recognize that, without trying to solve
all the problems Of the future In day,
the pledge Of the United States for good
government in Cuba will be carried out.
At present this individual capitalist inter-
ests me because he is the kind OF an Ameri-
lean who is needed In Cuba.
In the midst of many spectators. pro-
motors and Adventures it is pleasing to
write that there are also many on the
ground who beiong in the same class as
the Mississippian. They have their own
money to invest. Like other people they
will have to learn some things by eXpe-
rience. But they won't lie cheated twice
and they won't be fooled more than once.
They will want immediate annexation, be
Eeving this will be TO their good and their
judgment will be a little biased that
account. They Will not see the drawbacks
nor will they have a full understanding of
the political and economic conditions. But
they will know how to go about developing
the resources Of the island and rebuilding
it's agricultural industries. That will be
worth more than political discussion.
I was thinking of these things when the
Mississippian nIdged me. Hey. tell that
chap l know his game. He got Quarter
from me yesterday. but he's fraud. Pm
willing to help these poor devils of starv-
ing reconcentrados, but I'll kick that fellow
if he comes around here again"
The fellow was of the mendtcants
whose trade it is to simulate misery. He
laughed when the message was translated
to him, but he took himself away quickly.
The professicr al beggars of Havana have
all thriva1. There are plenty Of people in
Havana who are suffering from lack of
food. but they are not reconcentrados. The
reconcentrados are dead and some are
buried The bones of others bleach the soil
in the neighhorhoods where the prison
camps Of the scificos were located.
OyercrOwdinu and Oyerchargins.