The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-15

man. owing to the lack of t~ransporta-
ton facilities to the seacoast-
The ''yaua'' or lancet spar, grows oy
the thousand acres. and so does lhe
Iignum vitae, so much sought AFTER
for the manufacture of block sheaNes
and OF heavy balls used In bowling al
leys.
Palm leaf In great quantities Is ex-
ported to Europe and the United states
for the manufacture Of hats. ana PAT
mich finds a ready market abroad Tor
the manufacture of oil.
Honey and beeswaX are other very
important articles OF export, and mod
ern hives upon the plan of French and
Dutch hives would amply repay the
investment.
some parcels of turquoise shell find
their way weekly into the market, AND
as a rule are shipped TO Paris.
Next in Importance to its agrlcul-
tural products, Santiago de Cuba's iron
and mines demand univer-
sal attention. The great iron noun
tains and mines of Santiago are owned
and operated by three companies. the
Juragua Iron company. the Spanish
American and the Sigua Iron
The Juragua is the Oldest
and largest company operating here:
This of which Major Bent OF
the Pennsylvania Steel company Is
president. was formed n the property
acquired in 1881. Its shipments OF bes-
semer ore so far exceed 3,oOo,OOo IONS.
The total output of the Juragua mines
is controlled by the Bethlehem Iron
works. the Pennsylvania Steel company
and the Maryland Steel company. Its
maximum monthly output is 10000
tons.
Sibony is the shipping point OF Jura-
qua Iron company's mines. The span
ish-American Iron company. OF whlch
rl..lng l. DanH If NaU York iG nTPS-
! ident. acquired it's property I'm 1889. It's
shipments so far have been 1000 tons
TO Philadelphia, Baltimore, England,
Scotland. Wales. Belgium and GER
many. where IL has been sold in the
open market. Its maximum monthly
output Is 90. 900 tons. Baiquiri Is the
shipping port of the Spanish-American
iron Both these companies
shut down. owing to the war, on April
q, 1898. They will resume work at
once.
The Sigua Iron company, which
started with a big boom in 1890, built
a broad-guage railroad nine miles Ions
and extensive buildings and sheds,
shipped four cargoes in 1894. aggregat-
ing 2 1000 tons, and have not been heard
from since. abandoning their property
and closing down their mines. Sigua,
about seven miles east of Baicuiri. was
their port of shipments. All their build
ings. sheds and wharves, valued at 81,
900, 900, were burned down by the insur'
gents and their railroad bed and tres
ties. evidently very badly built, have
all been washed away by heavy rains
Their machine shops have all been de
stroyed and were at one time used al
salt works by the Cubans.
one thing must be said I'm favor %
the Spanish government In this respect
that their mining laws have been eN'
ceedingly liberal, Offering every facil
ity to opening up this new field. Al
the machinery received by the minini
companies was exempted from dut!
and all the coal imported and used b!
them was entered free. Baiqulri dc
serves special mention n recollection
as being the great slave emporium o
eastern Cuba in the days Of slavery
AS is well known, the Santiago ore
with it's low percentage of phosphorus
ranks together with the Swedish
Spanish and Demarara mineral a
crack ore" Of the world.
The entire iron distric, is parcelle
or clear up to the Gran Piedra,' tn
highest peak of the Sierra Maestri
and owned by private individual
Most Of the titles are held by spar
Iards, some small parcels by French
men. A curious feature Is that IN
land fee is separate from the minin
rights. both titles rarely being held D
the same individual.
As it's name indicates, "El Cobra
about r. miles from Santiago, Is n
heart of the copper fields OF Cubs
These copper mines are extremely va.
uable and have been worked since ca
ly I'm the century. This rich and terti
soil, with it's wealth of agriculture
and mineral resources. where drouth
floods and frosts are unknown, is pra,
tically ~undeveloped. owing to the toti
absence of transportation f~acilitie
either by rail or roads.
Industrial Santiago is woefully b.
hind the times.