The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-11-11

CASE OF AN AMERICAN
1soh Estate worth a Million Dollars
orlndins seasons Some Time
or Making a Loan.

HAVANA, Cuba. The personal for
tunes Of many OF the Americans who
formerly had properly and business IN
Cuba Il, by their own showing, az
low ebb. am ready to credit all they
say. Three years OF guerrilla warfare,
during which Cuban insurgents ana
Spanish troops were engaged chiefly IN
destroying property, could not have
left them Otherwise. But ] have not
met a single one Of these Americans
who has lost heart. Though they have
not the means of rebuilding at once.
they are not discouraged. Most OF
them have expectations from the
claims they have filed with the state
Department. While the amount OF
these claims Is presumably exaggerat-
ed, and while some may be fraudulent,
the expectations OF realizing something
from this source with which to rede-
yelop their holdings Is not an unjust
one.
One OF the Americans, who owns a
sugar plantation in a corner OF Matan-
zas Province, gave me an account OF
his financial condition. AS IL Is typi-
cal OF others repeat the substance OF
his statements:
I'm going out 20 visit my place,
he said. Haven't been there for near
ly two years. Saw the cane burning
then. Pleasant feeling to see your
plantation burning, but ] was pretty
lucky. Nobody ever heard me talk
ing against the insurgents, and they
were pretty decent. The machinery
was not destroyed, and that's the main
thing in raising sugar. Cost me some
thing, mostly in promises, but they
protected me. I've had word the ma
cbinery is In good shape"
shall you grind any cane this
year,"
Grind cane this year! Good Lord,
my friend. you don't know much about
sugar production. II l can get $500 ,0OC
right away, two years from this com
ing December | will he able to grind &
big crop OF cane and pay the none!
back. But II will take two years Il
realize anything from the plantation.
You won't have any trouble IL
making the loan, | suppose?"
'You suppose, do you? Then II yol
know anybody who wants to lent
5000, 900 on a plantation that's wortl
$1.000.0O0, just bring him around. w
been hustling month to get tina
100000, but not dollar OF 1t YET
though a plantation worth $4,000
ought to be good security"
by way OF DEPRESSION, II may be sal
that there are no sugar plantations 1
Cuba worth less than s1,0O0,0OO A
least / never heard OF one. This valu
alton seems to be one OF the effects O
the tropical climate. Whoever has
sugar mill and cane field speaks o
them with a deprecating wave of tn
hand, as though they were of no NOR,
account than an ordinary corn patel
in Iowa, or a wheat field in Dakotas
But when inquiry Is made as TO thel
value, Ii Is always "a million or so.
While the MatanZas planter may hav,
added few hundred thousand to tn,
value OF his place. and while he ma,
he seeking larger loan than Is need
ed to redeyelop 1t, he does not deceiv
himself on one point. This Is tn
length OF time that will be needed [,
put his plantation again on a payin,
basis. As for the rest, he will keel
hustllng till he gets together $25. 900 O
$4,000, and will start in without wait
ing for the balance OF the 5000 OO
which ne thinks he wants.
CHAS. NJ. PEPPER.