The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-25

asking about business opportunities
in Cuba, and the prospects there will
be for profitable Investment Of Amer
can capital when war is over. Specu-
lators have already turned their eyes
that way with divers schemes in view.
I have been particularly looking up
the chances for the average American
who is not overburdened with cash
and does not expect to sit idly by and
get rich in season, but is willing to
do reasonable amount Of work for
fair returns. When the war ends-as,
of course, it must, in the indepen-
dence Of Guba-the new Republic will
have to begin at the bottom, economi-
cally, as we'll as politically. The is
land is SO largely agricultural that its
future prosperity, at least foe some
generations to come, depends upon the
rural districts. Beyond afew tobacco
factories there have never been any
manufactures of any account in Cuba,
and the wasted tissues Of industrial
life can only draw new blood from the
soil.
Those who were acquainted with the
Queen Of the Antilles in her golden
days Of prodigal prosperity would
hardly recognize her in these nefastl
dies. a trip through the country re-
veals unexampled desolation-burned
fields and orchards. ruined houses and
sugar mills, and often hungry people.
Last month / made a railway journey
from Havana 250 miles toward the In
terror. In all that distance | saw on
ly two corn6elds, and not a single
garden or occupied farmhouse. Said
my travelling companion, s'What this
island mostly needs is tombstones. :
And truly it looked SO. There was
plenty of corn standing, though smoke
and flames could be seen in every dl-
rection. The sugar estates are SO
very large often twenty miles in ex-
tent-that fires may rage in them for
a long time and yet leave a considera-
Bile portion unharmed. This year the
cane was choked with weeds for lack
Of laborers, and yielded much less
than the customary amount of juice:
and that was far below the usual val
ne, being darkened by large admix-
ture of scorched cane. Yet it was
well worth cutting and grinding,
whenever permission could be obtain
ed from Maxine Gomez, the insurgent
chief.
The Spanish authorities readily
gave the planters permission to grind,
and guaranteed them protection while
doing so. This unwonted generosity
on the part Of the mother country was
not entirely for the welfare Of Cuba
bless you, no-but because it helped
to pay the army and provide place
for convalescing soldiers. A very
la-ge proportion Of SPANS boy-troops
succumb to yellow fever, typhoid,
somitiyo, etc., during their first sea-
son in the West Indies; and those
who survive the acclimating process
must be cared for till strength returns.
As soon as released from the hospital
they have been sent to the plantations,
where at least they were sure of get
ting something to eat. Guard duty
does not tax them heavily, and when
fully recuperated they can be utilized
again in the field. Meanwhile the
men amuse themselves, according to
their natural bent, which is usually
more pleasing to themselves than to
their unwilling entertainers.
Every page Of this paper might be
filed with tales of their cruel franks,
which have been told to me on the va
rious estates I have visited, and are
amply verified; but space forbids the
recital of more than two or three.
On the Santa Gertrudis plantation,
about forty miles beyond Caroenas,
where a company of soldiers were
protecting the people, lad Of Il
years, one Of the poor reconcentrados
quartered on the place, was going joy
fully to his parents hut one morning
carrying chunk Of beef in sack,
which the planters steward had given
him. The soldiers overhauled him
and demanded to know what was in
the sack. The boy took to his heels
in alright, but was speedily captured
and brought into camp. Meat was
scarce, and the soldiers were almost as
hungry as the reconcentrados; so they
decided that the boy had stolen it.
In vain he protested and begged that
the steward be sent for; he was tied
tn q convenient palm tree, and while