The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-26

For sale by
The Arthur H. Barnes Co.
6lty n stnrs. 159 Church st.
improvements" as the advertisements
say. Presently dinner was served in
the wide, coll hall-fne old silver,
monogramed china, exquisite napery,
well-drilled servants, oysters, game,
rare wines-made it difficult to realize
that we We're in the heart of an i'm
poverished -beleagured island. /
had been told that wealthy Cuban
planters live like princes-and in truth,
many an old-world potentate might
change places and get by far the best
of the bargain. The estate of which
speak is by no means one of the largest
in Cuba. The proprietor told me that
it is only Is miles long by 8 or 10 wide,
comprising about 10000 acres. At pres
ent it supports something over 5000
people, collected in four villages. In or
binary times 1000 was the usual num-
Der of retainers, all employed upon the
estate in one capacity or another. Since
the war, the planter has been compell-
ed to maintain 1900 Spanish soldiers,
twelve forts, erected at his own ex-
pense along the edges of the estate. At
ter Weylers concentration order, 1000
reconcentradoS were quartered upon
him. The poor people We're driven from
their homes and forced to go to cities,
or to the fortified plantations. There
is no city in this section, and no other
plantation in operation; so they flocked
in here, and could not left to starve.
The humane planter built them houses
and protected them as best he could
and for more than two years has furn-
ished them with food, clothes and med
icine. Of course they have more than
absorbed the profits of his business,
though some of them have been able to
work a little on the place. The greatest
trouble is with their alleged protect
ors, the solder-guard. If the latter
want beef, they kill the first COW they
see, though it be the finest Jersey. If
fresh horses are needed, they help
themselves to the best the plantation
affords. When the spirit moves them
to recreation, they troop over to the
manor-house and demand it's use for
dance. On such occasions, "a high old
time but tamely expresses it. They
plCh up ICliictiC pal lllClo WhClCNCi lllCy
can-the daughters Of plantation
hands, good looking reconcentrado
girls, and camp followers. Champag ne,
(the proprietor's) flows like water-or
rather, as water never flowed for the
external use of these sons of Mars; and
if they do not end the orgie by smash
ing things generally and making a
bonfire of the buildings, the planter
considers himself lucky. There has new
er been any danger from the insurg
ents, to make this so-called ''protec-
ton necessary, because the proprietor
and his family are known to be in SYM
pathy with the Cuban cause; but there
is everything to fear from the Spanish
soldiers. And when the crisis comes, if
Spain is forced to withdraw her forces,
they will probably celebrate their de-
parture by burning the place, if not
numbering the people upon whose
bounty they have so long subsisted.
The magnitude of things on this
''small' estate amazes the stranger
There are 25 miles Of broad-guage rail-
road within it's limits, besides the 3
mile tramway. It's equipment includes
locomotives, 300 freight cars of larg-
est size and $50 box cars for a narrow
gauge track. There are thousands of
mules and horses and carts; and dry
goods and general supply stores, phar-
macy, schoolhouse, church, ice making
plant, machine shop, carpenters and
blacksmiths shops; in short all the re-
quirements of an isolated community
The enormous grinding house contains
several great engines and a wilderness
Of urbn md oh; ,,o &c,
lighted by electricity and has 720 tanks,
each Of which holds a ton of crude SUI
gar. In prosperous times this planta-
ton turns out 100, 900 bags of sugar ev-
cry year; but this year, when more
than ever ought to be made to keep up
extraordinary expenses, it will hardly
make half the amount. The sugar is
sent to New York to be refined, and
much of this seasons yield will bring
low prices because Of scorched cane
Passing bands of soldiers often burn
few acres. The stalks are generally
ground with the rest, but the first
squeezing turns out juice black as ink
1t lightens considerably in the process
of refining, but is yet too dark for first
class sugar. We occupied a long day
going over the plantation, but several
days would be required to see all it's
points of interest" Besides the extern
sive flower gardens, with its fountain
and shrubbery and shaded walks, there
is a park of many acres, containing the
choicest trees of the tropics-cinna-
mon, spice, Peruvian pepper, thickets
of bamboo, fruits of every variety an
aviary with countless birds, artificial
lakes covered with water fowl deer-in
short regular 200" and botanical
garden combined. Then we took To-
mile car ride to visit one of the villag-
es. What would my reader give to
have just one of those sky-scraping
palms in his front yard-and here are
thousands of them to spare! Our host
sent a man to climb one of them, just
to show US how it is done. The smooth,
round trunk looked like a telegraph
pole-fully 70 feet from the ground to
the tuft of splendid plumes on top,
without a branch between. The man,
with a bit Of rope around his waist,
ending with a palm leaf stirrup for one
bare foot took his Ratchet in his teeth
and Skinned UP like lizard; to sthe
very stop, where he whacked off one of
the huge leaves. AS in most things in
this wicket world the descent was more
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