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

lushiMutDM pnSt.

in Cuba, and the prospects there Will
be for profitable investment Of Amer
can capital wien war is over. Spccu-
lators Ia,r already turned their eyes
that way with divers schemes in view.
lave been particularly looking up
the chances for the average American
who is not ovcrburdcncd with cash
and does not expect to sit idly by and
get rich in Il season, but is willing to
do reasonable amount Of work for
fair returns. When the war ends as,
of course, it must, in the indcpen
dcncc Of Cuba the new Republic will
have to begin at the bottom, ccon0mi
cally. as well as politically. The is
land is 50 largely agricultural that it,
future prosperity, at least for some
generations to come, depends upon the
rural districts. Beyond afcw 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 ncfasti
dies. \ trip through the country re-
vcals uilcXamrlcd dcsolation burned
fields and orchards, ruined houses and
sugar mills. and often hungry people.
Last month made Il railway journey
from Havana 25O miles toward the in
;c!ior. In all that distance saw on
~ two cprnliclds, and not 4 single
Garden or occupied farmhouse Said
my travelling companion, What this
island mostly needs is tombstoncs. y
Aud truly it looked So. There was
plenty Of corn standing, though smoke
and flames could be seen in every d.
rcction. The sugar estates are so
very large often twenty miles in cx-
tcnt-that fires may rage in them for
long time and yet leave considcra-
bic portion unharmcd. This year the
cane was chokcd with weeds for lack
Of laborcrs, and yielded much less
than the customary amount Of juice.
and that was far below the usual val
uc, being darkcncd by large admix-
turc of scorchcd cane. Yet it was
we'll worth cutting and grinding,
whenever permission could be obtain
Cd from Maximo Gomez, the insurgcnt
chief.
The Spanish authorities readily
gave the planters permission to ~rind,
and guaranteed them protection while
doing so. This unwontcd 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 convalcscing soldiers. a very
la-ge proportion of SPANS boy troops
succumb to yellow fever, typhoid,
-Somitivo, 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 ut least they were sure of get
ting something to eat. Guard duty
does not tax them heavily. and when
fully rccupcratcd they can be utilized
again in the field. Meanwhile the
men amusc themselves, according to
.hcir natural bent, which is usually
more pleasing to themselves than to
their unwilling entertainers.
Every page Of this paper might be
filled with tales Of their cruel FRANKS,
which have been told to me on tho va
.ious estates have visited, and are
amply verified; but space forbids the
recital of more than two or three.
On the Santa Gcrtrudis plantation,
about forty miles beyond Caracnas,
where a company of soldiers were
protecting the people. lad Of II
years, one Of the poor reconccntrados
Iuartcrcd on the place, was going JOY
fully to his parents hut one morning
carrying a chunk Of beef in sack,
which the planter $ steward had given
him. The soldiers ovcrhaulcl 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
to convenient palm tree, and while
the soldiers cooked and ate the meat
he was floggcd at intervals during the