The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-11-09

prived of its reward as heretofore, and
enterprise will be stimulated and at
tracted to new fields.
Cuba as a sphere of American enter
prise and investment is certain to be-
come very popular in the near future.
Thousands will rush there from all
parts Of our country, and many doubt
less in their search for treasure will
find it tc their sorrow to be q second
Klondike. It is safe to say that ad-
venturers Of any kind, business adven-
turers included, will be in the majority
Of cases woefully disappointed. Men
with solid business methods, not too
eager to get rich, will undoubtedly find
Cuba good field for their enterprise and
their investments. It's resources, we'll
nigh inexhaustible, have been but very
partially developed, and there are IN
questionably many opportunities there
for men Of capital and business capacity.
In an interview held recently with
Mr.. Emile Chemidlin Of New York
city, who has had for years extensive
business connections with Cuba, be
said: "It would be mistake for men
to flock to Cuba from this country in
the expectation of making fortunes.
The island will take long time to re-
cover from the effects of the disorders
which have prevailed there for a num-
ber of years, and if there are fortunes
to be made easily in Cuba the Spanish
business men there are sufficiently alert
and enterprising not to allow such
chances to escape them.
Zone effect which believe the recent
changes will have upon the business
transactions between this country and
Cuba will be to largely do away with
middlemen in the shipments of goods
to the island. Many of our leading
merchants and manufacturers engaged
in the Cuban trade. instead of consign-
ing to merchants in Havana and else
where as heretofore, will probably es
tablish branches of their business in the
commercial centers and thus deal with
the customers directly.
''The leading business men in Havana
and elsewhere throughout Cuba are al
most entirely Spanish. They are shrewd,
active, enterprising men of business and
thoroughly trustworthy and reliable.
A few of them perhaps may leave the
island now that it has ceased to be a
Spanish possession, but believe that
the great majority will not permit their
love Of country to prevent them from
realizing the advantages certain to fol-
low a state where freedom from disor.
der and security to life and property
are guaranteed.
'The island is wonderfully fertile, "
he added in conclusion, "and there is
scarcely a limit to its productiveness.
Almost anything is possible in the line
of industrial progress in such place,
and in view of the certain and speedy
Improvement in the social and political
condition of the people it is, I think,
quite safe to predict prosperity for
Cuba. -
The gentleman quoted presents one
side of the picture, not the brightest by
any means He regards the situation
in Cuba from the point of view Of a
man Of business, whose relationship has
been with other thorough business men
in the island who have been and are en-
gagged in we'll established lines of trade.
There are, however, other industrial
fields that have scarcely been touched
as yet which offer inviting opportuni-
ties for American enterprise and capital
to develop and for skilled labor to
work. OF this sort OF labor there is but
a very limited supply in Cuba.
The negro portion OF the population,
by far the majority Of the whole people,
Influenced by environment and inherit
ed tendencies will in general not work
if they can avoid it. They can rarely be
depended upon to work steadily unless
forced by the spur Of necessity, ana
usually can only perform the toughest
and rudest kind of labor. The hbe1a-
tion of sha slaves in Cuba affected az
versely rtle vast sugar interests Of the
island. rot to the same extent as 1t did