The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-07

phosphorus, so they are very fine bes-
semer ores. They resemble the best
ores shipped from the Minnesota Iron
company's hard ore mines in this cOun-
try There is no underground mining.
The ore rises hundreds of feet into the
air and continues for miles. At the
Spanish-American properties it comes
to the surface in the bed of the Bal
Quiri river four miles from the mouth.
There are millions and millions of
tons of this hjgh-grade ore in that sim
gle deposit. The Juragua and Sigua
companies have millions more, and the
entire country in that section is impreg-
mated with iron. Much of the iron ore
is rich enough in manganese to be val
liable for that. The ground is covered
with underground of the dense charac-
ter peculiar to the tropics, cactus
abOunds and is a serious difficulty, and
the soil is scarce. So steep are the
mountains that for several miles the
narrow-gaug railroad of the Juragua
company is a series of switchbackS, riS-
ing one above the other in terraces, at
the top of which the mines are lOca-
ted In time mining will be carried on
lower down, and in time that section
will be one of the richest mining cOun-
tries this side the Atlantic. With suit
able methods and Americans to work
them these mines can supply all the
ores that can be used at furnaces and
steel plants along the eastern coast of
the United States. England also will
find there the ores that it now mines
in Spain and Sweden. The Spanish ores
are giving out and those of Sweden are
expensive. We made estimates that
under proper conditions these rich ores
could be mined and delivered in vessels
at the Cuban ports at not far from 40
cents a ton. There is no royalty, as
the mines are all owned by the COM
panies operating them, and with rea-
SOnable ocean freightS these ores would
drive any Spanish or Swedish ores from
the European market. They are richer
than any sent from Barcelona or Bill
bao and of q higher percentage of iron,
very few of them going below Sc per
cent iron.
1.-THE Spaniards steal everything. At
Santiago there is a little plaza, about
a block square, and it is all laid out in
walks and trees, is set round with set
tees, and has a fountain IN each corner.
noe year while we were there the gov
eminent had appropriated 600 for
the Improvement of this plaza. and all
that was done was to fill up some little
holes in the walks with crushed stone,
and that work was all done by the
cOnvicts at no cost. Every cent of the
money went into the pockets of the Of
fcials. Every man has to pay a 4 cent
tax on the meat he eats, for the govern
ment puts that tax on all dealers. The
officials get all that, every body says.
There was an import duty of cents
pound on flour when we were there,
though no -four is ground in the island.
The government used to send out arsen-
al supplies, powder, etc, and it fire.
quently happened that we used gov
eminent poyder, steel, and other sup
plies. for which we had to pay the
officials. Our supplies were in the ar
senal and they shipped us what we
needed impartially from our own stores
or from those of the Spanish govern
ment but they made US pay we'll for
the privilege of using stolen goods. We
were not able to complain. If We had,
there would have been action that
would have ruined our business.
They had a locomotive inspector at
Santiago who was supposed to come
out and overlook every engine and
piece of machinery we put in His fees
were $40 day, and he was sure to
make a special trip for every machine.
He would come down, stay to dinner,