The Republican journal., 1898-06-30

years ago.
Havana in not having any divided walls
between the rooms, only the kitchen and
sleeping apartments being partitioned to
the ceiling. The rest are series of open
arches-vast, high ceiling expanses af-
fording free circulation of air and magnif-
cent perspectives OF marble floors, rich
treseoes mirrored panels and tasteful
furnishings One of the finest houses in
the town, if not in the whole island, is
owned by an American citizen, Mr. Baker
by name, but here rendered Senior Bah
quare. Perhaps the handsomest country
home in the valley is owned by Mr.. Still
well, a New Englander, who has large
plantation and lives like a prince. The
war has not yet affected this part of Cuba
to any appleciable extent, and when |
visited the place few weeks ago, things
We're going on Just as usual. Nothing
short of Skaters and SIMPSONS guns
can wake the Trinidadians up to a realiz-
ing sense of the true situation. They talk
in sleepy way of ''poitical troubles in
the island but as Of something which
does not concern them in their Arcadian
retreat The approach to life and
gaety IN Trinidad is seen on Sunday and
Thursday evenings, when the ''retreta'
takes place in the plaza Garlic. The big
square in the centre OF the town. opposite
the Governor residence is 4 beautiful
place and differs in some respects from
any others | have seen. In the middle is
large, dome-hke arbor, from which
stone walks radiate, bordered by flower
beds and shaded by ornamental shrub
berry Around the outskirts of the park
extends q broad, stone 'Paseo," or prom
enade, separated from the main garden
by a fanci1ul iron railing and from the
street 10y a low stone coping-a profusion
OF gas lamps affords brilliant illumina-
ton and have beautiful effect at night
amid the dense green foliage.
The Campo del Matre is another fine,
large plaza at the southeast end OF the
town, with barracks and drill grounds for
the garrison. But the most attractive re-
sort of the place is what is known as the
Villa, watch tower "a point on the adj
acent mountain which may be easily
reached ON horseback, OF even in vo-
lante. For those who are good climbers
il is the fashionable thing to 60 up before
breakfast. There is rustic road winding
under pines and palms, past straw thatch-
ed huts, the military hospital and the ''Er-
mita de la Pota;'' and he who has not seen
the sun rise above the Incompatible val e
| of Trinidad and illumine the heights
around it, or sink among the green bays
of the western ocean, has lived almost in
vain. Speaking of American capitalists
in this region time was-and time will be
again-when a well located sugar estate in
Cuba was considered as safe and valuable
| an investment as one could possibly have.
Of course the war has greatly deprecated
values, but when it is over, things will be
booming in the lever faithful isle'' as
never before. Everybody knows how,
| during our civil war, sugar attained a
| phenomenal price in the United States,
the best grades reaching 20 cents the
| pound. This circumstance induced VIM
H. Stewart, the New York millionaire, to
| purchase the magnificent estate called
LA Carolina in Matanzas province.
Its annual yield was about eight million
! pounds of fine white sugar. He paid
eight hundred thousand dollars in gold
| for the property, and for years it returned
| to him at least 100 percentum on the orig
inal investment. In 81 Mr. Moses Tay-
| lor, another very rich and influential
New Yorker, who had been large i'm
| porter of Cuban sugar-purchased a half
| interest in the famous "San MARTINEZ
| plantation. 1t was just the size of the
District of Columbia 40 miles square, and
was superbly equipped, having fine old
| castelated mansion of stone for a family
| residence. What Nh Taylor paid for his
half was never known; but for years the
| crop was simply marvellous, reaching for
one season -, 965, 900 pounds. 1t was said
at the time that Taylor received back his
purchase money in less than two years,
| The great firm of Ojeiro, Warburg &
| Co. of New York is heavy owner of
sugar property in Santa Clara province.
The Welshes, sugar refiners of Philade-
phia, are also owners of large Cuban es-
| tates. 1t will be remembered that when
President Grant named the cIiest of the
Welsh brothers to be minister to England,
his confirmation was strongly objected to
by faction in the Senate on the ground
| that he was the owner of slave worked es
tates and profited by their labor. Just
after our war, Mr.. James Mediation of