Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-01-06
SUGAR ESTATES
Picture. of Their Conditions Half a
Century Ago.
Their Owners Liv, In HavRna and
Their Major DumoH were Guilty
of DnrtInrous cruelty
80 the slaves.

Coffee plantations, though so beau
tiful, have not Increased in number
of late years; in fact. many of then
have changed into sugar estates. whicl
are more profitable. and render tn
owner socially IAore important. Tn
owner usually resides in Havana
where his family may crioy the pleas
urcs of cultivated society and nave III,
luxurics OF Il city; lie therefore em
ploys n sort OF middlcmaH. called
maior-domo, TO manage his estate
The owner wants all the l.CTry lie ca
get to maintain his establishment ii
Havana. and the major-du:iO seeks u
increase his EcrI en;aC". and i:IuS ih'
poor slaves are ground Ia Tie gust
and ut Times the cruClticS rractic"d
are ]barEarcus. The mayCi"lS are
usually Canary islanders. 1t h6t-irmr
pcrcd ard cruel race. ard. bcir.' with
out the restraint Of the rrc''u"e "'
the owner. are virhictivrly oppressive
ard in their inhm.nan punishmert'
often take life. Tie hnrrCr> "Eirl
have been pcrpctratrd in Cuba by The
lash would disgrace barbarinrs.
One striking fact attestirC the hard
ships Of slave life ON Il sugar estate Is
that children are very rarely seer
there. Save men in their viCCr arc
more profitable. ard h,Ucc in II large
force of several hundred men only ii
few women are allowed. The lal'r.
and hardslips which thC,- Women GU
durc tend TO prevent Increase. and
the few children born usually die IL
infancy from neglect. There Is nc
care taken To prevent this result. ~
they say it is cheaper To supply the
losses on the plantations 10y rev i'm.
r~ortatiOns than by the rearing az
children. The climate. fortunately.
j. so mild that the slaves med but
little clothing, and u wide palm Eai
and n clCth about the lions arc th-iI
GESTURE in their fields. the sun seem.
ing to have but little effect upon their
black skins.
Evcry week there is n ration day.
on which they are drawn up in long
lines. ard Il few pounds of blaCk-luoE.
ing beef brought from Buencs .\yrc,
are thrown at the feet of each. which
81 Il-ti tiNH GUMS ~ sun AllIlrt4l.
In addition. a coarse meal or small
hominy tbran and all is boiled, and put
in a trough. from which they eat il
every morning with "a spoon, n paddle
or their hands, as they choose.
The Africans brought into Cuba are
generally frCm the cOust OF Moan.
and are called LGcoomccs and
They are large, stout
men, of logged will, and at times are
obstinate.
All these creatures believe implicit.
in the trnnsmigration Of souls. and
that il they commit suicide they go i'm.
back Ia Africa. To check
evil. when 4 suicide occurs. the
mayCral makes each OF the slaves
bring n bundle OF wood ard build u
funeral pyrc. on which the body l.
burned. The ashes are then scattered
n tn" mir by the survivors. in whose
the rcad ncgro's soul is thus
from returning 10 Africu.
n scattering the ashes they sigh an.
libby. Aha! Aha!" rs II expressing
,rief that tie soul Of their companion
AN no longer go home.
The appearance OF the sugar estates
= the very opposite of the beautiful
Office plantations. Wide fields Of mo.
lctonous green stretch themselves
o the horizon on every side. while
and thCr" the royal palm li:ts H.
uftcd head above the vrrtlnnt level.
NJ may oraIs house. the sugar works.
me the dingy barracouns for the
lnvcs are the only objects to break
he monotony of the drsolat. scene.
When first planted. the rare Is laid
in trenches. or furr0ws.
about five or six feet apart. and thrr
From each eye (ihcrc is al
we to each soft joint n shoot springs
ip. and sends out others. forming II
bunch Of canes; and thus the fields
are covered with the most luXuriant
green.
Every year the crop is cut at the
ground and the next season another
crop springs up from the roots. which
nrc called vatons. These yntOns will
YIELD crops in this way FOR several
years. Che length Of time depending
the mildness of the climate. In
80
only three or four crops
are gathered from onc planting. while
In the tropics Is or 90 are thus oh.
tanned. The grinding Of the cane be-.
gins about the last OF October. and
until the beginning of the
rainy season. n period Of nearly elk
This is the time of rrrn,c.t
iapor ON the estate: and. without In.
remission OF Sundays or holidnys.
with but few exceptions. the slaves
work inccssnntly, aud men and teams
arc worm Out before work Is over. The
slaves are given n few trinirg presents
IND are allowed some extra privileges
To encourage them In UNDERGOING tL..
increased labor.-Jonathan 8. Jenkins,
In Century.
a herd OF wild Asian bunaiocs vii
charge any foe, even u tiger, TO saw,
the life OF one Of their number who hn
been wounded.