Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-12-07
"QUEEN OF THE ANTILLES"
Thomas W. Pitts. Formerly of PittsyiIe,
Tells of Climate and Manners in Cuba.

Tells of Climate and Manners in Cuba.
Thomas ". Pitts used to live in
Pittsville, Wood county, and the
gentleman is we'll known to a large
number of the readers of the
REPORTER. His home is now in
GAINESVILLE, Florida. Mr.. Pitts re-
Gently made a trip to the island of
Cuba and the Daily Sun of GAINESVILLE
published the following in reference
thereto:
Mr.. Pitts left New York on the
steamer Curityha October II, arriving
1T Neuvetas, Province of Principa.
Cuba, on the afternoon of Oct. p,
when he at once began a tour of pros
pecting.
Being more deeply interested i'll the
Province Of Santiago, Mr.. Pitts
movements were confined more closely
to that province, although he visited
others. He says that the lands, which
are of chocolate color and very heavy.
are remarkably fertile, and capable of
producing magnificent crops.
Cuba is the natural home of citrus
fruits, and Mr.. Pitts says that he saw
hundreds of thousands of oranges in
their wild state. The fruit is, as
matter OF course, sour, being uncul-
tivated, but its presence is evidence
that the soil is adapted to the culture
If the golden fruit. There is also
growing in the forests in great profu-
sion lines, lemons, guavaS and other
fruits OF a tropical nature. In one
instance Mr.. Pitts traversed section
which, for about fifteen miles, was
covered with guava bushes. bearing so
prolitically that the ground was liter
ally covered with the fruit. The hogs
IN this section feed on these guayaS,
and are SO fat it is with difficulty they
are enabled to walk. The cattle,
which Craze on the nutritious mea-
dows, green every day in the year, are
sleek fat, and in excellent condition,
affording a bountiful supply of whole
some milk.
Mr.. Pitts visited many of the sugar
Plantations. which are numerous in
the Province of Santiago, and of enOr-
nous capacity. He watched with
of syrup and sugar. The latter, when
ready for Shipment is moulded into
bricks, of convenient size, in crude
form, and sent to the United States to
be refined. Very little or no refining
is done in the island at present. To
give the reader an idea of the
enormous production of sugar cane in
that country, it might be we'll to state
that the Sanchez plantation comprises
hundreds of thousands of acres, and is
traversed by forty-tive miles of rail
road this mileage being necessary to
collect the productions Of the planta-
ton.
The eastern provinces of Cuba pro-
duce an enormous amount of honey,
which is shipped in bulk. Hundreds
of tierces of this production, from the
black bee, are shipped monthly, and
this is destined to be one of the lead
ing industries of the island.
The method Of living among the
natives of this tropical land is little
foreign to rhe American style, al
though it has been mOderniZed since
the presence of so many Americans
has educated them to more refined
ideas. The meal hours are about the
same as in the United States, but diff
fer somewhat in the nature of the food.
At 8 O'Clock in the morning the ma
tiveS breakfast on coffee and bread:
the midday meal comprises usually
two kinds of soups, heavily seasoned
with garlicS, and few boiled dishes,
with the absence of the soups. Fruit
is served with all meals. and on the
tables Of the more refined and wealthy
class may be found claret wine. A
smoke follows each meal of the,Cu-
bans. This practice is general among
all classes, and is INDUCED in not only
by the men, but the female members
of the family, who enjoy the fragrance
of tobacco.
While cattle are plentiful and in
good condition, their usefulness is ap-
piled to milking and working purposes,
being driven to carts and plOWS, and
tender, Juicy steak such as Americans
are accustomed to is rare thing-a
delicacy-With the Cuban. The ma
tives are very fond of bacon and dried
beef, and consume a large quantity
of this class of food.
The Cubans raise good crops of corn.
and resort to the mortar process in
crushing the staple for bread. Every
family is equipped with large wooden
mortar, generally dug OUT in rough
form from the end of a hard wood
block, in which the corn is placed. \
pestle shaped stick of hard wood, Or
dinarily about two feet in length. is
used to reduce the grain to meal. The
coffee is crashed in the same manner,
and with the same impliments.
The houses or ''shacks" of the ma
tives are peculiar being constructed
of poles, with roof of palm leaves.
With the exception of the bed rooms,
they are sufficiently open to admit the
driving of horse into them which is
frequently done.
Being strangers to modern stoves
and cooking utensils, the CubanS ap-
pr0priate these open places to cooking
and eating. The fire is made in a clay
oven resembling very much the black
smiths forge of this country. from
which the cooking is done. The
better class of inhabitants use char
coal for fuel, but wood is more gener-
ally used, because of its advantage in
cheapness. This wood is brought to
market by pack mules, and sells by
the 100 sticks, the price equalling
about 81 per cord, American money.
Mr.. Pitts visited Mayari, town of
about 1900 inhabitants, in the
province of Santiago. and was sur
prised at his inability to secure hotel
accommodations. There is no prOyis-
ION in the town for the care of a
stranger, and he must make the best
of the situation. The houses in
Mayari or greater number Of them,
are constructed on the same principle
as has already been described in this
article. of poles and palm leaves.
The forests of Cuba abound in hard
wood timber of all kinds. including
mahogany, but Mr. Pitts says the