Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-04-27
CUBA SUGAR INDUSTRY.
II. CUM Visits a Large Sugar Factory
in Cuba.
BEAUTIFUL SCENERY
A Train Crew in Cuba Block Houses
Built and q Small Army Kept
For the Protection OF
Property.
Caribarien, Cuba, March It'll.

Caribarien, Cuba, March It'll.
An invitation had been extended ia
me some time ago to visit the NarclHa
sugar plantation, but owing TO the
growing habit Of putting things of I'M
III manana, ] waited until notified
that four companies Of the 3lst Michl-
gan would arrive here soon, which
would require my closer attention at
the office. In company with Mr.. LUIS
Drace, ] started out in a sail boat be-
longing to the estate. The weather
was fine but the sea was high ana
the wind was against us, but by dodg-
inc in and out between the keys, we
managed to make the 30 miles and had
every chance to admire the scenery.
For about nine miles from the start
ing point, excepting rocky projections
and dense growth OF mangocs, ana
underbrush, little variation could be
seen until rounding Il point, PAIN
forest lay before us in all It's glory.
Beyond that clcarings could be seen
for many miles and Mt the FOOT Of a
hin the white walls and red tiles OF IA
house lay basking in the sun. Great
smoke stacks doomed in the air but no
life or activity was displayed. This Is
"Inpcnio Dolores, a sugar plantation
not yet in operation. From here ON
again nothing but forests sItirtcd the
ocean. Thousands Of ducks have their
nests here and are Ilying about lls with
immunity. l'elcans and Ilamingocs
rise and dive in quick succession and
we watch them with interest rs they
swallow their prey and never seem TO
get enough. SO we passed on IN never
losing interest, until the war; OF In
pcmuiO NarciHa comes 10 Wow.
The warl runs out into the ocean Tor
about ~ mile, large warehouse COW
cring n train of cars loaded with sugar
and molasses tanks IL being unIoadcd
into bnrgcs laying along side OF ".
Landing, we we're told that an engine
would soon come TO tnkc rs to the
mill. We waited patiently for hall IN
hour when We were served with u cup
of coffee. Another half hour and am
other passed and no engine came us
against the sanitary law in CubA to
got impatient, your gall Is liable to
run over and you might get the yellow
fever am afraid of that, therefore
am getting patient. When The engine,
after u wait of two hours, did come
back and had orders TO take back II
train of empty cars and the engineer
hnd forgotten to bring coupling p ms
along aud saw The men sit down under
tho ears smoking cigarettes and con
sulting what best to do without MAX
ing ~ move TO do anything, the super
iniendcnt, my entertainer, quietly talk
Ing with them | could not help to
think what would happen II IN Amcri-
can superintendent would catch crew
in n similar condition. | laughed
But all things end and we did nj last
pull out. The road IL the narroWcAt
ever saw, 81 inches between the rails.
A half mile from the sea there opened
before US II most beautiful sight. a
level prairie of about ten miles IN all
directions planted in sugnr cane OF
covered with the wild grass of Cuba,
hundreds of cattle grazing, three diff
ferent "lngenios" or factories, TIVE
of them with smokestacks bulchine
smoke, the other laying dead.
At each factory there are great
houses built about the factory looking
like u tower built about n church, palm
and cocoanut trees stand, each solitary
all over tho folds about half mile
apart, marking either division lines on
roads, The narrow gauge railroads
cross aud recross each other In rcgn-
lar distances of one milo. No pretticr
sight can over be behold. 1t was hot,
about IS In the shade, but fine brocze
was blowing and no particular discom-
fort was felt by me, standing In the
engine cab, Two and one hall miles
from the warl we landed inside the
walls of the estate and were ut once
greeted by the manager, Senior Som
perville. When | say inside the walls
must explain that all three of these
estates has II number Of blockhouscs
built and men kept there for the pro-
lection OF the property. Tho owners
had to pay and maintain this little
army themselves, besides paying
heavy contributions To the officers oi
The Spanish and Cuba armies.
Getting of the eng inc and introdnc-
tions being over the superintendent
and manager, who Is n Frenchman
proceeded To the Office while | Mt once
took my way To the sugar mill Not
to tire my readers | will describe tho
manufacture OF sugar IN the main only
and briefly. The cane Is nroughl IRON
the fields ON Hat cars with racks some
thing the style Of n straw rack. Ten
ears are brought ut II time. Thes,
cars are moved up to an endless apron
aud the cane passes up some l. feet
high to grovcd roller that brushes
and breaks IL into small pieces, II
drops down two feet only to bc caught
by II second roller that gives II an
other squeeze, to drop u second time
to an apron and again to rise Into TIL,
nav of another sot OF squccAcrs, drol
and riso until 1t drops into the iurnat,
squeezed SO dry that 1t burns lik,
finder. The sweet juice II had to yielc
runs from under the rollers into gut
tors, thence to ~ vat in the hascmcn
whence 1t is pumped up into mrg,
steam boilers to he cooked intoa syrup
1t thon runs down again In centrifugal
machines very much like the creamcr,
scparaters only larger and IN II fey
minutes the syrup Is separated AM
dried out and elevated into II bin an'
comes down rs flour does in n mill I,
be sacked and loaded into ears which
are taken To the warf and emptied int
to barges. Tho sugar, which Is TIM
brown grade Is sent to Philadelphia @