The times., 1899-03-15

The TINES, '
centre of the island, fifteen miles dis
tant over an excellent natural road.
Santa Fe has two hotels, Caballos and
Santa Fe. The town also contains thermal
baths of about blood temperature The
medicinal springs contain magnesium and
iron all of which are very favOrably known
to the people of Havana. many of whom
visit them in summer. The Spanish gov
ernment formerly had an official surgeon
at this point, who continues to collect
consultation fees of 81. % in gold from each
person who desires to take the baths, the
| patient subsequently paying 20 cents for
each bath. 1t is recommended that this
| forced medicinal consultation before taking
tepid bath be done away with.
Jucaro, the port of Santa Fe, is on the
Santa Fe River. Steamers touch once a
week The only wheel vehicles are the an
| cient vOlante and the OK cart. No schools
were in operation when the island was
visited. The revenues having ceased all
| government functions were at standstiil.
| The taxes formerly collected at thesa points
| by the Bank of Spain went TO Havana, from
| whence one-fourth was afterward remit
| ted to the inhabitants. The only dues col
| lectible directly by the authorities in the
| island were the dues for slaughtering cat
I
| longer exist, as there are practically no
| cattle in the island.
The civil expenses of the government
| formerly amounted to only about $1,000
| per annum. of which 1900 came from the
Bank of Spain and $4,000 We're coilected
directly on beef. or rather indirectly, by
| export dues OF l-2 cents on each sack OF
| charcoal, and cents on a cord of wood.
Natural Resources.
| The only mineral product of Importance
in the island is the marble. This marble
| is found in the mountains east and west
| OF New Corona, on the north coast. Some
! fifty years ago these marble quarries were
! worked extensively, and there are eyi-
! dences that much money was put into the
! enterprise For some reason or other ii
/ is said that the Spanish government looked
/ with disfayor upon the enterprise, and in
order to discourage it levied a duty on
the sand used in saving, which was hauled
from the shore a mile from he quarry
/ This tax killed the enterprise.
About twelve years ago a few cargoes
! of mara blocks were got out and
! shipped 10 Havana to be sawed out and
worked there. Since then this particular
industry has been neglected. The marble
| appears to be of good quality some of It
being white statuary marble, while other
/ specimens contain various shades of b.ue
! grained stone. as well as marble of dark
! gray color. There are also specimens con-
tanning pinlish coioring. None Of these
samples are capable OF a very brilliant
! polish. With modern methods good re-
| suits might be obtained.
The tobacco grown in this region sells
in Havana at $40 per bale. 1t is believed
that it passes later as Vuelta Abajao at a
higher price. Were Il cigar factory cstab-
3 iighpJ in he island 1'anfair T-gl-y ha1 ia,.p
that it would insure the recognition Of the
product under its own name. and that tlis
would stimulate the growth of the staple
and bring a corresponding benefit to the
/ island.
The sugar cane at present raised in the
! island is for home use only. The juice IS
extracted by crude wooden mill and
boiled down in large open kettle, max
! ing 4 dark, coarse sugar unfit for export.
\ sugar plantation here would not prob
ably be able to compete with those in the
rich level lands of Havana province, as the
soil is not as strong as il is III the region
named. Coffee has only been raised in an
experimental sense. The quality seems to
be fair and Captain Foltz believes that il
cultiyators who understand the work
should commence operations in an at
tempt to raise the berry good results
might be obtained.
eXperimentally grown, but the fruit ap-
pears to be fine. Rice grows well without
irrigation. Yuca, which is commonly usei
for starch, also grows well without irr.-
cation, and usually yields well.
Malango, which is a species or pOta o
grows well without irrigation, yields well
and is of fine quality.
The sweet potato grown in the island
possesses particularly fine flavor anc
with reduced rates to Cuba would become
marketable product. The plaintain has
a sweeter flavor than that grown in Cuba
and produces abundantly. 1t is shipped tc
Cuba in small quantities, and in tine viii
become an important article OF export
Pig and Parrot Paradise
The island is a paradise for pigs The
vast variety of wild fruits and seeds fur.
nish him abundant food. Parrots ar, lounC
in large numbers and are yearly exported
The shallow waters about the islanC
abound in an excellent quantity of fst
and Holsters.
The agricultural resources of the ISLAM,
are as follows: Rich land, 10 per cent
land of doubtful agricultural value. 10 PEI
cent; Savannas covered with mangrove
. and palmetto. % per cent: swamp ant
low ground covered with mangruves. 2
per cent; mountains and steep hills.
per cent; pine lands unsuitable for agrf
culture, - per cent. The land thus uamet
, lies north of the Cienega OF the ian,
+ dcnominated rich only a very small Der
l centage is actually under cultivation, bu
/ the nature of its growth shows the valu
OF the soil. OF the entire surface of IN
island but l per cent is now under cult
vation. AS an example of the wonderful
variety OF products OF the island Captain
Foltz mentions in particular farm o
=, I less than thirty-three acres actually il
. cultivation whose products include coffee
sugar, chocolate, cocoa. cocoanuts, plain
tains. bananas. sweet potatoes. cassay
from which laundry starch may be made
nalangoes, which answer for potatoes
rice, beans, lettuce, tobacco, honey, fowls
! pigs, and cattle
T. The rich arabic land of the island i
d not found in large tracts. but in scattere
patches among the hills. which is suitabl
; for tobacco patches rather than guga
1 plantations The demand for cOnsumptio
> in the island is small and the freigh
3 rates to the mainland high. Hence tn
n only agricultural product that command
a ready cash market is tobacco. OF thi
@ staple the island exported last year abou
e 5000 bales of 100 pounds each. This yea
$ the amount will fall to 20cO bales or less
u for the reason that the workers who ha
come 10 the island from Vuelta Abaja
$ came to escape the war. They have 10,
. returned to their old homes where tn
q | reputation Of the leaf, If not its actua
\ superiority gives the labOrer who cult
= Yates il a larger return for his work
1 The horses OF the island are very sma
s and generally very poor. They are hard
+ and travel with comfortable and rapi
= ambling gait. The pasturagc is not sue
as to favCr growth and the stock brough
to the island during the is bein
Z cd tn n b1 baN