The evening times., 1899-03-22
TOURING THROUGH
SANTA CLARA CITIES
Official Report of Visits to'Sey-
eral Cuban Towns.
Observations in Various Sugar and
Tobacco Growing Districts.
municipalities OF Camajuani, Rene
dios, and Caibarien-I'lacetas
Site Free From Yellow Fever.

/
made public today a report from military
Official who has recently returned from
making a trip TO Camajuani, Remedies,
and Caibarien, in the province OF Santa
| Clara, Cuba. According to this official,
Camajuani has population in the town
of 5000, the municipality of 1900. Unlike
many other towns in Cuba the population
/ Of this place has increased 2,000 during
! the war. The town of Camajuani has, it
appears. not suffered by the war. 1t bears
! the reputation of having furnished large
number of Spanish guerrillas who sue
ceeded in thoroughly protecting the mu-
| nicipality. The town is the centre of a
large tobacco district, il having produced
| in favorable seasons as much as 100000
| bales Of tobacco per annum. The revenues
at present are cut down TO n merely nomi-
nal sum on account of the suspension OF
! the rural taxes, this being an agricuItu-
! raj district
/ Very few people enlisted in the Cuban
army in this section. All of the young
men who went to war have returned with
high grades. Nearly all of the inhabitants
have fathers and brothers in the Spanish
army. The official mentioned makes the
Z
ban colonel who had a brother and five
nephews in the Spanish army, four OF the
number being in the battle of El Caney.
Under the Spanish system the taxes col
lected last year amounted TO 500, 600. The
principal source OF revenue, as is the case
in nearly all Cuban towns, being the meat
tax which pays between $500 and $500 per
month.
There are four centrals in the munich
nAllfV fhrep Iuh will in,
this year. The town supports two pub
lie schools, one for boys and one for girls.
Two public schools are also located in
Zulucta near by. There are also two pri-
vate schools in Camajuani and a railroad
and telegraph Office. The town has no wa
terworks, no electric lights, and no gas
lights. The water OF the town is obtained
from wells 35 feet in depth, through blue
clay and limestone. There are no sewers
in town and the wells have become con-
taminated through the earthen vaults the
result being that typhoid fever is very
prevalent at certain times of the year.
There were also seven cases of yellow fe-
Yer in the town last year while in 1897,
there were 200 cases of yellow fever, most
ly among Spanish troops.
From Camajuani a trip was made to
Remedies The municipality consists of
Buena Vista. Guanebibo, and a portion of
Zulueta. The population of Remedies is
1000 and that Of the municipality is 12, coo.
Previous 10 the recent Spanish-Cuban war
the population was 5000. Remedies has
suffered greatly by the war. The district
is a sugar producing one, and four cen
trails are located there, all of which will
grind this year. The town has no water
works, neither gas nor electric light plant
Water is obtained from wells and cisterns
The annual taxes of the town were, in
peaceful times, between S45, goo and $50. .000
Ii is expected to collect in the six months
between January l and June 80 of this year
$4,000 or $1,000. y consumption tax is be-
ing collected, although the rate has been
greatly reduced. The meat tax amounts
TO between $500 and $500 a month. Rene
dios has railroad and telegraph communi-
cation. 1t has twelve public schools and
two private schools. Seven of the public
and both the private schools are in the
town of Remedies, and the others are
scattered throughout the municipality. At
present all schools are closed, owing TO a
want of funds. The country around CANA
juani and Remedies is generally low and
swampy. Much of the land is under culti-
walton for tobacco, but the country is re-
ported TO be malarious.
From Remedies a trip was made to Cal
BARREN. Caibarien has only one other town
in the municipality, Guajabana. The city
has a population Of 6,060 and the munich
pality 5000. The population increased a
thousand during the late war. No military
operations took place in the vicinity of
the municipality and it has suffered more
by business depression than by the ravages
of war. There are four sugar centrais at
Caibarian but only one will grind this
year. The principal business is importing
and warehouse storage. The taxes bsfore
the war amounted to $50, 900 to $4,000
ha collect; ic oh
a day. The municipality is in a bankrupt
condition. The town has railroad and
telegraph communication but no electric
light or gas plants. 1t has four public and
two private schools. About l500 destitute
people are there at present.
The next place visited was P:acetas
This town has a population of 1000. The
other towns are San Andreas and Guara-
cabulla Narcerrena, fernando and Tibi-
sia formerly belonged to the municipality,
but these three towns were destroyed dur
ing the war. The population of the muni-
cipality before the war was 14,0G0, now it
is 5000. This municipality suffered greatly
as il was the centre of important military
operations. The principal industries are
the growing of sugar caue and tobacco.
There were formerly three centrals but
only one is now in operation. The annual
taxes before the war were $27, COO They
are now ABOUT St,Ooo- mere are no water
works, gas, or electric light plants. Water
is supplied from wells. The city is only
twenty years old and has wide streets laid
out at right angles. There is railroad and
telegraph communication. Two schools for
boys and two for girls. The Spanish never
had less than 5000 troops in the city and
frequently as many as 14,000 The munich
pality was often occupied by from 10000
to 80, 900 Spanish. Placetas was cons dered
a very healthy place as it is on the west
ern end of the mountain district. Noun
tains extend as far as the eye can reach
in all directions toward the west. No vel
low fever has ever originated in the mu-
nicipality and it is considered by physi-
clans one of the healthiest places in the
island.
OPENING UP ALASKA.