The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-27
SAVANNAHlAN IN CUBA.
NH. HENRY ROTH's RECENT VISIT
TO THE ANTILLES.

uIace StilI RestIess-Better Glass
! of Both Cuban and SpanIards De-
sire Annexation, But the Middle
Class Want Independence and the
Government of the Island in Their
Own Hands-Much Wealth in the
Cities and the Merchants Have All
the Capital They Need-Business
| With the states Slowly Developing.
MIR. Henry Roth has recently returned
from Cuba, after making a tour of pretty
much the whole island, his trip being one
which combined business with pleasure.
| Not having visited the island in several
years, Mr.. Roth took particular care to
observe the conditions and the temper of
the people there, and as the result of his
observation he is able to make an interest
| ing report Of his trip.
Il went from New York to Nassau in
| the Bahamas" said Mr.. Roth, "and thence
to Guantanamo Santiago, Cienfuegos,
Matanzas and Havana. making the trip
as far as Cieufuegos by steamer and
thence through the heart of the island
by rail. Nassau, where 1 first stopped. is
the capital of the Bahamas. II is a very
pleasant town, and has a very agreeable
Climate, the thermometer rarely going
above 80 or below 70 When the mercury
| gets down to 90 degrees the inhabitants
put on heavy clothing and think il very
cold. The people are pleasant and affabIe
and very polite, both white and black All
are anxious for better business relations
with the states, as they speak of this
country
From Nassau I went to Guantanamo.
the trip taking two days. This is where
part of the Third Georgia Regiment was
stationed during the stay of the regiment
in Cuba The town is well situated and
evidently does considerable business. 1t
is surrounded by a number of large sugar
Plantations. From Guantanamo I went
to Santiago. On account of the yellow
fever prevailing there, I did not go into
| the city, but L managed to see a good
many of the people, nevertheless. 1 found
the conditions there and elsewhere in
| cuba 10 be the same. The higher class
| Spanlards and Cubans are very much in
! FAVOR OF annexation to this country They
realize that 1t is for their own
! interest and the interest or the
island that this should be brought about
| The mixed breeds, or middle class people
| VINO compose the bulk of the population,
are opposed 10 annexation. They want
| independence 50 that they can rule the
| island themselves. Although there is
| lar degree OF quiet the populace is stif
| unsettled and restless. The entrance to
| Santiago harbor by the way, is an ex-
! perience never 10 be forgotten With the
| towering mountains on one side and Nor
70 castle situated on an eminence of !, 200
feet on the other the sight is one long to
! be remembered.
'Cienfuegos, which was the next place
! | visited, has one of the finest harbors In
the world. With the exception of New
| York harbor / do not know of any finer
/ anywhere. L consider il superior to Ha-
| NaEa harbor Il Is a great deal cleaner
for one thing. There is plenty of room
for vessels TO come TO the wharves. but
| the rule of lighterng all Cargoes prevails
| here as elsewhere. 1t seems TO be a trade
| custom. From Cienfuegos I Travelled by
rail- through the heart of the sugar coun-
! try. The section is certainly the richest
on earth and must have been productive
of immense wealth previous to the revo-
| luton. There are thousands of acres of
/ magnificent cane fields to lie seen from the
railroad. The ruins of many burned SUI
| gar mills were to be seen but these will
| doubtless be rebuilt
The railroad service Is a good deal
| short of being the best IN the world l
paid 1870 for a ticket from Cienfuegos
claimed. 1t is probably less than 200 miles.
the trip requiring 1112 hours. 1t was pref
| ty high railroad rates considering the SER
vice afforded. 1 found, however, that
there are but two cheap things In Cuba,
| newspaper advertising and bathing
/ Everything else comes nigh. I found that
in spite of the war there is a great deal
of wealth In the Cuban cities. AT San
| tlago Cienfuegos and Matanzas. as we'll
as at Havana, there are many large bust
ness houses well supplied with capital
/ which do business on a large scale Fvi-
dences of former wealth are plentiful
| throughout the island. At Colon an inte-
! rior city on the railroad of about 1859 in
| habitants, there We're many handsome
| buildings and evidences of wealth and Gull
| ture.
Havana is city of ancient appearance.
but Of a great deal of solid wealth and
| possesses many attractive features TO the
| visitor. l was especially struck with the
| primitive methods of doing business.
! While they have substantial banks nearly
all business transactions are in gold the
| use of checks being almost unknown All
! cash payments are made in gold AT one
| business house l saw the head of the firm
| with about $25,C00 in gold on a table.
which he was making up into packages
for the purpose of paying current bills
Spanish gold is the current coin. Amerl-
can god Is at premium of 9
silver included, passes on the same
| basis as gold. Spanish silver
is at discount of 20 per cent as com
! pared with Spanish gold.
Except in the line Of manufactured
goods I do not think there is much of an
opening in Havana for Savannah's mer-
| chants said MIR, Roth. Havana has
| merchants who could buy a half dozen of
our leading merchants several times over.
The big firms buy in very large quantities.
Fer instance I saw one order given for
| 1900 cases OF condensed milk. This is
much beyond any order of the kind ever
given by Savannah Wholesaler. New
| York is shipping largely of food products
to The island, but American manufactures
have not yet made much Roadway. The
better class of people Of IIavana and Cuba
are an exceedingly pleasant people to
meet. or to do business with In facr.
both Cuhans ana Spaniards of the higher