Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-02-14


Is, lands IN Santiago and Santa Clara
provinces remain virgin and intact The
nearest railroad Is about 10 miles from
the outer edge Of the woodland, and the
cost Of hauling the timber by oxen
would he enormous.
These Cntan forests contain over 10
varieties Of cabinet woods, the native
mahogany and cedar being recognized
the world over AS uuexcelled. The
woods also abound in lancet spars. used
for carriage building. and in lignum
Vita. so extensively used In the manu-
facture Of bowling balls and block
shenves.
twill be- readily conceived, therefore,
what ynst wealth Is contained in those
Is, 600, 900 acres Of forest land lying
waste owing toa want Of transportation
facilities
What few railroads do exist In the Is
land instead Of aiming IN make profits
out Of the volume Of traffic. extending
theif lines, developing the country and
opening new avenues OF business, have
pursued the shor,sighted policy OF per-
covering in the old rut,> avoiding all
outlay entailed by the extension OF lines
and acquisition OF additional rolling
stock. charging exorbitant freight rates,
which have so far enhanced the price Of
the produce and timber carried as TO
make il prohibitive in foreign markets
and prevent its successful competition
abroad really standing In their own
liph, rs far ~ their interests as carriers
were concerned.
Under altered conditions. however.
this opening up Of the island and its re-
sources by means Of increased iranspor-
tation facilities will add fresh stiinu-
luz 10 enterprise and prove source OF
no mean revenue 10 the roads.
From the military a. well Us tho com.
mercial points Of view the building OF
n central railroad the entire length OF
the island is an imperative necessity.
The lack Of such a road seriously handi-
capped Spain in her effort nc quelling
the ;nsurrection in its inception and led
20 her final loss OF the island. IL is TO,
be hoped that SPANS failure will serve
rs warning to the United States,
whose military occupation Of the island
will by no means be "bed OF roses,
and that no time will bc los. in its con-
struction.
Cuba's mineral resources are so far
but slightly developed. Santiago Is the
center Of the mining and smelling in
dustry. Silver ore has been found, also
alluvial gold deposits in some of the
rivers, but as producer OF precious
meials Cuba is not entitled to consider.
alton. Hitumipons coal In extensive
LAYERS exists, and together with iron.
copper and manganese constitutes the
chief item O. Cuba's mineral wealth.
The Juragua Iron company Mt Siboney
and the Spanish American Iron conf
pany ut Daiquiri nre the only iron COM
panies at present in operation. The cop
per mines at Cobre have been abandoned
for many years Of the manganese ore
mines the Ponupo Mining company's
are the only ones working.
The entire mineral belt lies in the
mountainous districts Of eastern Cuta,
which il parceled of clear MP TO the
Gran Piedra, the highest peak IN the
Sierra Maestro, and owned by private
individuals. mostly Spaniards.
All this slope was once covered ~
coffee plantations belonging to Spanish
prandees and buried under beds Of wild
roses and jasmines, which had to be cnt
down with the macbete 10 make
passage along the hills. These graDdees
did not know what the "black stones'
we're that they noticed on their prop
rty, and used TO call the one vein the
"black road," but never investigated
It's properties nor discovered the buried
treasure underneath their plantations.
French refugees from Haiti and Santo
Domingo, driven out Of their homes by
what have come to DO known as the
"Saato Domingo horrors," settled in
Santiago and became overseers on the
plantations of Spanish grandees. 1t was
they who first discovered the presence
Of the iron ore. By that time the Span
isb noblemen were beginning to reap
the fruits OF their gay and listless ex-
istence, were gradually getting poorer
and poorer and applied to their French
overseers for loans on mortgages. which
were duly foreclosed. the property pass
ing into the hands Of the Frenchmen,
a. witnessed to this day by the prepon-
derance of French names running
through the titles. The memory Of the
Frenchmen's methods il perpetuated in
the name Of q vine, growing wild in
eastern Cuba, which twines itself round
tree. choking IL to death in 20 years.
and called "the French overseer vine. "
Daiquiri. the shipping port OF the
Spanish. American Iron company, used
to be, 80 years ago. the landing place for
slave cargoss. The slaves were landed
there and run up to vinent, now the
Spanish American oompany's mining
village, where they were put mp for sale
and parceled OF to the different plant
err. The slave PEN at yinent in which
they we're cooped up until distributed IL
still standing and preserved IS q bis
torical Landmarks nv tba ursseDt nwuasa
Both the Spanish American and the
Jufagua Iron companies maintain min
ing villages On their own grounds,
nhopa st.A s~,iv,svn as,S shes, = ill.,. 1sx~.