The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-02
BUYING CUBAN LANDS
English Bargain-Hunters are
Very Busy These Days.
PEOPLE OF SMALL MEANS
Are Told That They Might Do
+ Well In Cuba.
PEOPLE OF SMALL MEANS

! writing for the Record from Trinidad
de Cuba. says: Though many thousands
Of our countrymen have visited Cuba with
speculative intent during the last year
/, fewer than 500 Of them today own dol
1 lars worth Of property on the island
This is the more remarkable when Eng
lishmen are buying up property fight and
| Lett. II Is because the sons of Britain are
less cautious than their Western cousins.
! or are they shrewder business men7 You
many meet them everywhere-ln town and
country, in the highways Of travel and
byways of the interior, riding on their
| ponies, getting options on sugar lands,
timber lands, mining lands, broken-down
plantations, city mansions, building sites.
! imagination can conceive OF a penny
gained. They operate with their custo-
mary quiet persistency. talking little, but
making grist Of all that comes to the mill
A huge was recently completed by one OF
these silent agents, whereby London
syndicate became the owner OF nearl two
million acres. in the central portion Of the
island 1t is said that the Englishmen
on a part of their land. in the line OF tea
culture. celery. berries, etc.
By the way, we have always heard that
berries will not thrive In Cuban erron-
eous statement easily 6isproved. The
trouble with berries In Cuoa Is that they
grow 50 big IN this generous soil as not
to be recognized by their nearest north
ern relatsons-gooseberries for example.
swelling to the size Of plums, and currents
as large as cherries. Right here Il a hint
to women, for whom there seems to be
few openings in our new possessions. 1t
Is well known that the current crop has
been practically Q failure In the United
States for several years. owing to some
thing which destroys the bushes, and
that all-current jelly, such as used to be
the housewives pride, In universal demand
for cakes, game and other culinary pur-
poses, has become a thing OF the past,
It's place being poorly hlled by a factory
product compounded largely of geletine.
Why not plant a few Cuban acres With
current bushes and convert the fruit into
such jelly as our grandmothers made,
nodded in glasses, which would find ready
sale? In the beautiful long ago. at home
in the country, when mother and sisters
and aunts all Joined In the annual jelly
making we used to calculate that the
batch of translucent ruby. which would
stand alone when released from the mods.
cost about two cents the glass, Buying
sugar at retail; and. as there Is an end
less demand for 1t. at 20 cents the glass
and upward, the profit IS not uncertain
In this Province of Santa Clara, which
by all authorities is conceded 30 be the
richest in Cuba, the price Of land varies
from 80 cents the acre TO $SO0-the latter
the cream of the sugar lands; the former
mostly unbroken and good for little but
pasturage. In some places well cleaned
land near market towns can be bought as
low as s. the acre; but, as a rule. this is
only In cases where once-wesathy plan
tiers find themselves without cash. owing
to hard times brought on by the war, and
are compelled to part with some OF their
ancestral acres in order to start anew in
cane OF tobacco growing. 1t is for these
golden opportunities that the shrewd Eng
lIshnen Aforesaid are looking, and few
escape their eyes.
One drawback TO investment In Cuba IS
the uncertainty Of titles and the absolute
authority exercised by the native notaries.
According TO the old Spanish laws, which
are yet in vogue to a geat extent. the no.
tsries keep all records Of land titles. end
from their decisions there Is no appeal.
The office has descended from father 70
son through many generations, and, hav-
ing had things os long their own way.
the incumbents have grown exceedingly
arrogant and demand outrageous fees.
Three hundred dollars Is not considered
an exhorhAtant charge for the copy Of a
deed. Not long ago three thousand dol
dollars was actually paid In Havana for
recording a deed! Fifteen hundred or a
thousand dollars Is the common charge
for recording a will.
As everybody knows, II requires a NIL
lionaire. or a wealthy sndicate. 10 do
much in sugar cane. because avery large
tract of land Is necessary. besides a for
tune IN machinery. buildings. plantation
railway. cattle. etc Coffee does not grow
everywhere. and neither does tobacco
Setting aside these two great staples OF
Cuba, what could a man Tor Woman) Of
moderate means engage in with fair pros
poets OF success? First and fOTrnost Is
truck farming. because with a single acre
of this incompatible soil and the possibll-
ity OF two or three crops year a man
may support family. and with ten acres
judiciously managed. in q favorable To-
caIity, ne may rapidly acquire a compe-
tence AT present almost no vegetables
are raised In Cuba except the native sWeeS
potato. the people depending for their
supplies chiefly on canned goods. and q
few peas. tomatoes. etc. brought from
Florida The C1bans have only lately
learned to care for tuFnlps. beets and
other common Northern vegetables. and
are willing 20 pay good prices for them.