The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-08
Rough Rider Rhodes of Okla.
on the DWarfSh CubanS.
THEY ARE LITTLE PEOPLE
Reason Is, Small Communities
lnter-Marry for Centuries.

| da is no longer fit for winter resort or
| account of the cold, and those who have
| been accustomed to winter there will
make their visits farther south and spend
| the months that are so injurious to the
| invalid in the north among the palm
groves of Cuba. The Florida East Coast
| Railroad and Steam Ship company are
| erecting large hotel in Havana to which
place direct connection is made with New
Orleans, Mobile and Tampa, while the
Ward line steamers connect with Wash
ington, New York and Boston. The
steamer Havana" made the trip from
New York in three days and her sister
ship, 1.-THE City of Havana" IS equally
as speedy. BY having direct water con-
nection with all ports of the United
States, freight rates are cheaper than
one-third Of the same distance by rail In
the United States. There is no limit to
competition and rates are steadily lower
ing. They are now one-half that of a
year ago. The lines had been interrupted
by the war, and it took time to re-estab-
lish them. The heavy machinery and
hardware are brought IN by sailing YES
sells and are carried at a much lower rate
than is possible by the steamers. In the
palmy days of the sugar planters many
lines of schooners carried down coal and
took back sugar, carrying at very cheap
rate.
The prospects Of free trade between
Porto Rico and the United States is hav-
ing quite an effect on the Cuban sugar
planter They realize that Porto Rico,
Havana and the Philippines can produce
all the sugar necessary to supply the mar
ket, and as Cuban sugar has to pay duty
while its competitors products are adj
mitted free of duty, that without annex
alton the sugar industry is doomed, and
that until there is certainty of annex
alton no capital will be forthcoming
either as loans or as investments in re-
building sugar mills and buying stock for
the plantations. This would not be an
unmixed curse to the people. speaking
generally, as the sugar estates are the
curse of the island. The sugar planters
own all the land in such large tracts that
1t is impossible for the laboring class to
own even small piece for a home where
they can raise sweet potatoes and bana-
mas. The pay received for their labor has
been about 20 cents per day with not
enough in cultivation to give labor to all.
instead of being paid in cash, they can
only buy at the plantation store and at
their employers prices. The outlook for
the future of the island would ibe brigh-
ter if there was never another dollar in
vested in the sugar business. A tax on
land that is uncultivated would compel
the large holders to sell and give the Ia
borer a chance to own a few acres from
which lle could sell more products than
he can possibly earn in a years labor,
and in addition would furnish most Of
his food Their food is almost entirely
rice and sweet potatoes, with occasion
ally a few beans. The country people
never eat meat, as 1t is impossible to OBJ
tain it, and in the city is too high in
price for the lower classes-a pound Of
meat representing almost a days labor.
They knew nothing of canned meats be-
fore the American occupation, and think
the canned beef a great thing. Canned
corn is also another great dish among
them The people generally Of all classes
are woefully ignorant in regard to things
lldl dlG SCClA CNCiS 10y IL ~A-AAS4AN-~
The Irvine holder in a grocery caused
surprise, as did also the paper sack. But
very few of them ever saw a wheelbar-
row or four wheeled wagon. and the
steam roller for the streets fairly took
their breath away. They knew nothing
of picks and shovels and never heard of
a harrow for smoothing ground. Every
foreman in the American works has long
ago learned not to expect them to do any
thing right. and every time a new man
is secured it is necessary to teach him
what to do and how to do it. This can
not be done by telling, even by one who
speaks the language fluently, and 1t is
necessary to take the tools and show
them. I have seen hundreds OF them
try to rake the dirt with shovels and al
most invariably ask for a hoe. The first
few days with a wheeIbarrow they are
liable to upset their load anywhere, and
never can be trusted to do anything
without the eye OF the overseer. not that
they will quit work. but from lack of
brains to comprehend the right way. If
they are left to cut a ditch 10 drain wa
ter they viii leave the bottom uneven
anu HhEiE cut IL USEAEA a. AAA- n4NA-5
end. Their small stature and lack OF
strength in connection with their ignor-
ance gives one the impression that his
laoorers are all boys.
As the Spaniard is a large. strong man,
IS is also the negro. was puzzled for
ong time to account for the dwarfishness
II the Cuban until l found that marry
ng cousins is the rule here, and in tax
ng with them find that many are the
children OF cousins, and that their par
.ats are also the children OK cousins,
md as this has doubtless been the rule
here for hundreds OF years. the race Il
certainly pretty well inbred, which Is
doubtless responsible FOR the low estimate
,iaced upon morality. The bulk OF the
people have never been twenty miles !
rom home and as a consequence whole /
settlements are related. They are al
great visitors and in the evenings start |
ut gathering all their neIghbors as they
progress until at the last the whole viz |
age IS IN one house. They are very
,lain spoken and talk OF subjects that
re taaooed in civilized countries. while /
heir choice % words Is something fright /
III J lAAS aEEfl1rS 10 AL N42-sSES "a So 4
.iety. including the Spauia-ds. The pres |
noe CT ladies has no eject n them and I
he women do not seem 10 mind e. How i
,ver this Is not 50 very surprising when |
ne considers tha. al the population who !
an AFFORD Il have from Two 70 three fam /
lies. ore CT which Is TIE legal wife and |
whose children are legitimate. while re I
,thers have no legal rights. n most /
'ases the second family are negroes 0- l
aiuiattoes. The wives know o. this and 1
.ither don't care or cant help them /
ielves. Il is very Common aaa Is O.ter /
he suo.ecs % coarse lest A-acaz the /