The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-27
HUNTING A RANCH
Rough Rider Rhoades Meets
0klahomanS in Cuba
IN THE CATTLE BUSINESS
Entertaining Letter on Ameri-
can Farming on the island.
Especial Correspondence to Eag,e j

the query as TO what the Americans here
are doing 1 Will speak OF only those en-
gagged in agriculture and other develop
ments OF the island. OF course am only
acquainted with limited number ana
can only give their version in most
cases. The majority came here in some
capacity for the government and seeing
opportunities have taken advantage OF
them. Several are government employees
who are putting their salaries into vari-
Gus enterprises, while many others are
improving land by cultivating II them
selves. depending upon what they raise
TO furnish them a living. Among the
farmers is the head OF the signal corps
in Matanzas. who has purchased two
caballerias (66 acres of land fourteen
miles from Matanzas. on the railroad al
a station called Ceiba Mocha OF this
he has prepared part for cultivation and
set out loo orange trees and will put
out more in the fall. He is from Florida
and claims that before the freeze his
grove there at the sixth year yielded him
| 100 boxes per acre. Last years crop in
| Florida brought al the trees $50 per
| box.
Adjoining this place Is another Floriian
| who is also engaged in orange culture. He
is a typical southern Cracker" tail and
lank, with enough energy to no more than
go in when 1t rains. He also made enough
money out Of his oranges before to carry
him through several years. He says there
is no need of his working, as in three
years his fruit will bear and then he viii
! have enough money even from the early
| crops to allow him to take his family to
! the states every year His grove IS all
grown I'D in weeds and he lets the mules
Craze on it to keep down the grass. as
| this is the natural home of the eruit the
| trees may outlast such treatment, and il
he succeeds anybody ought to. There
are great many southern people here.
Some OF them are practical, educated
men, but the majority are Of the class
known as Crackers" The latter have
a constitutional horror OF work os any
kind. Their idea of life seems II be 10
chew tobacco and spin yarns. An old sea
captain isn't in it with them In appear
ance they are usually tall and lean, with
hungry look and are invariably stoop-
shouldered. Their idea Of good dinner
is boiled sweet potatoes and baked coon
with corn bread. They usually hail from
Mississippi, Florida and Alabama 4
The Mocha station seems to be a favor
lite place for Americans, as quite num-
Der have purchased property there and
are all setting out orange trees. One M n
bought palm grove and is raising hcgs
and honey. The palm furnishes nuts all
the year and the blossom from it is good
for the bees. He purchased ten sows and
fifteen hives of bees. His sows when I
saw them were each tied by the neck 10
a tree and apparently were as happy as
a hog can be, as the nuts were heaped
ready to be devoured at will. The bees
were singing merry tune over head
and carry on their legs great rolls OF
honey and wax Each bee hive brings an |
income of about IS per year in addition |
to the increase of new swarms. Pigs are |
worth at weaving time from 50 to 81. and /
as there is no disease to attack them /
there is no doubt OF his doing well He /
was preparing to fence in pasture so as /
to get the benefit Of all the palms as well |
as the nutritious grass and herbs.
Another man from Washington, D. c.. /
quit a 81, 400 a year Job to engage In farm
ing. He bought ten acres in the Youmuri |
valley, three miles from Matanzas. and 4.
started in to farming by hiring Cubans
to do everything while he stayed in the
city figuring up the profits. His plough
ing cost him S11 per acre. as they worked
by the day, using their ordinary iron
pointed wooden plow and going sver the |
ground three times He planted two acres
TO egg plant, two TO lettuce and The bal
ance in Irish potatoes. Considering bis
fortune made he sat down to await the
harvest. Two months aftsr,7ard be
found the grass had taken every ,iI.pg but
the potatoes and also I.,aie the disco cry
that he had planted beet seed instead OF
egg plant. He hired some Cubans TO hoe
out his potatoes. and at the end OF SIX
weeks returned TO find that II ever he
aid have any crop his neighbors had bar
vested and disposed OF H. In disgust he ,
went back TO Havana To MS old position ,
and now his farm IS for safe. \,
Two boys from Chicago who were IL tho =
Second Illinois volunteer .Ef5Hf-y. i'm {
pressed with the prices Of pogi-ry ard {
Eggs, upon their discharge Immediately ?
invested their small savings IN chiSkenz !
md sailed for Havana. They ssarteJ q
With go mems. fully half Of whicE 6!el I
rom the effects OF the voyage. Bat The
,tners began laying at once They leased y
small piece Of ground near The cay. 2
obtaining sufficient room % pasture G =
.orse and for the hrst few rnontas Lvei q
h tent, not having su'icifr. sun1s 10 q
Wild = house tos themselves ari ,htck .
Ms too. As they found ready market for q
heir eggs at ~ cents each. their re- Y
.a;s from the beginning were eIgS = y
days labor 81 the states As the vhaage q
Z climate id net effect the hens cispo- a.
.tlon IN a few months they hal sss4-ral v
rvs. which we're marketed - sdv4atage y
I'd az .resenf their f,ck r. doabsd 2 -
lat their 6aily sales w.H sve@4xe = r'ie n
rlcez OF poultry are fidlcul susY hlgh
1nsi5ering the ease rith which they car
e raised. and ye; an reiia2.y ta:srz7ss ~
tat f. vas always - before he sar -
lie Cuban taste appreciates 3 baked a.
,scker and Il = I common fsst2fs %
lelr Sunday dlnz2rz one s5llav Each -
.e Ordinary price for sach foHss. @h..e
.rkeys are from = - e Ows7g II 'hs q.
savy aews here. bozessr. tzrkesa 70 Sgs =
, wsn CalnAss az vary coranoa aa3 =
I'VE run aid 50 that gu'asa EsntinE =.
re Is - common - grAirse esiekes
stlag AS IN tie earsy 80 Il Ola
m Deer ara acc cssamen bat ~; Z
much - "a bes5Fe faa sestractssn 8, -
K care aes1s. as tEsss A.s.aE PAGES a. :.
ssroye1 81
4 number 81 Aszcrse@ns here sgErA&sss1 N,
al n Fszsv Sei Rio .rsvtses Aaaz sa- +
ge5 ir t8haccs ezliase- As nsras = sha, q,
s2ees srouEat - pr > Ent- thsg cSzs,- -
q dc ~eEl BOT as J asTs EeTsr ossa 49,
sre cannot give 4as particulars