The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-15
PARADISE Of CONS
Rough Rider Rhodes of Okla
homa on Cattle in Cuba.
HOW THEY THRIVE APACE
Gives Instances in the Way
Value of Beef Climbs Up.

Matanzas. Cuba. April THE months
Of February and March are the time for
burning off the grass here. The tops
of the old grass are all dead, although
| there is a fine underground. Immedi-
ately after being burned the new grass
springs UP, SO that by burning only part
at a time there is no loss of feed, as in
ten days the new crop will be ankle
deep. The only reason for firing it is be-
cause of the briars and vines that would
soon overrun the country If the tops
were not destroyed. AS the canefelds
Will also burn there are laws against set
ting fire premiscuously, and to be safe it
is necessary to first obtain permission
from the nearest sergeant of police and
afterward notify all owners of surround
ing land. A failure 10 do so is punish
able by heavy fine. If anyone is dam
aged he can sue and recover for same
Railroads, however, are not responsible
for any fire caused by their engines
1t is surprising what an amount of
repetitions 1t takes to convince some peo-
pie of the truth. I frequently receive
letters asking if it really is healthy in
Cuba, stating that some public speaker
has stated that the white man cannot
live in the tropics. Others ask If per
son can work in this climate, while
others ask how it is possible to accom-
plish anything when it rains all the
time. AS for health here, notwithstand-
ing the black name Cuba has, 1 don't
believe there is a healthier country any
where. AS proof of this cite the hos
pital records of the United States army
Their reports show that at no time was
there more than two per cent of the
army on the sick list, and nine-tenths of
that was caused by drunkenness and
venerial diseases. The death rate was
much lower than a corresponding
the states
AS for statements made by public
speakers, not one in a hundred ever saw
Cuba and have but a vague conception
of where 1t really is and the few that
have been here stayed a few days in
Havana and then went home to spout
their knowledge before a credulous pub
lie, In making a speech about a foreign
place it is always safe to ridicule and
belittle the people and customs. Some
speakers will tell you that Spain is in
the tropics. when in reality it's southern
boundary is as for north as Washington
and its northern is on the same parallel
as Nova Scotia
Whether person can work here or not
depends wholly upon the person, as some
men cannot or will not work anywhere
outside of the penitentiary. There is
nothing in the climate to prevent it, as
from October until May the Thermometer
will not average above 70 degrees, and
there is always a pleasant sea breeze
that is refreshing and invigorating As
for the balance Of the year the Their
mometer never reaches above 90 degrees.
and any farmer will tell you that he has
cut wheat with it 110 degrees. And
many times that was accompanied by a
hot wind blowing from 20 to 80 miles per
hour, whereas here the sea breeze tenn
pers the air and prevents that burning,
glazing effect.
AS for the rain that is another COM
mon delusion, as this is really a dry
country and would be barren if not for
the dews. Every night there is a dew
equal to an ordinary rain The few rains
are nothing but showers of a few hours
duration with perhaps a good heavy
downpour once in about three or four
| months. 1t is true that when the army
was at Santiago it rained almost every
day, and very hard at that. Those rains,
though, lasted but from twenty minutes
to two hours, and only once-the 10th of
July-did 1t rain all night This may
have been caused by the battle, for it Is
fact never satisfactorily explained by
scientists that rain nearly always falls
after battle.
Quite number of Americans are TAX
ing advantage of the fine pasturage here
| and engage in the cattle business in a
small way. Heretofore all stock brought
in here. either to be fattened for beef or
milk cows for sale, but lately several
punches, from 50 to 900 head of cows.
| have arrived for stock purposes. One
| herd that arrived two months ago, very
/ poor and hardly able to travel to the
pasture. are now ali sleek and fat, while
| over 80 per cent have droooed their
| calves. 1t reminds one of the 0almy
! days Of the cattle business in Oklahoma
! to see these calves frisking around in
| luxuriant grass reaching to their backs.
| One bunch of Florida steers, 800 head
| that were so Door and weak that 25 per
cent had to be helped to their feet and
twelve died on first landing, after six
weeks were ready for the butcher. AS
| those cost but sl5 per head in Florida
and S for shipping. including tariff OF
81 and brought so at the butchers. ii can
| readily be seen what a handsome profit
! there is in the business. a Florida steer
| when fat will not weigh over eco pounds
J even at or years old. The grass
there is all OF the variety known as wire
| grass and Is in lunches so far apar;
tina; Il keeps the cattle busy searching
/ for enough to eat 10 keep life in their
bodies and there IS none 10 spare for
| growing or fattening. There are. OF
course some exceptions TO this. notice
ably around Tallahassee, where there IS
red soil instead Of sand and where few
/ progressive men have introduced bIooded
stock. but the exceptions only prove the
rule.
Many OF the Florida stockmen are cast
ing longing eyes toward cuba, and the
prospects OF Cuba some day furnishing
her own beef, thus curtaiing the Florida
trade was the subject mostly discussed
az a recent convention III Jacksonville
That II will be done there Is no doubt
and why it was never done before Is d
/ question 70 which I can ind no answer
The cattle kept On the plantations art
ali healthy and "a; and breed readily
There was a protecting tariff OF s. pet
head and prices were always high. ye'
for some reason were never raised in this
o. Havana province The province o.