The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-04-06
CUBA

have touched the Island for the pos
session of which Spain sacrificed hun
Ireds of thousands of hec yeomanry.and
millions OF her money, and after siege
Of four hundred years has dropped it in
the lap of America. This is one case
where the game was worth the candle
tor though the money expended by Sp.n
looks enormous, if she had been able
finally to hold peaceable possession il
would not have been too great price.
The island has uncalcultabie resources
md greater rccuperatlvc powers than
Dur own Southland with everything that
man needs, indigenous anI in SD much
smaller territory-being only about three
hundred miles long by sevcnty-hve miles
wide. 1t is i'll shape of Il Crescent with
the convex side to the North, thus re.
ceivng the full benefit of the Gulf
Stream and lying SO as TO reach III abJut
l30 miles of Cape Sable on the Florida
coast and Cape C,toche on the coast %
EUCitan, thus forming the Northern
md southern pas aGeS tDr vessels TO the
,;u'f Of Mexico and would be Il menace
ID the Southern co lst of The Unitel
states should it fall into haudS of any
foreign power. On this small bit OF
iaud Is found Cod, Silver, Copper, Iron,
MtuminOu5 CJa!, Safe, NJ t;b!e,
Jasper and other minerals common TO
the States, while all the fruits and il)X-
ers known to the torlil and tropical
zones grow TO perfection. Now heie
Else on the world can such Il climate be
found, in S small an area; the temper
ature on the Moth colSt hts Il summnr
maximum of IS and Il minimum of T6
and i winter minimum OF IS and 4 min
imGm of -; fiust has never been known
"a the ueghhoIhoud Of Havana, While
~ tic interior the Thermometer goes
Gown 20 tie freezing point aud III t'c
high. mountains ice is often formed
The topography is grand-with the
usual Il 1t coast line mountains will rise
rrtcipitoUsly a mile III height, viii IN
gives them graI:,cr appearance thln
he peaks of Western North Carolna
md tray, Hers tel me relatively u the
surrounding country they are high II
'han anything in the Ruch,S The
imbered land is vast in extent and al
most impcuetrable and co: siSts Of mil
ions of acres Of Palms, Ebony. Mahog-
Ony ard other similar won.ls. The staple
agricultural products are represented by
Sugar, Cuifre and Tobacco, either OF
which Will amount TO moro thln the
c'N"ii 'otto'i Si'l' III tt INN NcttS
Il stable government is establish |; WI! c
the smaller garden produce is in greater
variety than we have and IN IRE pIJl:G;.
y trucker told me lhlt he could deliver
radiShes week after planting aud p'tl-
toes grow like our bramb'c briarS Uu-
der our system of cultivation the posi-
bilities are beyond imaginatim fur the
soil IS as rich rs Il mtnure pile aul OF
such depth that well augerS have no..
yet found )ttom-thn natives still U.s.
the plowS Of Abraham and Isaac III ;da
of Il forked stick drawn by two oxen anl
hardly scratch the ground--i SaN theS
oo-cal!ed pl0wS iii use.
| had no opportunity Of seeing
Che private life Of these people
)ut from outward surroundings ja lge
that the jealous nature OF the Spartrd
has preserved the home. lie locks the
outer gate Oh entering and leaving lis
premises and the SeuOJita is not alloy
ad in pubic unless accompanied by her
father, mother or m9um', the latter Of
WlOm seem to eXtrci e as !nilch auihDv;-
~ rs in some of the homes in Our own
State. Their care of the maiden, while
it is contrary to our idel of free dom, is
beautiful and she Is pre- served and C irei
Tor as carefully as IL young baby tho
boys must be kept in the back yard or
garret. as | saw none except those of
the laboying classes.
Quite a number Of people have the
idea that the Cuban is u negro or of a
mixed blood, they were never more
mistaken, their stock is rs prre as any.
There are negroes there-fOrmcr slaves
but not as many in proportion rs in the
lower section OF our State, aud Il lot Of
mulatt0es who have rs fair skin aS the
average sun burnt Cubtn and rs NJ IT,
straint is put on them the average viS-
itOr sees more of tnij class Oh the streets
than the busy merchants aul bitter
classes and is apt TO think that these are
the peop!c-,hey are wrong again.
Tie color line is drawn as closely
as in oui own STATE. The bet
ter class holl alnof fro,n item
while as the social pD,it'on of lhh whites
decrease the position Of the ncgco ii:creuS-
eS. Mai. Stokes formerly OF the Is. :.
{. Volunteers hut now reduced 10 his
former rank Of Lieutenant in the regular
army and stationed at CorlcnaS in the
capacity OF Collector OF The Port tells
m" that the ncGro in thai part OF the
Island knows his place and the sDciii
Inc Is drawn rs close aS any one cJuid
care TO have il.
With oaly Il supa,lici ida OF what
would sec Ill Havana. | joined the
state Press ASSOCIATE III in Columbia
Oh the 18th nIt., Md with the
other 13 b'gan what lhA Havana
papers called the 'l3 party trip To the
Gem. Of the Antilles. Few Of Cur
party ana fewer of my raa'lsrS have Il
deliuitc idea Of the distance They on'y
~ Ia al l,nt 4..it