The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-08-02
TRUTH ABOUT CUBA,
What oen. w sod Thinks Of tho
Island and It's People.
some INTERESTING FACTS

UV Gays tH0 SuDan8 are Lik9
Most other People, No
Batter, Nor Any Worse
Than Others.
Tho current number Of Tho Outlook
contains an interview with Con. Leon
ard Wood, governor general Of Cuba,
which is vory interesting. Itwas re-
ported for that journal by Edward
Marshall, tho American war oorres-
pondent who was 80 badly wounded in
tho battle of las Guasimas, and was
transcribed for Con. Wood and an.
proved by him before publication. Con.
Wood begins by declaring that "Amori-
can writer's have writton as five plant.
cd brains in virgin soil whom VIC onter.
ed into Cuba, as IL the first bright
fiokor Of honesty had lighted up the is.
land when our flag wont up, as if intelli
genoo had boon unknown there before
wo bought it with us. All this is
wrong" Please observe that it is tho
presidents very close friend, tho head
OF tho American administration in
Cuba, who says this. Surely he has
no INCENTIVE to mske statement min
imizlng the influence Of his own labors.
Gen. Wood continues:
After the war was over Cuba WAS Of
course practically in state Of chaos.
A man may bo ill without boing an idiot
and whom ho is ill no requires the sor.
vices Of q physician, aud perhaps Of
nursos; he may evon become helpless
for a time without re1ootipg on his
normal ability to caro- for himself and
work for othors. So it was with Cuba,
Torn and raokod by war, disorganizod.
dismayod, disheartonod by yoars Of
oonaiot--sho was i'll whom by tho act Of
the American occupation we oamo to
holp hor. It would be folly to say that
sho is wholly recovered. There arc many
lingering etfopts Of the trouble through
which she had passed, but with her in
creas ing health she will throw them of
as easily as We threw off those which fol
lowed our War Of the Rebellion.
feel &c mere 0no6Th about tho fu.
ture Of this island than feel about tho
future. Of my native State. Its resources
arc 80 vast and splendid that pros
perity is sure to como. Its merchants
and planters are Intelligent and ener-
getio, and undor tho conditions Of
peace and industry which have como
to thom since the CLOSE Of tho war they
will hasten the advance Of that pros.
pority, @
This is well said, and it is true. Cuba
was crippled beoause Of the wounds,
not the vices, Of her people,. 8p
Con. w ood deolined. to discuss, the
Spolitios Of Cuba saying thst there was
good and bad In Uf II bayiI pol itios' s Il
there was Ngool and bad in the ,poli.'
tics Of any country. When people cry
out that there are dishonest mon in
politics in Ouba," he added, II wonder
if they ever recall to mind the fact
that thero have boon dishonest mon in
politics at home." A home thrut, in.
deed, but it has been made before with.
out closing tho mouths Of Ouba's eager
censors. Gen. Wood gavo this attrao.
tive summary Of tho natural rosources
OF Cuba, resources certain to induce a
great immigration, great investment
of capital and great prosperity:
No houso will stand without founda.
tions, no oountay can be prosperous
unless that prosperity is built upon tho
God givon resources Of fertility and
richnoss in tho actual oarth which
forms it. Tako Cuba, province by
province. What State iii our own land
shows a greater variety or creator
woalth Of possibilities.
Santiago province perhaps offers the
greatest opportunity Of development iD
minos, in coffee, in oaoao. In this ono
provinco alone thoro are immonso un-
developed areas Of tho fnost sugar.
land and enongh magnificent land un.
planted to equal the present total out
put OF the island. Fine forests of val
liable timber, consisting largely of
splendid native hard woods, including
much mahogany, havo nevor known
the ok and are only waiting for do
velopmont to become great source of
wealth. But Santiago's greatest riches
are IMMORAL; its vast deposits of oxide
of manganoese and high. grado iron. GRO
arc as rich as any in the world. There
are mountains almost made Of iron
which will run 60 per cont. to tho ton
whom somelted. Lass is known about
copper in tho province, but known
enough to freely state that enormous
deposits oxist thore. Besides this,
Santiago province in general is good
farming land and offors magnificent
agricultural opportunitios to settlers,
1t cannot ho said that any part of Cuba
has boon throughly developed; indeed
tho leland may bo called brand. new
country. OF oil the provinces Santiago
probably holds tho most Of tho undo.
ycloped wealth, it's grcatoht resources
being mineral. 'llII1
Puerto Principe is good cattle coun.
try. Thore is also much fino timber
standing in its southern part, and
much entirely undevclopod woalth in
tho way of copper and iron ores. AS.
phalt 10 another source Of riohsu in this
province. Much Of this asphalt Is 90
fine that it is used not for paying but
fer tho manufacture Of varniehos. The
asphalt has not yet been tried for paw
ing, but will be in Habsna. Tromon-
dous deposits Of asphalt, indeed, exist
in many parts Of tho island, and there
are probably many which have not
beon discovered. There arc parts Of
Cuba, small as tho island iB, which
have not even boon proBpeotod. AS
a matter Of facts thero ia actually room
on this island for tho explorer, and
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