The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-08-02


noaror to boing fully developed than
any othor province.
The province of Pinar dol Rio is very
largely undeveloped. Ita riohos consist
principally at present Of iine tobacco
land, and probably much Of the undo.
velopod country many in the future be
successfully used for sugar culture.
Even the. little Isle Of Pines holds
millions Of dollars Of uudsyoloped
woalth in tho way. Of marble an d iron.
Its timbor has boon pretty we'll cut.
mcrelY because its small size and the
fact that vessels could easily reach it
made transportion comparatively
easy. BetWeon tho Isle Of Pin es an d
tho mainland are famous sponge fab
erios, and on tho island in many places
arc fine mineral springs, which when
investigated will doubtless provo to be
of great medicinal value. This makes
1t possible that the island will some
day become an important health rs :
sort, although that Of course is still
long way off.
Whom asked whethor he would. ad.
yiso y,ung Americans to look for op-
portunities in Cuba, Con. Wood an
swcred: ,"Of course. Where olso in 80
comparatively small an area within
such easy aooess of of the markets Of
the world can any such range Of un.
developed wealth be found? I have
the most unbounded faith in Cuba. If
| wore millionaire looking for invest
mont | certainly should bring my money
here, knowing what I know Of Oaba's
dormant woalth,n e (
Intorrogatod about the people Of
Cuba, Gen. Wood replied:
am glad to have ohance to say that
with every day ! have boon in Cuba my
admiration for tho Oubsns has increas-
cd. The Ouhana hava thair faults. Int
thoy have no more than the average
run Of plain humanity, and it must be
remembered that they have labored un-
dor many disadvantages. The Spani.
ards on tho island arc as fino GLASS Of
pcoplo 90 | over know. They are hon
oat, industrious, and as faithfulin their
devotion to tho island as If no war with
Spain had ovor happened. The word
of tho average Spanish merchant Is aa
good 90 his bond. I have heard almost
no complaint about sharp dealine
among Spanish merchants. The native
Cuban is . good farmer, whother as tho
owner and manager of a plantation or as
worker on it. Most Of the professional
mon In Cuba also arc native Oubsne.
and many of them arc Of great ability.
The Cuban physicians ard lawyers are,
as a rulo, good mon; those arc The great
clements of strength in tho population,
iho oiomont Of woaknesB Is the drift
ing population Of the towns. This ole-
mont which 0ffera serious problem
ia direct and natural oui come Of the
long war with Spain; it will gradually
eliminate itsolf, however ia all prob.
ability. 20 far as morals 60, the pop.
ulation hore will average up about as
other populations average, suppose.
| will say this omphatic Sly; the aver.
age Of crimes against property and
against person is much smaller than
we have any right to expect in tho cir.
oumatanoes. After tho war there wore
many bandits in the, country; they have
disapp poared here were band ttsS III
|ours own Seountsy sft ossr Oisil Was i,
The correspond ont $$hore DIVORCES \ to
note tho outcome Of sensational let
ter from y tho head of the Cuban n cigar
trust indicating that the tobacco region
was overrun with bandits. Inquiry
by tho American officials proved that
this alarmist letter, was based on d
cheer invention; that thore were { no
banditti whatever, On this point G en-.
Wood said: .There is no moro need
for the traveller in Cuba to fear violence
than there is need for man to expeot
assassination on tho most quiet and
peaceful street of the oalmest village in
tho Unitod States. I should not Rosi-
tate this with emphasis to put my
wife and baby into volante "a two-
wheelod carriage peculiar to the ooun-
try distriots) with only tho driver, and
he unarmed, and send them over any
road in Cuba. They might drive from
here to Santiago in this way without
giving mo ono qualm Of fear that they
would be molested by robbers or other
lawloss porsons." Gould there be
stronger testimony than this?
Gen. Wood expressed himself as sur.
prisod to 500 in American papers CON-
atant reports Of Cuban hostility toward
tho United States and pronounced them
certainly not true" ',We havo done,''
said, "all that wo could do to meet any
just and reasonable demands Of the
Cuban people, and they have certainly
done greet deal 70 show their appre-
oiation Of what we have done.', y.
1t was predicted by the governor gen
eral that if the commercial and agri-
cultural elements Of Cuba would enter
the struggle Of politics and aooept Office
q good government could be formed.
He believed in and had advised, he
said, tho reduction Of duties by the
United States on Cuban sugar and to-
baooo, and the CubaDs would bo moro
than willing to give corresponding and
compromising reductions on American
produts, affording to tho United STA tes
"a magnificent market for almost all
manufactured goods, and for the sugar
machinery" . 81 a
twas pointed out by Gen. Wood
that the Cuban municipalities were be.
ing assisted, but assisted out Of Cuban
funds drawn from customs and inter.
nal alroyopue taxes. "All Of the expensos
Of the United States troops, az to the
building ofo,mps and barracks and
tho cost Of sanitary york Of the whole
island has alao been paid from the