Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-30

the world within the borders of which
resides a millionaire who lives in pow
erty and Squalor, says the Washington
correspondent of the Chicago Tribune.
He is not miser and is in all proba-
bility ignorant of the vast wealth he
possesses. This man owns 1900 acres
of land, 900 of which is covered with
hardwood valued at from $50 to $50
log. Figuring fifty logs to each acre
of wooded land at $50 log, his wealth
amounts to $3,6O0,000. His property
may be worth double this amount. The
Cuban is doing little to develop his
property, but will not sell it at any
price. He was discovered by Profess
or Clark of the labor bureau, who spent
several months in Cuba. As to the
Cuban's mode of life Professor Clark
says:
THE home of q countryman in Puer-
to Principe province may be described
as typical. 1t Glanced to be a little
apart from the bride path at the edge
of a forest. The house had been erect
ed since the war and contained two
rooms and an open shed, where cook
ing was done. The walls and parti-
tons were of palm bark tied to the
framework of poles, and the roof was
of palm leaf thatch. There were no
floors and ceilings, and no sawed lum-
Der was used in the building.
I'm the shed raised terrace of earth
about three feet high and walled
around with small logs held the fire
like some rustic altar. The cooking
utensils consisted of a frying pan and
a few tin dishes and kettles. The
doors We're of mating. One of the
rooms contained a table of home con-
struction, supported on posts driven
into the ground. There were also a
sewing machine, clock Doth of Amer
lean make and an iron washstand and
bowl in this apartment. The chairs
were of rural manufacture, Of cedar,
leather bottomed, and were Identical
in pattern with the recently revived
mission furniture.
1.-THE sleeping apartment contained
iron beds and hammocks. The yard
and garden were fenced and contained
yucca and yams, bananas, sugar cane
and q few fruit trees. A couple Of
Swarms of bees were hived in hollow
logs. \ small patch of CORN occupied
a field behind the garden, and with it
were grown q few squashlike vegeta-
bles. A rude wooden press for crush
ing cane stood behind the house. The
Juice of the cane was boiled to a sirup
and used for home consumption. A
pony and two goats were the only do
nestle animals, If we except a flock of
fowls, few pigeons and a tanned ma
tive rat. All the water used was
brought on horseback from a distant
spring.
I'm the morning the boys of the fam
ily were up before daybreak," says
Professor Clark, land had bushel of
sweet potatoes dug by the time the
others put in an appearance. A cup
OF coffee sweetened with cane sirup
was drunk, and the men went to the
woods to work till well toward mid
day, clearing land for a new banana
patch. They used only machetes In
this work, and timber and brush were
burned, the new land being thereby
further fertilized for its new crop.
Breakfast and dinner, the only two
meals of the day, consisted of boiled
rice. boiled yucca, fried plantains and
fried eggs. Probably this fare varied
little from week to week.
THE head of this family owned 1 200
acres of fertile bottom land, probably
q fourth of which was cleared. The
remainder contained much mahogany
timber, worth from $50 to $50 log
on the river blank. The standard of
living of this proprietor did not differ
materially from that of his father or
grandfather or from that of the day
In horer who Syas his neighbor.
1.-THE fare dpoR the sugar plantations
is better than that of the peasant cul-
tivator in his own home. The usual
rations are a pound of beef, a pound
of rice or beans, half pound of bread,
besides coffee and sugar. Salt Goldfish
is also standard article of diet with
the West Indian laborer. Much lard
is used. and the frying pan is as per-
niciously popular as in our own coun-
try"