The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28

that had always been there. This was all
cleared Oh and the property laid out In
streets and building lots to which came
the nucleus Of the Cuban colony which lie
now the Cuban city
The little wooden factory that was first
put up Is still standing. 1t was first sold
10 an organization of Cubans who came
with the cigar industry. and II became
known as the Lceo Cubano. a place Of
amusement and recreation for the Cubans.
as well as q place In which their labor
unions held their meetings. II is now used
a. schoolhouse and still as hall for the
labor unions
The Ybor City Land and Improvement
Company gave $4,000 in buildings to
firms which were by these offers induced
to come here with their plants. and in ad-
dition to what il gave In this way for fac
tory buildings. the company invested fully
half million dollars in otherwise adding
to the business development OF the place.
| BOOM DAYS.
The establishment Of the pioneer factory
was followed in few months by that Of
heavy New York firm and then for a time
until about 1883, in fact-things in Tampa
remained without special features Of rapid
| progress. In that year the influx began
\ in real earnest Three or four more of the
largest cigar-making firms established fac
tories here, to say nothing of a score or
more Of smaller ones. and the success Of
all Of them fixed Tampa's status as great
centre for the manufacture Of high-grade
Cuban tobacco cigars.
The factories now came thick and fast,
one crowding so closely upon the heels of
another that it was difficult TO find sites
| for them all. The invasion made itself
felt in all lines Of commerce. Retail stores
OF all sorts sprang up and did land Office
business.
The Cuban cigar maker makes plenty
| Of money and makes it, from his stand
point. easily He spends it with lavish
| freedom. He is not dissipated. The rum
| shops do not particularly flourish because
| Of his presence. But he spends it just the
| same-spends il on himself and his family,
| buying the best OF everything and paying
| with little or no objection about any price
that may be asked him.
The grocers, the butchers, the dealers
in all the necessaries OF life thrived in
Tampa. They enlarged their stores and
built new ones. The town. having it's
dstinctively Latin characteristics, looked
like one of the magic-growth cities of the
West. In all directions buildings going
up almost by the acre: on all hands evidences
Of prosperity and buoyant hope for the
future.
An investment company similar to that
which had developed Ybor City, took hold
of another district-West Tampa-in the
same way. 1t offered inducements for
factories TO come there. giving outright
$os, 600 in buildings and building sites.
In addition to that. Inducements were
offered people in other lines than that of
cigar making to come there. number
OF individual property owners caught the
spirit and by Inducements on their part,
brought other people in. Buildings sprang
up almost in a night all over Tampa. The
place became known not only for the fame
OF its cigars. but as pleasant place Of
winter residence. Its all-the-year-round
climate is admirable, like nearly all Of
Florida, not nearly so hot in midsummer
as many people imagine.
rp.. WARMTH SEEKERS.
Right here a word may be said about the
large and rapidly increasing migratory
population. The regularity with which
they leave the places where they are porch
ing temporarily at just the seasons where
those places are most attractive is mar
velous Here in Florida they leave early
in April, when April and even MAY and
June are among the most delightful Of all
the months. December In northern Florida
Is a. delightful al northern June, vet
the birds Of passage do not begin to arrive
until mid January.
The professional birds OF passage follow
'he sun and have feline instinct TO keep
where 1t n warm, where there Ia plenty 70
cat and nothing to rub the fur the wrong
way. 1t IL surprising what large army
Of these our country is turning out every
year. There Il no place In all America to
havc this fart brought home with more
force than here in Florida.
UPS AND DOWNS.
BY 1890. Ave years from the time when
the blood Of the new life began to move
in it's veins. Tampa had grown from a
forloTn hamlet Of less than 500 white people
into a busy, gro wing town Of 1000 in
habitants, In the twelve years since 1890
II has COMMUNICATING oil II a. properly
goes TO make the commercial unit known
as Tampa into a city OF 80 .OON or IS. 900
inhabitants.
But this remarkable progress has not
been without its setbacks and its seasons
Of disbursement and depression. The
foundation on which the whole business
fabric OF the place was reared was Cuban
tobacco, and the manufacture of il into
cigars. Whatever affected the Cuban TO.
bacco trade went right to the vitals Of
Tampa.
w.YLBR's EDIcr.
In 1900, eleven years after the place had
started on the upward path. there hap
pened something which worry seriously
affected that trade The war between
Spain and the insurgent Cubans had been
In progress about year and oil had gone
smoothly with the tobacco and cigar BUSH
ness. Then came An edict from Gen. weyler
which fell like thunderboh. He issued a
general order prohibiting ab .olutely the
expectation Of tobacco from Cuba.
That was q dark day for Tampa. There
were those In the state. and even in TAMPA
itself, who predicted that 1t meant the
ruin Of everything The extreme croakers