The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-21
FOUR WEEKS IN CUBA.
MIR. John r.. YOung's Impressions of
the Island.


its and appearance. He was much inn
pressed with the difference between the
conditions and the natural resources of
Cuba, and the prevailing impression in
the United States.
The island is wonderfully rich in
soil and resources" said Mr.. Young.
1t has a wonderful future. The prin-
cipal industries are sugar cane and
tobacco growing, cattle raising and
truck farming. The cane industry and
the manufacture of sugar is the most
important. The fertility of the soil
and the climate, especially faVOrs the
growth of cane. Tobacco is the second
produce in Importance. Cattle raising
is third in Importance. The thing
which impressed me the most among
the islands natural resources, was the
many acres of the finest pasture land
covered with long green grass. The cat
tie supply of the country was reduced
TO almost nothing by the demands upon
1t during the war, but cattle are now
beng taken there from this country
Venezuela and Mexico and put upon the
pastures, and it will be only a cues
ton of short time when cattle rails
ing will be large and prosperous In
dustry. The cattle is not as large as
AllC w tSlelu CdLllt ul ltllS country.
Truck farming is another important in
dustry, which has front place in the
future of the island. Around Havana
within thirty miles of the city. there
are acres of the richest soil and it is
being planted with great success, es-
pecially in the Guines valley. Irrigation
similar to that of Colorado and the arid
parts of the West is carried on by
syndicate, the water privileges being
% rrnnaa Il IL.
ers from Berrien county moved there
four years ago, and run a successful
truck farm. The roads are good. one
In particular, built by the government
years ago, and kept up by it, is con-
sldered one of the best in the world
FOR twenty-five miles, running through
the Gulnes valley, it is an avenue be-
tween two rows of beautiful trees. NO
fertilizer is used on the farms 1t Is
not needed. An experiment of 1000
pounds of fertilizer to the acre was
onced tried with no better results than
from the natural soil. The soil is old,
Dut very deep. No modern farming i'm
PIGMENTS are used, but probably be-
cause the nature of the soil does not
permit it. Several crops a wear
can be raised, depending upon the
klhd OF crop, the farming being done
from September to June, the other
- HiOilthS DelIlS the rainy season,
When nothing is done. 1t was some
what surprising to me, as to many,
that irrigation should be necessary
cotton is now being experimental with
III the island, the crop being planted
IN September. Orange growing is also
being tried. Improved market facili-
ties Will make truck farming one of
the most prosperous industries of the
island. Steamers now run from Ha-
iyN fotyy 4
Will shortly make the trip in three
days. With quick transportation pro-
duce VIII be put in the New York mar
ket almost as quickly as from Florida
or Georgia, because of the railroad fa-
cilities which compare favorably with
those of this country the farm products
can be put into Havana i'm a day from
a distance, as far as Santa Clara, and
further. A new port, Port de Nipe. is
being opened at the southeastern end
of the island by a railroad, and is said
to be even nearer New York than is
Havana.
The idea prevailing in this country
| that the Island IS swampy in the in
terror and<sicklysts an entirely errone-
GUS one. The middle of the island all
the way through is a plateau, a wide,
elevated level fexpanse between high
hills, and in" some instances noun
tains, the. high land extending to the
very seashoRa 1t is said that there
is not a bushel Of sand on the island.
The sickness and epidemcs from which
the island suffered some time back re-
suited from the filthy condition of the
cities. That has been done away with
by the United States government and
sanitation is now being looked after
by the Cuban government. Every
American l talked with was perfectly
healthy, and said everybody else was.
"The merchants are Spanish, as are
most of the business men. They, the
Americans and the better class of Gu
bans, want the United States to an
mex the island. The masses, in other
words, those who do not know what
they want, are a little suspicious of
this country, and are against anneXa-
ton. The recent tariff concession of
this country to the island has pleased
the commercial men very much, and
the favorable reciprocity will improve
the trade between this country and the
island. Many merchants still trade
with Spain, as before the war, but the
trade with this country will increase,
and there is no reason why we should
not have all of it in time. Savannah
and the Southern ports should come in
for a good share. There is one dis
elimination against this section,
whether accidental or Intentional |
noticed, in the rates of travel to the
island. 1t is possible to go to Cuba
from New York as cheaply almost as
from Tampa or Miami. We went from
Havana to Santiago by rail, stopping
at Santa Clara and Puerto Principe
the travel from Santa Clara to Sanci-
ago being on the railroad, recently fin
ished. From Santiago we went to
Cienfuegos by steamer. and from there
again to Havana by rail
Havana" Mr.. Young said, us a
great old city, and the view looking
towards it from MORO Castle is grand
one. Quiet, white and of old archi-
lecture. One of the strange things of
the city is that there is not a chimney
in it, nor a fireplace. No fires are ever
built or needed for heating purposes,
and the cooking is done in ovens and
CRATES with charcoal. The one Chin
ney is that of the electric power house
standing alone, single herald of indus
try, as it were. There is an electric
railway now under construction, and a
part in use, in the city, equipped as
well as anything of the kind in this
country. No crossties are used in lay
ing the tracks, the roadbed being of
concrete, in which the rails are laid
and tied together at intervals by ten
feet of iron ties"
do you really suppose that man
Smoot has another wife?" He says
he hasn't but one" II suppose that