The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-15
AMERICAN COLONlSTs IN CUBA.
Conditions Which Have Luredthi1n from the
States.
New York Evening Post.

while, with his own hands perhaps
constructing house in which to
dwell. He has probably paid for O
few acres, either wholly or in part
and has been guided in his choice by
the advice of some one who knew Of
little about the subject as he himself
at all events, he is there, strange,
in strange land, amid surroundings
altogether novel, with climatic and
elemental forces to combat of which
ne has the faintest conception.
It is about this time of the year
that planting in the West Indies be-
gins, or at the beginning of the rainy
season, which is now, or ought to be,
ION" in Cuba. If the colonist settle
in Havana Province, or in Pinar del
Rio. he will be appalled, by the gener-
asly forlorn appearance of the natives,
clad in cotton garments, which once
were white, but which are now splash
ed with clay-streaks, sanguineous in
hue and repulsive in appearance. The
women, even, slatternly dressed, and
most of them carrying babes in their
arms, or leading children by the
hands, are olay.bedaubed, while the
native bohies, the rude huts ef palm
slabs and thatch, are painted with ma
ture's gigment up to two or three feet
from the ground, the mud stains indi-
eating the high-water marks of the
rainy soason,
Country travel is none too good in
the season Of sunshine, but as soon as
the rains begin it is simply awful, for
the roads are coverea with tenacious
clay almost as adherent ss thst famous
plaster which ''tbe more you tried to
pull it of, the more it stuck the fast
er." Compelled to pull his weary
feet out Of succession of the clay
pits, as he "sllews through his gar
den, setting out his plants or putting
in seed, his shoes increasing in size
and weight, until they are so large
and heavy he can hardly lift them,
the colonist will probably bginclined
to murmur. And especially will his
thoughts take q pessiulistic turn when
the sun comes out and bakes the clay
to the hardness Of a pottery shard and
pinohes the life out Of whatever ten
der seeding it gets within its grip.
There are good soila in the Havana
Province, notably in aad about
Chimes and the southern branches of
the United Railways, and this section
is good one for garden stuff and the
smaller fruits that are most perisha-
bic. But it will not do to depend
upon the Havana market, as Jonn
Chinaman supplies that almost exclu-
sively, and, as everybody knows, can
beat the world OF raising "truck. I"
Though the soils of this province are
not 80 good as some farsher east, the
contiguity to the chief shipping port
Of the island, with frequent steamers
for the Northern cities, is great con-
sidefation.
Although some American capital
has been invested in the VueIta Abajo
region Of Pinar del R;e Province, and
adjacent to ths fine natural port OF
Bahia Honda, it will not, probably be
the vegas where the famous tobacco is
cultivated that will engage the atten-
s;ea oee tho 0olonis5 with small means:
OF the great central section in the
Santa Clara Province, with ite vaster
zelda oe sugsrcanes. Tobacco, as Che
ststistios show, ss grown: ON i tile rela-
lively insignifcan amount OF 100, 600,
acres, out OF Cuba's grand total Of &c..
900, ,e80.s It's cultivation, however,
requires great care and skill acquired
only by long Spraotios and traditional
Inheritance By natives from natives.
90 it will not do nt I'LL for the coionist.
Neither should he think OF sugerosne,
FOR the great .'.ingenios'' are being
gobbled mp By corporate capital aggre-
eating up in the millions. The i'm
mense aud ,world-renowned sugar es-
tafes Of she central region and the
north shores Of Santiago Province
mainly appear 70 occupy 5 large pro-
portion Of Cuba's acreage, but in real
ity cover only about one:sixtieth Of
the total area. 81 81 &.
Pinar del Rio, the western province
Of Cuba, will not Be sas sfavorite with
the colonist of slender resources, be-
cause 5of its poor soil il tie main, !.
which is intolerably dusty ii the dry,
asason. and atink -in-ths muddy ID ID Il tho
wet. The same, wita some qualiica-ii
n 49,