The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-23

nexation, It is not to be supposed, as some
| press dispatches have intimated, that they
are actively supporting the insurrection-
| aries. With their knowledge of the reck-
| less characte. of the lower class Cubans
and their destructive tendencies, capital
| lists must dread the effects of any uprising
that shall get beyond the control Of the
government They will hardly forget the
ruthless and indiscriminate manner in
which the entire wealth Of the country
was destroyed in the recent rebellion. The
American property owners are more dis
posed to favor the plan of bringing about
annexation by political methods, as their
fellow-countrymen did in Hawaii.
1t is safe to say that nowhere In the
world can be found a section Of territory
of the same extent with such great and
varied resources as Cuba. About the size
of England and somewhat smaller than
the state of Pennsylvania, 1t is capable of
producing the best tobacco in the world,
sugar equal to any, coffee of the highest
grade, great variety of fruits and vege-
tables and several kinds of commercial
fbers. Add to this splendid pasture lands,
an abundance of valuable timber, and
mineral deposits which include gold, cop
per, iron, coal and manganese.
Although almost all the land is capable
small proportion Of it is yet under cult
walton. The vast sugar output Is secured
from no more than 100000 acres of cane
notwithstanding the plantations occupy
very much greater area. Extensive sec
lions are occupied by unsurveyed virgin
forest, covering land that, in filth, would
yield sugar, tobacco or other profitable
products. Despite the astounding devel-
opment Of recent years. it Is safe to say
that the country has not yet been exploit
ed to the extent Of one-fourth of Its pos
sibiities.
The greatest impetus to the industries
of the island has been derived from the
improvement and extension of railroads.
of which there at present 1900 miles
of trunk line. One-third more of this
mileage has been constructed since the
war. great deal more is either planned
or In process of construction, with the
intention OF creating a system which shall
afford INSTRUMENTATION by rail be-
tween all parts of the island. The most
important of the new lines is the Cuba
Railroad. running from Santiago. at the
eastern extremity of the island, to Santa
Clara. at the center. There 1t connects
with the United Railway, operating a line
which extends to the capital and has
network of branches In the province of
Havana.
The Cuba Railroad, which is better
known In this country by the name of its
promoter, Sir William Van Horne ac-
CURED several hundred thousand acres of
land In the process of securing its right
of way. 1t Is rapidly clearing this land
OF timber and converting 1t into sugar
plantations. 1t has already about 5000
acres under cultivation. and mill in OPP
GRAFTON with a capacity of grinding
1000 bags day. Eighty more similar
mills are projected by the Cuba Company
and other corpora tons along the route OF
this line. What this development will
mean may, in some measure, be gathered
from the statement that each of these
mills will establish, IN a country largely
unoccupied hitherto, a settlement of 5000
or 10000 souls. Already the road runs
through many miles of sugar, tobacco and
pasture land. where a few years ago all
was wild backwoods
These Indications Of a splendid prosper
ity are in evidence In all parts of the coun-
try. Cuba's sugar industry. which was
practically wiped out during the war with
the destruction of the various mills and
other buildings. has been revived in In
creased magnitude and efficacy. There
are in the various provinces upward Of
200 plantations, with better equipment
than they ever had before. New sugar
lands are being constantly redeemed from
the woods and additional capital Is In
vested In the industry every year. The
great need now Is labor. The government