The Mena weekly star., 1909-08-12
A Letter From Cuba.

l.. w. Felter, who until six months ago was one of Polk county's best known farmers, living near Acorn, writes as follows from his new home:
 We have now been in Cuba six months, and are liking it better all the time.
 There are many things of interest to strangers, and much beautiful scenery. Havana is a beautiful city and is kept scrupulously clean.
 One thing of interest to every American on entering the harbor IS the wreck of the Maine, part of which is above water.
 When we arrived they were mak- ing elaborate preparations for the inauguration of President Gomez. Cuba has been s'paddling her own canoe" since the 28th of January, and has not had a revolution yet. Isn't that doing well?
 Going west from Havana, on the Havana Central electric railway, one passes through fields of bananas, pineapple and tobacco for the first twenty-five miles. Some of the to- bacco is raised under a cover of cheese cloth, and brings fancy prices. l have been told that sometimes the extra grades sell as high as S1 ,00O per bale surely big price for such worthless, defling stuff.
 The principle product of this sec tion is sugar. Before the last con- flict between Cuba and Spain the whole country was in cane. and there were sugar mills every few miles, as is still evidenced by their ruins, the Spaniards destroying some in order to cut off the resources of the Cubans, and the Cubans destroying others to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Spaniards.
 But the country is recovering from the effects of these destructive times. There are three sugar mills within seven miles of San Claudio, and more caneis being planted all the time. It is sure crop. and has to be planted only once in six to ten years. The sugar-making season lasts from about the first of January until May.
 The Cubans are behind in a good many things, but they are coming to the front in the matter of good roads We now have a macademized road from Havana to San Claudio, and it is being extended sixteen miles fur ther west to the coast.
 Lumber for building purposes is about fifty per cent higher than in Arkansas. However, there is not much lumber used for building. am building a house of cement blocks. The cost is about the same, and it is much better when done.
 Most all of the buildings in the towns are concrete, plsstered inside and out, with tile roofs. But the natives in the country have cheaper way of building their houses. They set large posts in the ground, then put on a strong roof frame, which is matched with leaves from the royal palm. These leaves are from twelve to twenty feet long and are cut into pieces about three feet long and tied on the roof with strings. also from the palm, in courses like shingles. The palm also furnishes the siding in the form of bark. The royal palm is great blessing to Cubans
 The scenery here around San Claudio is somewhat similar to that about Mena. On the south is range of mountains about as high as Rich Mountain. The country between the mountains and the gulf, a dis tance of from six to twelve miles, is more or less hilly, and dotted over with palms.
 Land in this colony is $50 and S75 per acre, unimproved. The soil is rich, and grass is abundant; stock is fat the year round. Para grass is the chief forage, and if it would not winter-kill think it would be yal- uable grass for Arkansas.
 Cuba has tvFo seasons, the wet and the dry. The dry period begin about October. usually, and contin- pqs ,1nfil ahas4t Mav Hamavar fhsu