The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-02-12
CONDITIONS IN CURA

Mr.. A Lopez. who f.r 3 n,tr.sser Of
yat:- has been 4 resident Il: Drala
ana one of the really expert cigar
II Ecrs in the country and associated
Wtch Mr.. Charles II Mathews in the
T4annlfacture Of cigars, has recently
returned from 4 trip To Cuba. H went
th-re with tne firm determination Of
again making his native country his
nom. Dlac- dear to his childhood
Impressions. but on inyestiga ting the
conditions there concluded that Flor
ida held out greater inducements than
CHA for poor man, and So returned.
Ii said "Havana WAS moving along
gr4ndly in improve En"nts. but his visit
an1 inspection of 300 miles into the
country convinced him that the poor
people were having 4 hard time Of it.
II said the only interests that to him
s..-In"d prosperous We're the produce
ton Of sugar and tobacco. Sugar was
z-tinG at two cents pound. The
crop Of tobacco good and quality fine
AMI \ good demand for same all over
tLc world. But he found the the or
.nga industry and that Of pineapple
growing most discDuraging. II" had
ben led to believe that he could Sc
cure employment with a very large
American corporation, who had gained
possession OF IS 600 acres Of land. 1000
Of which thev had planted in oranges,
&C. unfortunately the duty on this
fruit Of 50 cents u box and the expense
IS getting it to market. left no profit
ard the business was most discourage
ing and demoralizcd. The same story
ne told Of the piIi-e.I.Dl, iIdil- ny. No
market for them a scarcely any price.
You could buy the finest fruit grown
at - cents a dozen and they went
begging at that. In consequence hun
dredS OF Americans who ten years ago
had gone to CUBA to make their for
tunes at these industries were dis
cOura gcd ard many had thrown up the
sponge in disgust and abandoned
their places and were returning 10
Florida and other states. Everybody
HY;s anxious to sell at any price they
could get. Speaking Of the good roads
constituted in Cuba and on which the
government had spent $1,000. 900
they are u failure, 50 far as their
condition was concerned. He said ir
81, his travels he saw none Of these
cxDensivcly constructed roads near as
good AZ those Marion county now en-
i,r- He said there was some talk o.
.cncxing cuba 10 the United States
bat the general impression was thI!
would never taxi. place a the United
states could not afford to assume the
Spanish debt which he said amounted
t. ever 400 million OF dollars. He salt
real rstatr Sha rkS We're more numerous
in Cuba than in Florida and thousand
were the deceived and duped poor PEG
=. that had been lurcd from F1orld;
FAD other states, who would be onl.
tao glad to return if they had tn
r.eaus Common labor was paid $l.3
/. Iay in Spanish money. which was a
q discount of 20 cents on the dollar
Meat was comparatively cheap, tn
finest beef ranging IN price from - I
- cents Il pound. He said that Jlr
Johnson Il former resident Of Mari
Ftty, who went over there number o
y"ars ago to make his fortune. ma
come to the conclusion t. return
Marion county if he could dispose c
his property. Mr.. Lopez * an lntelil
g-nt man and a close observer an
from all he could see and learn,
T.-asod to think he has returned
ccaIa in safety and it satisfied to set
t.. down and remain here for the res
O. his days.