Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-15
.FECHT'S LETTER
INTERESTING
COMMUNICATION FROM WELL
KNOWN CIGAR MANUFACTURER
TELLS OF CONDITIONS IN CUBA
COVERS MANY TOPICS
Intimate View Of the Island as it is
Today is Shown in Note From
Observation-Disclosures is at "
High Tide.

II An intimate view or CuDa, Cno con
ditions there and word or two of hoV
he is progressing makes up the inter
esting facts. contained in a letter re
ceived by the Courier from Julius
Fecht Mr.. Fecht is in the south OF
his yearly trip to purchase tobacco TO-
the products of the Fecht Cigar factory
He says the crop of tobacco show:
promise Of being plentiful, but the
price has increased. The letter Is
written on board ship, and is com
plete as follows:
/ On board steamer Antinogenes
Menendez, January 81, 1912.
Editor Courier: "@
I'VE are at anchor in the bay
waiting for the storm to let up. We
] were out last night, up to three in the
lmorning, in, this small Spanish steamer
Antinogenes Menendez, about fifty
miles, but were turned back by the
tnorther, after very exciting expert
ence. Am trying to go around the
west end of, Cuba. to the west side OF
the Isle of Pines, Los Judios they call
! it. s~ >sT ..ss
II was two weeks in Havana, during
the crisis. When Uncle Sam shook
his finger at them, they let up at once
| What they really wanted is not quite
clear. 1t was fight for Offices, by the
old soldiers of the war of liberation,
who thought themselves neglected in
| the division of jobs. They formed
armed camps at Batabano and other
places though they disappeared at once
when the letter of President Taft was
received .tH s
Last week the railroad to Key West
was completed over the water. Now
the town is full of strangers, who make
the ninety mile trip to Havana in a
few hours. $ -.f
Cali the paying propositions in Cuba
are in the hands of outsiders. The
street cars belong to Americans, the
sugar plantations and mills also and
the railroads mostly to English COM
panies. The tobacco is bought up every
season by Americans and other buy
ers in the bundle and the poor Cuban
is always and stays always in debt. A
very large coffee plantation is now be-
ing opened in Santa Clara. The Gu
ban president and Cuban and Ameri-
can stockholders are hiring and i'm
porting Spaniards from Spain for
workmen-very queer indeed. Span
iards are the best people here. Ad-
vertisements for help always mention:
'Peninsular This means Spaniards
or Portuguese. They are the most re-
liable help.
Under the circumstances, I can't
blame the Cubans much, for grating
the Americans in small matters to
their hearts content. The season is
on, and living fearfully high; from two
to eight dollars for room and every
thing else in proportion. ...
From the cleanest city, Havana has
become the dirtiest one. Every street
Is torn up for the new sewers, and it
has rained in buckets since, converting
everything into mud. ~
"This child's play by the Cubans, of
being nation, is costing the taxpayers
some. With less people than the state
of Iowa, they have custom houses.
guards, collectors, army and navy, min
listers, ambassadors, very costly pub
lie buildings, etc. The amount of Of
fees this creates and the subsequent
scramble for them are very demoraliz-
ing; nearly as bad as their public state
lottery. Uncle Sam should step in,
make a state of Cuba and end this
agony. .@
Nov about the American settlers
in Cuba. A man that wants to dig his
living out of the ground had better
stay in Iowa, where he don't need IT.
rigation and fertilizer by the ton.
Those that get hold of good land here
are very few and still fools enough are
being found to buy worthless land
here and in the Isle of Pines that they
never saw and the only crop that can
ever be expected is bigger fool who
may buy it from them at a bigger
figure.
"a large bunch came on from
WATERFOWL, New York, few days ago.
Well they will see the elephant no
doubt. l was twice in Pinar Del Rio
province. Tobacco now very high in
price. promises we'll this cutting crop,
and / consequently bought one, in
the bundle. I have bought very little
so far in town. Buyers are plenty, the
best goods scarce and way above the
figures at which / have been selling in
the states.
"The Carnival begins here tomorrow,
and will last a month. l expect all the
visitors in the state of Florida will be
over here. Can't get place to sleep
any more therefore will go. It is
less crowded here on the Spanish
boat. Most of the passengers went on
shore. You could not hire them to
try it again.
II don't know how it will be in Los
Judios now. It's not town, nor a
land, nor a lake, just a geographical
idea; just black mangle woods stand.
;np in ten feet of salt water I hear
the lots have been sold there to the
orange growers. IN get along there
all right. Maybe some Of them will
have time to go fishing. l have my
tackle all laid out. for tomorrow's run
on the sea but it looks awful small
against the captains outfit. Then I'll
figure how to get out again from there.
"The weather up to now has been
beautiful. The islands are healthy;
death rate very low. With the amount
of children in every Cuban family, I
can't see how Havana can help but
crow into one of the largest cities 90