The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-08-07
CUBA, JAMAICA AND PANAMA

fined for carelessly exposing the Eng
lish language, | would attempt to de-
scribe Moro, which sits as a relic OF
military strength and a prison of in
fernal hell upon the heights at the en-
trance of the harbor. We saw the trap
doors through which prisoners were
dropped a half thousand feet into the
blackness of the sea-our little party
climbed to the top Of the ruin, and
gloried in the scars that shells had
inflicted upon it's forbidding exterior,
and at every new angle of view we felt
a JOY that Spain bad been wiped from
this American side Of the earth.
Now | can hardly fight over again
the battle of San Juan Hill, or review
the victories of Ell Oaney, though We
saw 1t all. The impressive problem is
the future Of Cuba, and likely these
people will work it all out with Uncle
Sam watching over, but it will be
slow. Cuba is f~abulously rich in ma
tural resources, but the native market
baskets stretched across the back of
a burro or native pony, with a Sonora
walking alongside, gives evidences of
how swift these people really are.
Our Hamburg American boats and the
English ships make things hum in the
harbors, but back in the inland Sec
tons humanity barely moves except
Cuba exports nearly 800, 00O, 900 IN
nually to the United States, and re-
ceives abou. $40, 100000 from us. To-
bacco Is the handspring OF it's produc-
ton, and sugar and fruits, including
bananas and c%ocoanuts, fit into the in
dustrial scheme.
At all times Of the year the island
may be visited with pleasure, and lest
/ have left damaging impressions, let
me add that every moment we spent
in Cuba was filed with delight. We
met many Americans there who de-
clared that Cuba was "a better place
to live than the United States" and
they are remaining there from choice.
AS In excursion point Cuba is a trium-
plant success, but | have depressed
from the enthusiasm I have felt be-
cause of the serious consideration of
its future, and these people who have
cost us so dearly. Cuban people are a
disappointment because they are so
slow to grasp the wonderful oppor-
tunities everywhere about them, in a
land that God has bestowed with the
richest gifts of soil, scenery and
climate.
There are tasks that require special
a~daptibillty OF a peculiar nature, and
l would fain summon to my aid the
imagination of the poet, or the enig-
matte methods of impressionists and
cubists, since / am to undertake the
gymnastic literary endeavor of de-
scribing the indescribable. Surely the
sea has a color, and l imagine that
the clouds obscure the sun that
1t Is an Opaque indigo blue; but even
now purple lights playfully dance
across the way, leaving in the deeper
shadows lighter patches of purple.
An old sea dog who has sailed for
thirty years emphatically declares that
the sea is always blue, that it is the
color of the sky, and that over all
seas come the same shades; yet saw
no such green in the northern waters
as down nea the equator. We land
lubbers all agreed down there that the
water vas a blush green, or a CON-
posite of green tints with dashes of
blue green-but this was the Atlantic,
the water Of the Caribbean Sea. The
same afternoon we watched the Paci-
fc race across the tide fats and splash
against the sea walls, falling back into
the sea, muttering mild protests. all
the time apparently chattering pleas
ant greetings to us. There were no
familiar shadows or colors, in the
thousands of miles In which we cours.
ed the Atlantic. The Pacific was a
gray green, and the blue was entirely
missing. I have seen swarthy Latin
Americans In these days whose pepper
and salt clothing reminded me Of this
color-a chameleon In the Hope Gar
dens Of Kingston reflected 1t. Surely
the water Is not always blue-or the
color OF the sky, or the reflection of the
rays Of the tropic sun. The puzzlini
completely OF II all defeats the wore
picture. A fellow passenger, Mis-,
Stavely has loaned me Hearns "Tw,
Years in the French West Indies" an,
have enjoyed its beautiful descrip
tion. Hearn says that the foam tina
falls back from the side OF the shiI
books Ike the suns rays falling on
snow bank. At first / was inclined t
agree-Hearn 10 90 fascinating an,
convincing. At the particular momen
- / ann writing THE bur ship IL anon
the Bahama Islands-the British IA,
Is In sight over Fortune Island. and tn,
habftation OF several thousands o
blacks, with only . bali dozen oficla