Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1904 — SOMETHING OF CUBA, [ARTICLE]

SOMETHING OF CUBA,

E. J. Wllcex Writes Entertainingly of Hl# Recent Trip to the lalan4. Dayton, Ky., June 16,1904. To the Editor: Having jnat returned from a three weeks visit to the Island of Cuba, where I traveled by train, on foot and on horseback for a distance of five hundred miles through the interior, and thinking that some of your readers might be interested by a description of the resources and possibilities in that land so near our own coast, I will write a short letter descriptive of the same. I would say in the beginning that mine was a business trip rather than one of pleasure, consequently 1 made a pretty thorough investigation of the above points* Of the six provinces, I visited four Havana, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Puerto Principe, not touching Santiago Province on the eastern end of the island, nor Pinar Del Rio Province on the west.

While one may see a great many new and strange sights in the city of Havana, yet a visit there is hardly a visit *to Cuba. Only those who have taken time to make an extended trip through the country, and especially a few hundred miles east where can be seen the mute evidences of a once prosperous people —dismantled sugar mills by the score, and ruined plantations and homes innumerable, and now just emerging into the light of a new era of prosperity, let us hope—can judge with any degree of accuracy as to the future possibilities of this wonderful island. Few cities in the United States can compare with Havana in cleanliness and beauty. The city is well supplied with electric cars, electric lights, waterworks, etc. The streets are well paved, and the wilderness of well kept tropical verdure to be found along the “Prado” or parade ground, and in the numerous small parks throughout the city is a source of great delight to the northern visitors. Hotel rates are no higher than at home, street car fares are the same, and cab fares are much cheaper. Third class railroad fare is somewhat cheaper than here, but the passengers must be content with board seats without cushions. First class fare is double the third rate, and is intended to take the place of our parlor and sleeping cars—but it doesn't. Most of the business buildings of Havana are built with the second story overreaching the sidewalk, supported at the outer edge by huge pillars, thus forming a protection to pedestrains both from the sun and rain. The number of eating and drinking places is surprising, and the visitor is constantly beset by the street vender who offer everything imaginable from bad cigars to bundles of guinea grass.

Much has been said of Cuba’s wonderful climate, and it certainly does come very near to perfection. Just now the rainy season is at its height, and the natives say it is out of all proportion to what it should be. The rain always begins to fall about thtee o’clock in the afternoon; and having been caught out iu the country on two or three occasions during a rain, I feel qualified to state that their’s are not ordinary showers such as we have. The province of Santa Clara and Puerto Principe are recognized as the great cattle-raising and sugarproducing districts, and here most of the American colonies are located. A great deal of the 6oil in these two provinoes is red in color and very rich and is much prized by those who follow either of the above named industries. The recorder’s offices in these two districts are weeks behind with their work, owing to the great number of land transfers to American citizens. Often two and even three months elapse before a deed can get through the necessary offices to the purchaser. Land titles are absolutely secure and are guaranteed by the Cuban government when properly made out. Care must be exercised in having a judicial survey made, after which no one can question the title. There is lots of good land for sale and it is being rapidly taken up by Americans who, having been on the ground, become at once satisfied that an investment at present prices can not be a mistake. The Cabans, being able to sell at an advance of from fifty to one hundred per cent over former prices, readily part with their land at from six to twenty dollars per acre. Land is not taxed in Cuba, except that with every transfer of title, one per cent of the.purchase price goes to the government. There are thousands of acres of valuable hardwbod timber in this portion of the island besides the immense areas of fine grazing land, and as Cuba is long and narrow with a

railroad running 000 mile* through the center, the matter of location is not serious, owners having either access to the railroad or to the coast. The soil in this part of the island is fine for coffee, oranges lemons, pine-apples, ootton and. , all tropical plants, as well as for corn, Irish and sweet potatoes and all kinds of vegetables with which we are familiar. Apples and .wheat have not yet been successully grown. Two crops of corn can be produced on the same ground each year, three or four crops of Irish potatoes. Sweet potatoes grow and produce continually without replanting. The same is true of cotton, sugarcane, pine-apples, and many other plants. To get the best results, however, these repeating crops should be plowed up aqd replanted with new stock every few years. American planters have produced pineapples weighing from seventeen to twenty-five pounds, and are shipping them to the States. This variety is mnch sweeter than the little “Red Spanish” to which we are accustomed, and if they will stand shipment will find a ready market here. Under the magic touch of the American farmer, this wonderfully rich soil and equally wonderful climate produces results that seem almost incredible to these who have not seen them with their own eyes, but the facts remain, nevertheless, and lead to the prediction that Cuba will soon become one of the garden spots of the world. So I would recommend to every one who is contemplating a trip, either for pleasure or business, go to Cuba and see for yourself what is being done by the customary push and energy of the American farmer. The native Cuban is not progressive, it takes but. little to satisfy his wants, so little in fact that a family of twelve can live in perfect comfort on the products of one acre of soil. They have never tried to develop the resouaes of their country, except in the most favored spots, and they never knew what could be done in the way of agriculture until the Americans came and produced results. The long series,of wars, which through Spanish tyrrany rent the country, and which were ended when the United States gave Cuba her freedom, has tended to retard progress, and has left the island in a desolate condition. Its effeets are every where apparent, but the soil remains rich and the climate salubrious — the two things which the Spaniard could not steal nor destroy. While Cuba has great forests of valuable hardwoods, she lacks the common all-a-round pine for building material. Cedar, such as cigar boxes is made of, is plentiful, and is used for construction purposes by Americans where nothing cheaper can be had. A great amount of pine lumber is being shipped in from Florida, and is preferred to the Cuban cedar, which is worth more when manufactured into cigar box material. The hardwoods are Mahogany, Sabicu, Mahogua, Acanau, Abai, Maboa, Juiqui (pronounced hickey,) and numerous others. Sabicu is a wood similar to mahogany, but really finer in grain and color: Mahogua is green in color with fine grain; Acanau is a close grained red wood; Abai is light colored with a beautiful wavy grain; Maboa is black, very hard, and takes a fine polish; Juiqui is called the impersishable wood, and is used for foundation posts, railroad ties, and other ground work. It is so hard that a nail or spike cannot be driven into it without first boring a hole with a drill, (an augur will break in it) and it will burn readily after having lain out in the wet for weeks. All these hardwoods are too valuable for ordinary construction purposes, but at present, owing to the lack of furniture factories and other concerns that use valuable timber, there is not a great demand for any of these except mahogany. The man who invests money in Cuban timber now, while the price is low, is making a good investment. Cattle raising is one of the most profitable industries that can be engaged in. It will be ten years before the local demand for beef can be supplied, and as the pop ulation increases, the demand will be greater. When the home market has been supplied, and no more cattle have to be imported, the surplus can be profitably marketed to other countries, as the base of supply will then be Cuba and not Venzuela or Texes, as at present.. At Nuevitas I saw 1,200 bead, mostly sows, whioh are duty-free, unloaded from a ship, the owner having four more ship-loads coming. These cattle, mostly bony and poor, are put out in the rich pastures of guinea grass, where they fatten in three

to four months ready for the block. The raising of hogs, which are now worth from seven to ten cents per pound on foot, ought to be another source of profit. A great improvement can be made on the Cuban hog. He has the famous Alabama razor-back beaten at eVery point. Good hogs can be raised there as well as in the United States, the present variety of Cuban porker being only the result of two hundred years of practically running wild. Most of the Cuban people are in favor of annexation to the United States, and I believe that this will eventually be brought about. If the present rate of American immigration keeps up, the island will in time be fully Americanized whether it is annexed or not. I bought a small tract in the providence of Puerto Principe where most of the Americans are going. I would be glad to correspond with any one who might be interested, as I looked over a number of tracts for sale that I could recommend to my friends. Yours truly, E. J. Wilcox.