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PEARL OF THE ANTILLES. THE STORY OF CUBA. HER PEOPU AND HER RESOURCES. Coryright, 1S0S, by the Author. Cuba! It is a name that now is fa iliar to every household in all tho ivilized earth. The suffering of its Vnn1 ha rvina fyrnftna nt ita fnrfnrod i) Wtriots, have formed the minor key of Wrow ia the world's grand song of progress. And yet, in spite of the fact ihnt. it h.is lnnt? lipid the interest and pyuiymuj ui mil uiiuucu jreupci jland is so little known and 60 greatly in1orPsfiiri!ifftd. Th t.mvfilpr vhr jTpliinpscs for the first time her marvel j Jous shores is overcome with astonish I jnient at the panorama of immense pos- I '..Ik:!:- .1... cUir.-.ma-inr. knfn.K Tiuiiiijr tuau ilea buiuiujciiusj uciuio Jhirn, for even now, her richest vest ments shredded, her body bleeding uu- kier trie violent nanus oz an unnatural parent, uuoa remains tne inaesirucuuie 'rjl'earlof tho Antilles, with eucb wealth id her 6oil and under it as no earthly power can take away. An pvprvhnrlv lrnnw rhfl lpvplnn- occupancy retarded and at times prac tically stopped by the rule of Spain. Soon after the foot cf Columbus touohed Jlher virgin soil the dark cloud of oppres sion began to hover over her, and it was only by the sheer force of her innate worth, coupled with the necessities of her inhabitants, that her glorious prod ucts became, even to a limited extent, available. When in 1511 Columbus Bent his sou Diego, with a number of colonists, to Cuba, tho big island was speedily set tled, and measurements of its propor tions were made by a party of official ugramenfiores (surveyors), and these measurements wero of such accuracy that they remain as standards today. Tl, 1 a j m j w icugiu vi iuo lsiauu was xouuu iu Vbe in round numbers 000 miles, its width at its narrowest point 21 miles ami at its widest point 111 miles. This gives to the long, shark shaped island an area of approximately 43,000 square miles, or nearly tho 6izo of the state of Pennsylvania. VJ In view of the necessity of tho exten sive exploration which was incident to this compfebeusivo survey it seems passing strange that no more of Cuba's richness was discovered and utilized fcr tho development of tho strength mid valuo of the new colony. This derelic tion, however, was nroh.ihlv not the V Itault of tho really vigorous and progress- 've adherents of the sou of the great discoverer. Indeed from a careful study of history, though exact dates are not to m obtained, it would seem that it was soon after its colonization that the greed of tjo mother nnnntrv Ih-ltiii to cripple tho enterprise and mar tho des tla7 of tho new government that was lormmg on this new soil. Cuba's Great Grievance. Tho CripVillicn rf HnV,., win's.!? Una lasted all these VPro. rtnrpa frnm this early period. It was in its nature and operation the parallel of the one which ongnt about tho bloody but glorious . ui uur own independence that is to say taxation without representation. u-re was a vast difference in the lUatlOn Of th r?nhno IV),(U i . wwumuo. MUIIOVU11IUI- u'Qtiouist fathers were vastly inferior to cut7 u point of numbers, their Proportion to the whole number of fight- g Englishmen Whn rnnld halnnrW mi wr shores was not of such smallness as barSfi aU bope' vhereas the mero narul of Cubans were so overwhelm- tg J7o0T?nnatcllcd by the armed force 'call I I couM xuust( to to practi Wation 1,0VtT Qftcr th flr6tdemon tffniiBOt,,rro haTeboon insurrection l"rter insnrr. ..t,V.. ....,.-... i. r Lil' . tbo C(rusi,lcut horrible butch I I, m .of retribution, until Cuba, the L., rm tbo ridl- tbo wonderful, has Kvli . n,oro than a bloody abattoir but , 10 llu,a aua 1,ore8 of a wcak 'bf.n V1dous,y courageous peoplo havo H? fwiodically sacrificed. ?o J not Le crushed out of the breast a im-V?" 0f theso ratriots, and they, lint V maae ihQ Baui0 struggle. W..resnlt,of theso beroio efforts SfS? t0 l.h9 reople of Cuba and less f I" wusractoiy to the administra- A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE HARBOR tion at Madrid, and thus, from years of weakness, strength grew, so that iusur rection came to mean revolution, and there dawned upon the sight of the striving patriot the splendid vision of a blood bought but free republic. But people know more of the strug gles of Cuba than they do of Cuba itself. Every civilized inhabitant of tho globe has followed with feelings of indigna tion and pity the story of Cuba's suffer ing. All the "insurrections," theSSep aratist wars" and the other vain but valiant efforts of the Cubaus to throw off the Spanish yoke have appealed to his chivalry and wrung his heart with grief and rage; but, as a rule, he is as ignorant of the scene of these struggles as if they bad occurred in the viewless air. And yet, in the comparatively small compass of its watery bounda ries, there is concentrated a greater va riety of natural resources than are to bo found in any other island, state, prov ince or country beneath the sun. This may sound extravagant, but the statement is verified by all reliable sta tistics and unprejudiced witnesses. And when those who cavil come to reckon up its advantages its millions'of acres of soil, richer than any in the United States, that will grow anything from a potato to a pineapple; its abundant yields of sugar and tobacco; its tre mendous forests of mahogany and othor precious woods; its uplands, upon which is grown every product of the temper ate zone, and its fertile valleys, from which luxuriantly spring the most lus cious fruits of the tropics; its mines of iron and copper and manganese; its hundreds of beautiful and excellent harbors, and th6 loft, healthful atmos phere of perpetual summer that forms tho setting for this peerless "Pearl" their doubts will b9 swallowed up in conviction. A Complex Study. A study of this wonderful island is complex from any standpoint. Tho geog rapher, with the best map in his pos session, will find now inlets, the natu ralist will add to his collection, and the mineralogist will revel in novelties, and even tho blase cosmopolitan will recover in Cuba the zest which had gono out of his life. And all this is merely to say that a great deal of the accepted data with referenco to Cuba is either inexact or wholly faulty. This, of course, like everything else that works injury to tho island as to its relation to the rest of tho world, is due to the autocratio and ignorant methods of tho Spanish author ities, the tendency of whoso 'disci pline" is toward handicapping every public spirited enterprise and retarding everything that is not done directly in tho interest of the honor and glory and roveuuo of the power across the 6ea, for whom this poor, downcast people havo been working out what has heretofore appeared to be a life subsidy. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, the enterprise of Americans and others foreign to the soil has led native indus try in the right direction, and its com merce has grown in the teeth of riot and insurrection. The normal population, 1,700,000, composed of something near 1,000,000 porsons of Spanish descent,' 10,000 foreign whites, 43,000 Chinese and 500,000 negroes and colored people, is not a busy throng. The loitering Cu ban of today can hardly be recognized as the descendant of those sturdy pioneers of the sixteenth century who fashioned the gigantic bastions of El Castillo de la Futrza tho Castlo of Strength but still he can be brought to bestir himself if a suilicient financial inducement is offered. To be entirely just, it should be said that enterprise is not wholly waut lug, even among tbe laboring classes. And so capital, which was at first large ly American, was 'put to work, aud as a result cities have Fprung up, largo plantations have been put under cuitiva- j. in hps have been openod up, and suar. tobacco and the hundreds of oth- er valnablo products oi me isiauu uuvw i.nti iiiiwifl to enrich it. As is well and usurious part of the annual revenues of planters, miners and manufacturers has been taken for taxes, of i. nirth it has found its way into the ever depleted 1 coffers of the home government at Madrid. Ana sun wawu increased until the beginning of the rev. olution in 1895, when there commenced tho devastation which has cost Cuba so dearly. The chief products of tho Island are sugar and tobacco, aud the amount an nually realized from theso products dur ing the years just preceding the last up rising has been, on theaverago, 85,000, 000 pesos (dollars), aud the revenue from mineral sources has been grossly esti mated at y, 500, 000 pesos. Tho amounts derived from other sources (including cotton, of which a good deal is pro duced) were considerable, but these were the most important. And just here, as an instance of tbe slumbrous apathy that has resulted from years of hopeless subjugation aud practical serf dom, the opening up of the iron mines in the province of Santiago de Cuba, at the eastern end of the island, may profit ably be cited. These valuable mines, though discovered nearly a century ago, never felt tbe blow of a pick until 1883, when a party of New York capitalists determined to make an effort to pur chase and develop them. Negotiations with the Spanish government were at once commenced, and in 1885, after two years of persuasion, concessions were obtained aud work was commenced. Stock companies were organized in New York and Philadelphia, and bonds were floated. Theso companies were the Ju ragua, the Spanish-American, the Signe and others. From these mines the an nual exportation grew to be more than 500,000 tons of iron ore and 40,000 tons of manganese, amounting to $3,000,000 in value at the lowest estimate. Mining; Ia Easy. Mining was nominal, as the ore could bo readily broken up by surface blast 4ug. In order to carry ore to the United States u largo fleet of steamers was nec essary. On the return trip from the Unit ed States these steamers at first went empty or with ballast only, but it final ly dawned upon tho owners of the ves sels that loads might as well be carried, and the steamers began to take coal to tbe West Indies. And thus it came about that the shipment of iron ore to the United States facilitated tbe expor tation of Pennsylvania coal to the West Indies. The development of this industry was one of many enterprises that have been successfully pursued in this wonderful laud despite the singularly unfavorable conditions that have existed. Cuba's greatest wealth must always come from the vegetable products of tbe earth. Her soil is wonderful. It is not only fertile, but inexhaustible. Three crops of cane grow from one planting. No fertilizers are used. Tho soil in places has the great depth of 27 feet. Tobacco needs no guano to make a crop and not nearly so much labor as is required in cultivation clsewhcro. Anything that grows under the tropical sun can be grown in Cuba, although during recent years tho soil has been given up to tho production of sugar und tobacco. Before tho devastating torch of war had laid wasto tho canefields and de stroyed factories und mills the busy hum of fruitful labor stirred all the air. The cost of making sugar was gradually reduced by the introduction of labor saving machinery, and the business set tled down to a paying basis, and by the increased power of production the de mand for cane grew, planters were en couragod, and the fruitful island began to wear a prosperous air. The tobacco planters and manufacturers also im proved their methods, and this rival product kept even pace with its saccha rine competitor. The annual sugar crop was worth $45,000,000, the tobacco crop $0,000,000. Then came tbe revolu tion. Somehow, when one writes of Cuba, everything comes back to that point and strikes it as against a dead wall after clearing tbe cruel hurdles of Spanish tyranny. But let us revert to tho first branch of the subject the island proper in its en tirety. The coast contour of Cuba is broken with hundreds of inlets, all of them harbors in greater or less degree, each having its small fortifications, its villages and its special industries. The profilo of tho is-land, to quote tho lan guage of tho railroad engineer, is variod and picturesque, hero n high poak, there a valley, tbcro a plain. Beginning at Santiago do Cuba, the most e asterly of tho six provinces, and proceeding west ward through Puerto Principe, Santa Clara, Alatau.as Habana and to the laud's end of Pinar del Bio, tbo tourist traverses magnificent stretches of pla teau and crosses innumerable valloys, skirts high mountains and follows deep aud picturesque gorges, but the moun tains become hills, and theso nro grad ually sbaded down until in the extreme west a surfaco, generally level, is reach ed, although in tho vicinity cf the Queen City, Havana, small but rugged peaks, with precipitous sides, may to seen in many directions along the shore. ri('tur-niue Havana. To say that Havana is picturesque and beautiful is but to give vent to the first superficial expression that comes to your lips. Spain itself cannot show a more curious or interesting city. Study it as you approach it from tho sea, with mighty Morro set high upon tho head land, time dyed in mottled splotches of yellow, gray und black, aud the red and yellow flags above, with La Junta across the narrow channel, prim and white, save where the uglydahlgren guns flash at you like venomous black eyes, and the city is as interesting and impressive a sight as human eye ever beheld. As the capital, metropolis and chief seaport of Cuba it is one of the best known cities in tho American hemi sphere. Its splendid harbor, its commer cial importance, its climate and the tinge of romance that ever attaches to its people have made its fame world wide. Havana has about 200,000 inhab itants. It was founded but 23 years after the discovery by Columbus and has always been tbe commercial em porium of the Antilles. Few cities have such beautiful parks and driveways as has Havana. The great Plaza de Armas is the chief. It com prises four parks, in the center of which is a statue of Ferdinand VII. Then there are the Alameda de Paula, bor dering on the bay, and the Campo de Marto, used as a drill ground for the military. This is an enormous park. It has four handsome gates, named respec tively Colon, Cortez, Pizarro and Tacon. The Paseo de Tacon is a magnificent drive with double rows of trees. It has nuruej'ous columns and statues, among tho latter one of Charles III, ranking among the finest works of art in Amer ica. ; ; The commerce of Havana is only sur passed in tbe new world by that of New York. Two-thirds of the products of Cuba find outlet through Havana. The exports of sugar alone are unnnally about 120,000,000 pounds. Havana was first called San Cristobal de la Habana, in honor of Columbus, but gradually tho prefix was dropped. Havana has been frequently attacked from the 6ea. Drake tried to take it in 1585, but failed. In 1702 a British fleet under Admiral Pocock bombarded the city and compelled it to capitulate, but it was restored to the Spaniards the next year by the treaty cf Paris. Not a Hot Country. Wo are accustomed to think of Cuba as a hot country, situated as it is under tho tropics, und the common impression is correct to the extent that the mean averago temperature of tho year is high er than in countries farther north, but tho climate is more equable. There are not those sudden variations that ia many parts of tho United States ure so severo on tho human constitution. In Havana, for example, the average tem perature of the hottest month is 84 degrees; of tbe coldest, 72. In Santiago de Cuba, a city often mentioned in tho war dispatches, the averago of the year is 80; of the hottest mouth, 84; of tho coolest, 73. These are high figures, but not very high for un island lying in equatorial regions and surrounded by water that is warm to tbo hand all tho year round. To a stranger from a dry country a feature more objectionable than the steady heat is the tremendous rainfall. The geographical and topo graphical situation of Cuba provides two seasons only, the wet and the dry. During the latter rains are not frequent, being atoned for, however, by tbe abun dance of the dow, but in tbe rainy sea son Jupiter Pluvius seems to turn him self loose to excel all previous efforts, and from 125 to 140 inches of rain is not uncommon, there being about 102 days when the rain comes down not in drops, but in sheets, in masses, in tub fuls at a time, as though the windows of the btuiciis were opened and the floods of tho great aerial deep had bro ken loose. So abundant is the rainfall, in fact, that, as a recent traveler remarks, the wonder is that any island remains; that tho wholo is not dissolved and car ried off into tbe sea. But in Cuba no ono minds tho rain. Notwithstanding tho peculiarities of its coast line, Cuba has more than 200 excellent ports. Tho principal of these nro Havana, Bahia Hondo, Puerto do Gabauas, Matauzas, Cardenas, Sagua la Grande, La Cluanaja, Nuevitas, Mala gueta, Mauati, Puerto del Padre, Santi ago do-Cuba, Manzauillo, Cauto, Sauta Cruz, Cienf uogos, Cochinos and La Broa. The rivers of Cuba aro not large, but numerous, thero being no fewer than 200 of them, all told, and that is exclusive of small creeks and dry bods of torrents, called arroyos. The Canto, the only really navigable stream, rises in the OF HAVANA. Sierra del Cobre and has its outlet on the south coai-t near Manzauillo. There aro a few oth streams which are nav igable for small boats for a distauco of from 8 to 20 miles. Next in importance are tho streams Guinea aud Ay. At one timo it was the intention to cut a canal through the laud intervening and bisect the island, but the idea was finally abandoned as impracticable. Cuba contains many mineral springs which are famed for their valuable heal ing properties, principal among them being those known as the baths of San Diego. The temperature of the water is 83 degrees F., aud it is very strongly im pregnated with oxygen, carbouio acid gases, chloride of sodium, sulphate of lime, nitrate of lime, iron, magnesia, silex and chloride cf calcium. Four glasses of it a day and two baths are the regulation cure for almost every disease known to materia medica, but it is probable that the warm, pure air, sim ple diet aud faith have much to do with it. At any rate, a great many surpris ing cures have been effected, particular ly of bronchial aud scrofulous com plaints. People have been taken from the steamer on litters, apparently just ready to die, who in a week's time have been riding over tho hills on horse back and iu a month havo gone home us "good as new" aud well as anybody. If these springs were in the United States, with the same air to accompany them, or if managed where they are bv some sensible, wide awake Anglo-'ax-on, they would become the sanitarium of the world, boide which Saratoga, CarlsLad, Lus Vegas ami White Sulphur would hide their diminished heads. All Kind of 31inral. Nearly all metals and minerals that aro useful in any sort of industry aro found in Cuba gold, silver, iron, cop per, quicksilver, lead, asphaltum in all its forms, antimony, arsenic, manganese, copperas, red lead, etc. In the Sarama guacau and several other rivers gold has been found, though not in paying quan tities. Silver of a certain grade abounds in Pinar del Rio, San Fernando and Yumuri. Almost all the metamorphic rocks contain copper, and these are scat tired all over the island. It is usually found in the form of pyrites and sul phurets. In tho eastern part of Cuba, about 12 miles from Santiago, the rich copper mines of (E1 Cobre were worked for a good many years by an English com pany. They wero abandoned during tho last revolution. There aro other mines not yet open and some not yet exhausted. The city of Santiago, by the way, is worth more than mere passing mention, it being the chief city of the eastern de partment. It lies COO miles southeast of the present capital and ranks third in commercial importance Havana first and Matanzas second. It is the archbish op's residence, and to it people flock from all parts of the island during cer tain yearly religious festivals, which are celebrated with remarkable pomp and ceremouj It is also the terminus of two railway lines, one of which is the outlet of Lomas de Cobre, the famous copper mines, ond the other, passing through the richest sugar district, af fords transportation for that great staple. The exports of tho port reach the handsome annual aggregate of $3, -000,000, three-fourths of which is in sugar, the rest cocoa, rum, tobacco, honey and mahogany. Of the fertility of Cuba's soil too much cannot be said. In the western part the celebrated Vuelta Abajo tobac co is raised. It has no equal in the world. Iu the eastern part, near Santi ago, there are some tracts of laud which yield excellent tobacco, almost as fine as that of Vuelta Abajo. 'Even Coffee Thrives. The sugar cane grows all through tbe island and yields the largest percentage known of saccharine matter. In some parts of the isliud the coffee tree thrives very well, and the quality of the bean is equal to tbo best Maracaibo or Cen tral American. Tho banana and tho plantain also flourish. Large quantities of tho latter ure raised and consumed iu the country. It is nn exceedingly nourishing food. Of tho former, in tho eastern p:irt, there are great planta tions, aud several million dollars' worth nro exported every year to the United States. The crango an 1 tin pincapplo abound, in tho ihl.uid and ulnjut 12 other spe cies cf nott dilirions fruits, as tho guava, tlie mango, tho mamey, tho auona, etc. As has Li t n said, the forests of tho island contain a great number of valua ble hard au.l cat inct woods, among them tho mahoguiy and tho ccJdr, of which thcro nro very largo quantities. There ar plantations of the cocoanut I i tree and millions of the nuts aro ex ported yearly. The cocoa tree also growa very well, and the beau is of a very su perior quality. The cedar furnishes the material of. the cigar boxes. The fruits of the island, comprise nearly all those found in tho. tropics. The pineapple is indigenous to. tho soil. There were at tho time of the discovery of tbe island six varieties of the sweet potato cultivated by the na j tive Indians, as well as the yucca oxr cavassa ana inaian corn, iutnougn tno forests are dense, very nearly impene trable, they are inhabited by no wild! animals larger than tbe wild dogs, which are, in fact, Email wolves. These are pests to planters, as they destroyr quantities of poultry and young cattle. Thejutia, a small animal resembling &t muskrat, living in trees and having tho habits of tbe raccoon, is the only other animal of importance that is found. Birds in great number and variety hero make their homes, and many migratory fowls use the island for a breeding place. Characteristics of the People The spirit of the people is light and gay. The Latin mind is volatile and not given to mourning. Grief here, liko hatred, is violent while it lasts, but. smiles and laughter follow swiftly. The race characteristics are distinctly Latin. The Cuban lady is charming.! She moves with simple elegance, in variably having that great desideratum of most American women an unaffect ed and grateful carriage. Bonnets audi hats are things which, for the most part, 6he happily knows not at all, but she wears across her glancing shoulders or lightly thrown over her head ashawi of white or black lace. The highest ex amples of her are almost matchless at types of glorious, dark, feminine beauty, with their slight, well rounded figures, their wealth of billowy, blue black, hair aud the finely chiseled features of: their sweet oval faces, which seem, after all, but the fit setting of glorious eyes,, dark as night, soft as velvet, yet bright as winter stars. That tbe Cuban lady is. not lacking in mentality, in native wit,, cleverness and understanding she baa. often proved when transplanted to-more stimulating climates. She has been a leader in the brilliant intellectual salons . of Paris, and if at home she is seldom. . distinguished by high intellectual ao -complishments it may charitably be sup- -posed to be chargeable to a climate which renders protracted mental efforts a real pain even to trained minds;. 4 Under tho favorable conditions of peace, when homes have not been mar red and polluted by tho rough and de grading touch of the trooper, tho Cubam girl of quality is reared in the strictest refinement, and even the pocr are more-, regardful of tho proprieties than they aro uudtr the demoralizing influence of: war. But tho education of Cuban chil dren has been sadly neglected. As lata, as 1855 not a primary school could. bo found in towns boasting 2,500 or i$,00O inhabitants. In 1851, when Cuba was compelled to coutributa $9,000,000 in. support cf the army of Spain, the amount appropriated for public instruc tion in the island was less than $30,000.. A few years ago Baracoa, with 1,865, children, had no more than two publio. schools, with accommodation for 13G children, and costing for teachers' sala ries, rent of building and other expense, the yearly sum of $780. Manzauillo. with 3,079 children, had four publio schools, with an attendance of. 185. their full capacity, at a yearly expense of $3,G3G for salaries, rent of buildings, . school material, etc. Las Tunas, with. 1,297 children, had two schools, -with.. 150 children, at an annual total cos: of . $1,160. The children of the well to do -families were either educated at hotna or at private schools at a cost entirely . beyond the means of the lower classes. The gentleman of Cuba is well : known. His hot blooded impetuosity -and his open handed generosity , ura characteristics with which all the world . is acquainted. And now, when bis visit is at an end,., and his explorations nro completed, unci : ho dwells in pleasant retrospect upon, tho illimitable richness of this singular ly interesting isle, tho stranger is forced to admit that, with all her wealth of resource, Cuba must be accepted, as it. has been classed by Cuban f, as the country of nianana (tomorrow), fur, though partially dcvilcped, her re sources aro to a largo extent lost to 1 good purpose!", aud it is to tho morrow of liberty, tho advancement of educa tion and the concnrr nt emancipation of thought and action that Cubans must look fcr the rehabilitation of their leved isle and her acquirement of that place in the grand march cf nations to which her inuato wealth and worth en titlo her. Waltf.r J. Davis.