| Show OUR CUBAN LETTER I I SugarMaking III CubaA Trip Into the Intorlor of the ISlandRallrOadlT Undor DifficultiesCountry Life In War TITTloTlo Cuban I Planter at Harriet I Washington April 20 189Whon the present war began Cuba had 1 fifteen I hundred and Ivxentiune pros serous sugar plantations Today the I sound of the grinding Is low for only II nl 1 Ot el IS of them are In operation A I soles ago I vlltEd one or the six I which Is situated In the soultiettatern sr 1 i corner of the province of Matans It I was an all dals railway jurnr J leav I Ing I I1ahana nl B n m and reaching the i gual soon tier sunset Probahl WO 1 I I Allen would cover the dlslnncf ns the i i crow Ill on lout the road originally built I to accommodate the large eatilei I zlgzag to and fro Ilk the tacking of a ship Traveling b mil In Cuba Is I seldom unalloyed delight and these troubled times discomforts are doubled llwldes the usual slowness and nd Irregularity t Irregu-larity I of service the heat duel and absence ab-sence of eating stations trains are I nowndaa In momentary d of I tiger I olng fired Into 1 deralltd exwId by I I bombs and each hia Us disquieting attachment or two IronNad cars I1IhoJ with Spanish soldiers standing by thlr guns nt the loopholes Sophisticated travelers watch even Ihlcl el hill and hollow which might Possibly shelter all Insurgent I and throw themselves Hat on the dirty floor of the car at the first Indication I of attack Miles after miles of burned cancllelds singed trees the outskirts of Habana how the boldncsa of the rebels In spite of the multitude of forts Avenues ot roi il pilms are passed magnlflccnl vistas of smooth rourd columns arch il w3h llxlng I green Each of this splendid avenues once margcd the ntranee 10 a rich plantallonf now th y lead to nothing but mennchol ruin Poll Ing chimneys standing alone blaek ered towers tumbled walls piles of resting machinery ore all thit Is left of homes and sugar mllla Atop of each ruin Perch the scavengers of Cu ba gorged black vultures the only 1 ellcond I timed creatures to be fourd on the Island Here and there tall tuba trace pronounced saybah I stretch wide their inns laden with Many cplored urchMi Occasional sec 1 i i lions burned some mouth ago show how nature hmtena to hide her wounds i I In these worm regions Lusty weeds spring thlekl among the charred f I cunestubbli blossoming vines creep over blackened walls and roses Hot In the slngid hwlgerows not the dell < cat pink one we are accustomed to I File growing wild In the north but I tropic rS gorgeous In crimson on1 i TcHflhe Yellow The voice or the meadow Irk Is I heard the plaintive call of Phoebe and the sweet little song of the Cuban tammtuln Palms Iflerease In height and number standing In grove tin ing the ravines and crownlnj I the hill 1pa but nowhere In all the desolated country Is there the trace of a garden a cultivated nld or sign or human oct capacity outs oc-b tie the oct fortified villages t-On every hand the beehive forts are seen often as many as 15 or 20 can be counted all at once all so tiny that one Is continual reminded of Senator Proctors suggestion to oirry I one ham on his watch chain Jaruco 31a tan7A s Cirdenas and other towns are g I paxsedeach with Hi Inevitabl no corulanlment or recontentrado wrieseli edue i In groum of squalid huts under I the gun 01 the ferfee let I eVery Station Spanish soldiers swarm And tarvlng beggars volke I 11teous opperalls i To distribute coin I enough to relieve their diFtress I would requIre the Aveah of Croesus MY escort I es-cort did the host tie could for them by rushing out at every storilng < place and bUying the entire Movies of all the bread men In sight with which to 1111 tho Skeletons hands The Cuban bread seller Is I worth n special trRrnph l I I strides Iorndl the city stteitTnu1 Ascrouply at sit time and ean he Is I itlnayi found 11 the nllwi Atitions In hon 1101n rom In wIth aver large I low wicker banket on his end filled with small crusty leals that cm He oVergrulIn hlocull8 lie In I dirty Iyond dctrc Ittrefooted nn1 general IY 1 lianheailid conomlzlng his bit terN hal by carryIng U In the basket among the lonves ttIttiv Inurs of slow riding through n i total II unoccupied country helweel burned cuniflelds on either aide with the smoke from more burning fields vr Insurgent emptlr visible In erol direct Jonxe left the ear at nightfall nt a mIerable little homlel ct Palm thatched hut What van our astan lohmelil on alighting In the mud or this desolute place to behold a few rards aWay a rielderie Mrscar ek artly Ille those In Its tn Now Yorl btld Wnshlnlton onl wlcldedly < clmer IWrylhlng about It wen rroh nn1 trinispotham mjnjow Simple to bold 1 on by nothing mlsllIg best the iilcktl bix or the cenductor with Ws bellpunch We were within i the bounolarle ot the sugar exists and the car Is I for tho use of the planter I A nil his family who hall come 10 mt us Then away etr Wre whisked I 1 over i three j I mijeir of car trackbetween rows Of stately piling hi dges of giant allies and houndlma rtretrhop or Uor can to he rchway ot roses and Jesse 1 mille I which leapt it the door of he monorhoue And her nNv surprises mwaltvq in The enormous twotory ca with Its lOony wlnd1I and lat tlccd annda we brllllntl lium Innttd with electricity anti Is rurnuhf with all the elegancies of city life Tin I apartment asslorned to my ue wa the Met IMUlllul I hive occupicil In I man y a da > with Its hindao lererneh I furniture dw d0loAte I freelog Under i the sort glow or vl trlc lights In the film of pink 111jeR and better th nil I It had the wemm adjunct of iAPnjrj fectl appointed bathroom with all 1 Modern Improvements 08 Ihe ndcr 1151TAIlItR may ZI y dinner was I I Sfrxrd In the wide cool hillnne I old I olller mono rnf < chin exqullle I napery 111drllleil Servants oysters gam rare wlnomado 11 difficult to realize tht we WH In the heart 01 on I impoverished warbplcngure1 inland I I had been told thatweTltny Cuban I plantr IInd like prlllcand III I I truth mnn an Old World potentate might change Places arid get b far the best or the bargain The estate or i whIch I peak be t hy no moans one or I the largest In cula The proprltor I told me tint It Is I only IS miles lone Iv 9 or 10 wile comrrlrlng about 30f I I I 1 acres At present It supports over BOOT people collected In four village In ordinary times 2 000 was the usual nUmber or rtlner8 all mPoIcdouven the estate in one capacity or another Pines the nr tho plouter loa heen tompilled to maintain IWO Spinlsh sirlhrs I li I 12 fnts cr ctrl > his own txpcnse along the edge of the estate Atc r 1 uotintwativii i ooei ronentrodo were quartered upom him The poor peoplew were driven front their homes and forced to go to lhe I cJllei or is The fortified plant times There U I nu dir In this sectio and 10 = lantanoll In = A no they flocked In here nnd could not I lie loft I lo starve Tho humane Planter built them houses and protected them as beat he could and for more than two yatS tins irnlihed theri with food clothe nd edkln i or course thy have more thnn abA i ab-A tile profit of 1 If butelit though I some of them have been able I to work a little on the places The g > cutest trouble Is with their alleged I protectors the I soldlrguard If the protectsww 8ht11hbe ww pld1grguard hitter want ber thej kill the list I cow they see though It bo the tlncnl Jersey If fresh horse 8 ate needed they help themitlxcs to the best the plantation planta-tion Affords When the spirit move them to recreation they troop over to on I eXe rn the Inanor house anti demand Ito un for a dance On uh ocenmonll Im i high old lint but tamely expressEff It They pick up I rml Partners wherever I wher-ever they OOIllho dauchters ot plan tattoo hands rod looking rconeell I trado girls and camp followers Chain agn the proprietors flows like waler or rnlher as water never nOWed for tin exteitial uc or thtte song or Mars art i It I they do not end the otllu by Bmaehlng things gen rall > and moklnr n bonfire of the buildings the Plantrr lonsldera himself lucky Them tins Amer been any danger rrnm the insurgents to make thin socalled protection necessary because the proprietor and its family are known to be In Sympathy with the Cuban cause but there Is I everything to fear from Ih Hpanlsh soldiers And when the cilsls come If Fpnln Is I forced to withdraw her forces they will probably prob-ably celebrate their departure by burning burn-ing th9 place It not murdering the peo tile upon home bounty they have so Inner sulslsted The magnlludo ot things on this Im7nall estate amazes the slrang There are 23 miles of broadguage rall read within Its limit beBldra the 3 mile trumxxny Its equipment Include 5 locomotives 300 freight cars 01 largest larg-est size and 150 boxenree for II narrow gauge track There are thousands of mules and horses anti carts n dry i goods and goieral rupply Store plir I macy school > l house church Ices nnklng Ile machine shop earlent wind i I blacksmiths shops In short all the requirements of an Isolated commullt ty The enormous grinding house contains con-tains several great engines and a will drns ot whcl band all maehlo I en J It Is lighted bv electricity am has 720 tanks each uf which I holds A I ton of rrude Roger In promperoull times this plantation turns out 100000 Iu of sugar every Year hut thin I your bell more than exer ought to Ile H l to keti n extraordinary ex I pprises it will hardly make half Ilift resultant The sugar is I sent to Nw T k t be I refined lend much or till onto ylehl ilill 1lnl loll > rice low cause of scorehcd cane Passing band 01 gollillorn often burn n few acres The talk are generally ground ilth Ilea I rest but the first squeezing turns out j u lee black as Ink It lightens considerablY I con-siderablY In the process orrefininsrbut I Is I yet too dark for IllHclans sugar W e occupied a lone dn > going overthn Plantation hut several days would lie required to see nil Its points of Interest In-terest llesldes the extcn lxe flower gardeni with Its fountain and shrub biry and shaded walks there Is a park i of innnx ticres containing the choicest trees of the tropics cinnamon I cinna-mon rides Peruvian pepper thickets of bamboo I fruits of every variety an ihrr aviary 1 with countless birds artificial lakes covered with writer fowl dettr In shortTi regular zoo and botanical grdpn combined Then xve took a It mil ear side to visit one of the x mages vnnt would my readers give to hive I jut one of those skyscraping palm III his front lard and here ore thou ands of them to spare Our host sent II L man to climb one of them just to 2 how us how It Is I done The smooth und trunk looked like a telegraph > I erulty 70 feet from the ground to ill I tuft or splendid plume on top without a branch lee tween The man vlth n bit ot rope around his waist ending with a P jemaround stirrup for me bare foot took his machete In his I teeth and shinned up like a lIznrd I tit the very top I here he vxhackcd off one or the huge lee As In most things In 1 this I wits cd world tile descent was more rapid and dangerous than the ascent but ho rom down grinning elated by tho wentycent piece for which he would gladly climb palm trees for the rest of his natural life Later we went to see the cutting of n Held of cane Several bundled men and women were ranged III long lines Path line under a leader who starts the tUlle anti taken the Initiative In every movement Altogether they owing the machete grasping the cane stalk with ono hand and hcnllnA In unison An though moved by maohlnl the whizzing whiz-zing sounding if the blades culling the air and the click ot falling cane making I a rude accompaniment to the Hong they are v nglng Ox cnrl carry the canto can-to II queer machine Patented by a Cu hon which lioh > tiinu up weighs It and dumps It evenly Into wailing cars tn lie conveyed to the milt Thor women throw It In to the grinders chanting a wild chorus as they work In which one company re ponds to another In n sort of musical dialogue This letter Is I already too long to go Into the modus operand of sugnrmak InA even It I Its writer understood the Subject Con Is cultivated like Indian corn which It closely resembles In np 1 > jaranee only some yellow In color It Is I lint planted In rowsnot In hills like eornond must be hoed and weeded until un-til It gets liUli enough to shade Ha own root After which It nd no further fur-ther attention till the cutting This rn fees to the first laying out of a pi mla lion which will afterwards continue fruitful for Years hi simple processes of renewal When thoroughly ripe tho long yellow leaves are streaked with t rel 1 the top a dark green from the center or which sheets up a liver tm two or three ftet high on whose tem grow a iliac plume Shading 10 title The ertect or n can field In Its maturity basking under the torrid still anti gently undulating In the breeze Is n Picture to live In the memory Sugarcane yields but one crop a year There are several va rletles but In Cuba the Olahellan seems to be the favorite lletween the time when enough or tho oa tie is I r1pe to warrant war-rant the getting of team In tile grinding mill and the time when ruin and heat spoils Its quality nil the sugar roe the season mut be ml1J1 hence the necessity for great industry during a iwllon of the Year In Ixiulsl ana the grinding season lasts only eight weeks In Cuba It continue four months This year with war on hand there la grater haste than ever for the mills may lie burnt down any day Th juice to I permitted out by machinery anti after the Second squeezing Is I dry the crude sugar Is I put Into bags of Jute each bag containing HO pounds llv the way a fair sample of Spains method may be Been In these sugar nagB The cost Cif nn FJngllsh Jute has hnirsTn Ttfl 19 I tflt but tlifrronrnnwr It be made In Spain Is 10 cents and Its price to Cubans Is I 20 cents So the thrifty mother country gets the joh of aking the bags and supplies them to her colonies at twice their value And rIve per cent avert That In I no worse however than In the matter of nour Continued on page eleven OUil CUBAN LEfnm = r = = = Continued from page nine Kba might i Kit Itdlrrth I 1 United States at 10 a barrel I but It elle at Havana from 12 to 115 the barrel bcause eCry ounce of it must lint go to Spain and come backwith it brand upon It A few years ago the value of Cubas lanlallonit all told Including sugar coffee and tobacco was officially estimated esti-mated nt 1280 S53 C7 jleldlng u net early Income of JliiOOOOOO Itmiembr ng that only about onethlnl of the I lands < superficial area of 117000 square llometies Is I under cultivation these fIgure spent < well for Its fertility Onven knows It ought to be fertile with rneknolto baptism of blood during four centuries Within the last two years It has hn enriched by upmrd I ot Ill O 11 Iranian earts Arcordlng to a statmont male In the caries by tile learnet UjlUlado Dan Jose Ie 11 polo Cuba had contributed to the bpa Ish crown up too the year 1890 I a trine vcr M37EOOOOO In the > etr fC site wa happy In havIng hav-Ing to pa orly tlCOOOOOO not countIng count-Ing the eihorbllnnt municipal taxes more than wan ever demnnd1 ot any quill number of taxpayers In the t arid No wonder Spain consIders hr Ire lelllous colony 1 a prize to fight over FANNIE UK1OHAM WARD |
