Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, March 24, 1903.
CUBA AND BERMUDA.
Rev. J. J. McLoghlin Speaks of His Recent Trip South.
A BRIGHT PROSPECT FOR CUBA.
Recovering from Effects Of War—Rapid Work on Sugar Cane Plantations— The Coming Orange Country of the World—Political Future—The Trip to Bermuda—The Field of Lilies—Summer Temperature Everywhere.
Rev. J. J. McLoghlin, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church, who in company with Bishop P. A. Ludden of Syracuse and Rev. J. J. McDonald of Binghamton had been making a tour of six weeks in Cuba and Bermuda, returned to Cortland last Saturday night. He is very much improved in health in consequence of the trip and was delighted with what he saw during his travels.
Anchored near the Maine.
In a conversation yesterday concerning the trip he stated that after leaving New York the party journeyed to Florida, stopping at Tampa before going to Cuba. Upon arriving at Havana they entered the deep but not wide harbor and anchored within five rods of the place where the Maine was sunk. The masts still protrude above the surface of the water and mark the spot where the American battleship and many of her brave crew met their doom. The harbor is one of the finest in the West Indies.
The City of Havana.
In reference to the beauty of the city of Havana Father John said that he was very agreeably surprised to see so many fine palaces, the ancient Gothic churches and the beautiful parks of tropical verdure. The city has a population of 300,000 souls, is clean and well paved. Through the kindness of Monsigneur Broderick, the present administrator of the temporalities of the church at Havana, the party had a chance to interview President Palma and the papal delegates to Cuba, Archbishop Chappelle, and to learn from them many things concerning the island and the people.
Recovering from the War.
Of the island Father John says that it is rapidly recovering from its recent experience of war and famine. The soil when cultivated produces three crops each year. The principal product is sugar, and on the vast plantations the natives work day and night during the season of gathering the sugar cane. This is done in order to avoid as far as possible the evaporation of the cane in the fields. Electric lights are placed all over the plantations, and at night these present a very strange spectacle. Oranges in large quantities are grown in the island, and these, he states, are the finest he ever tasted. There is every indication that Cuba is to be the predominating orange producing country of the world. The frost line in Florida is gradually extending farther south on account of the clearing away of the forests, but in Cuba the crop is never injured by the cold weather because it is entirely within the tropics.
The royal palm is the most common tree of the island. It grows to a height of about thirty or forty feet and is bare nearly to the top. There are many other kinds of trees, and the vegetation is very luxuriant. The island has, however, been allowed to remain nearly idle during the late war, but there is every evidence now of great prosperity, both spiritual and temporal. It is truly a land flowing with milk and honey. There is every indication of her rising, Phoenix-like, from the ashes and taking her place among the nations of the earth. The Spaniards, he says, are to a certain extent favorably inclined toward the United States and are in favor of a protectorate on the part of this, country over the island. The Cubans, however, are well satisfied to remain an independent republic. The Spaniards are said to own 80 per cent of all the real estate of the island.
In regard to the religion of the island he says that it is entirely Catholic. After the war many of the Spanish clergy returned to Spain, leaving a void in the ranks of the priesthood. This is now being rapidly filled by native students, who have studied in the United States.
The Future of Cuba.
In regard to the future of the island it is Father John's opinion that Cuba now by economy and unity will prosper and make progress. She is having financial help from capitalists of this country, and the morning that the party left Cuba J. Pierpont Morgan arrived, and it was rumored that he brought with him $35,000,000 as a loan to help in paying the heavy expenses of the recent war and to aid in the development of the island.
Side Trip to Bermuda.
On account of the arrival of the excursion yacht Princess Louise of the Hamburg-American line, which was on its way from the West Indies to Bermuda, the party changed plans somewhat and took passage on this, going to Bermuda, a distance of 1,140 miles. The island, or chain of islands, is twenty-five miles long and about two miles wide, having a population of 17,000 people. It is of coral formation. Here over 4,000 Boer prisoners were brought during the South African war. Between seventy and eighty of these still remain, because of their refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the British crown. They do nothing except to appear each day for roll call and to eat what is given them. The staple products of the island are onions, potatoes, lilies and bananas. The lilies are cultivated in large quantities in fields and are shipped in large numbers.
Tom Moore and the Lilies.
The island is wonderfully beautiful, and he says it is no wonder that the poet, Tom Moore, during his residence there in 1804, gave utterance to his admiration of the beauty of the island in the following lines:
Could you but view the scenery fair,
That now beneath my window lies,
You'd think that nature lavished there,
Her purest wave, her softest skies.
Summer Temperature.
Good weather favored the party on its trip. In Cuba the thermometer registered from 75 to 80 degrees in the shade, and in Bermuda the temperature was from 68 to 75 degrees in the shade. The members of the party were all delighted with their trip.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Building the Panama Canal.
The practical phases of the work of constructing the Panama canal are impressive in magnitude. When operations are fairly under way, from 20,000 to 40,000 laborers will be employed. Under the law the government, or the contractors, can draw this labor from any part of the earth, but it is expected that West India and American negroes will be brought in at the outset. If they cannot be secured in sufficient numbers, Japanese or even Chinese labor may be used. The ordinary laborer's wages will not be over 50 cents a day. In case negroes are employed, accommodations for their families must be provided, as it is established by experience that these laborers will not go far from home without their wives and children. The task of maintaining a high grade of sanitation among such people in a tropical climate will prove difficult, but it must be successfully performed if epidemics are to be kept away from the isthmus. A small army of physicians, mechanics, machinists, electricians, engineers, both stationary and locomotive, firemen, masons, foremen, bosses, inspectors and so on will be required, and these positions will go almost exclusively to white men from this country. The feeding of the whole force will require a commissariat equal to that of a large army in the field, and the bulk of the food supplies will go from the United States to the isthmus, as will indeed a large amount of machinery, cement and lumber. For the transportation of all this material to the isthmus the government will have a steamship line between New York and Colon, which will be acquired with the other property of the French company, and the Panama railroad while, of course, New Orleans will become a great feeder through its private steamship companies. In effect, the United States government will superintend an enterprise equivalent to maintaining an army in active operations in a foreign country; although the government's direct work would be greatly minimized if it should make a contract with a syndicate or private construction company to do the job.
A NEW INDUSTRY.
Cortland County Condensed Milk and Cream Company.
TO MANUFACTURE CONDENSED MILK.
R. H. Hibbard, J. J. Glann and J. C. Muir the Projectors of the Scheme— Forty Thousand Pounds of Milk Per Day Required—Condensed Milk to be Shipped in Bulk—Superior Quality of Milk to be Sought—Location of Plant Depends on Milk Contracts.
The Cortland County Condensed Milk and Cream Co. is the name of the new concern that is about to incorporate under the laws of the state of New York and which will locate the plant somewhere within the boundaries of Cortland county. The stockholders of the company, who are also the directors and officers, are R. H. Hibbard, J. J. Glann, and J. C. Muir. The capital stock of the company will be $16,000, and the company will be officered as follows:
President—R. H. Hibbard.
Vice-President and General Manager—J. C. Muir.
Secretary and Treasurer—J. J. Glann.
A decision has not yet been made as to the location of the plant, though it will undoubtedly be upon one of the three railroads which are in the county, and the site will depend upon circumstances. The new company does not ask any financial assistance from any source, but it does want milk. The members of the company will within a few days see some of the leading farmers and dairy men throughout the county and will submit to them their proposition and see what contracts can be made for a regular supply of milk through the whole year.
Creamy Milk Required.
As is of course inferred from the name of the company, its business will be the condensing of milk, and to this end it hopes to secure the best quality of milk that can be furnished. Some of the ordinary milk that goes to creameries and to the milk stations for New York markets will not answer, if better can be secured. The company hopes to get Jersey milk, rich with cream, and is willing to pay for it. If it can secure this superior quality of milk it will expect to pay a higher price than is paid for ordinary milk at the milk stations, because it will be worth more to the purchasers. It will make a better quality of condensed milk, and the same amount of milk fresh from the cows will make more of the finished product than the ordinary milk from cows that are bred wholly for the sake of securing quantity. The location of the plant, therefore, will depend somewhat upon where contracts for this kind of milk can be made.
40,000 Pounds Per Day.
The company expects to start operations when it has secured contracts for 20,000 pounds of milk per day, but it hopes soon to take in double that amount each day.
At first only condensed milk in bulk will be made, as contrasted with the condensed milk put up in small cans. In this way the shipments will be in 40-quart cans, and the product will go through the New York and Philadelphia markets largely to hotels and ice cream houses that use large quantities. At a later time the product will also be put up in the small cans, thus forming what is known to the trade as "case goods."
Personnel of the Company.
Mr. Hibbard and Mr. Glann have long been residents of this county and are well and favorably known to many. Mr. Muir will be the practical man of the company. He has been in the milk business all his life and has for a number of years been the general purchasing agent for Seiler Brothers of New York, who have a large number of milk stations and creameries, several of which are located in this county. A brother of his has been for a number of years connected with the New York Condensed Milk Co., and partly through the assistance of his brother and partly through his own experience he will be in touch with the best trade in New York for the disposal of the products of this plant.
A concern of this kind does not call for the employment of many hands. From six to ten will probably be all that will be required, while only condensed milk in bulk is prepared and sold, but it will furnish a fine market for dairymen who are willing to raise creamy cows and who want to secure a gilt edged price for their milk if it is of the right quality. Later on if the condensed milk is put up in small cans as "case goods," it will require a large number of employees.
Bad Fire in Corning, N. Y.
The Corning Stove works suffered a very severe and disastrous fire Saturday which resulted in the wiping out of the molding room and the destruction of all of their patterns which were kept in that part of the works. The room was completely burned, only the walls remaining. The fire penetrated into the mounting room and did some damage. The loss is estimated at from $10,000 to $15,000 and is practically covered by insurance. A house which stood within three feet of one of the walls of the burned building was saved from destruction by the good work of the fire department.
A Correction.
To the Editor of The Standard:
Sir—-My attention has been called to an item from the pen of your local correspondent in a recent issue of your excellent paper in which occurs an error which I respectfully desire to correct. The item says that B. F. and G. W. Lee were plaintiffs in an action against R. B. Ryan, in which judgment was obtained against the plaintiffs. Allow me to say that B. F. Lee has had no suit before me during my official career of nine years against any one and, so far as I know, neither of the Messrs. Lee has had more than one suit in Cuyler since I have been justice—which seems to the writer remarkable, considering the immense business they transact. This one suit was that of Geo. W. Lee, plaintiff, against E. B. Ryan, defendant. Defendant Ryan called for a jury, whose verdict, after holding out until near midnight, was for no cause of action, which was entirely satisfactory to plaintiff, notwithstanding four of the jurors, I was informed, were for cause.
Now in connection with this, it seems to me but proper to say that Mr. Lee would not have brought suit, although he contended that defendant owed him, had not Ryan obtained a summons from a out of town justice to sue Lee, and upon being so informed Mr. Lee procured a summons and got first service. Furthermore, to the knowledge of the writer, Mr. Lee at the joining of issue exhausted every means known to business men to effect a compromise, he offering to divide their differences, to pay receipts or to leave them to disinterested parties, all of which propositions were rejected.
E. J. Albro,
Justice of Peace.
Cuyler, N. Y., March 21, 1903.
PRISONERS MUST WORK.
Tompkins County Board of Supervisors Lays Down the Law.
The Tompkins county board of supervisors at a meeting held last Saturday directed the sheriff to see that all prisoners confined in the county jail are made to work every day except Sunday, and a day's work is to be ten hours long. In good weather the prisoners are to be required to work on the roads of the county. Some other form of labor is to be found on stormy days and winter, but there are to be no more idle men, no more cards, and no more smoking in the jail during working hours.
BREVITIES.
—A regular meeting of the A. O. U. W. will be held this evening.
—Geneva's new automobile company is to take the name of the Black Diamond Automobile Co.,
—The Ladies' Literary club will meet tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 o'clock with Mrs. F. D. Reese at 16 Tompkins-st.
—The basket ball game [sic, spelling] at Taylor hall tomorrow night between the Athletics and the Sixth Battery team of Binghamton will begin at 8 o'clock sharp.
—The quartet of the Amherst college głee club which gives a concert at the Opera House Saturday night will sing at the Presbyterian church on Sunday morning.
—The new display advertisements today are: A. Mahan, Pianos and organs, page 4; Opera House, Amherst college Glee, Banjo, and Mandolin clubs, page 5.
—Cortland Chapter, No, 194, Royal Arch Masons, will confer the Royal Arch degree Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock, after which a banquet will be served in the banquet hall.
—Frank Braman picked a large bunch of May flowers yesterday in the woods near his home north of the city. These are the first spring flowers heard from so far except for crocuses which have been out for several days.
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