The San Francisco call., 1898-05-31
THE ROADS OF CUBA.

l The fact that General Roy Stone, presi- dent of the National League for Good Roads, and United States Director or Road Inquiry, has been ordered by this Government to Cuba, to construct roaos there for our army, is one of the most striking events in the history of the ag1- tation for good roads.
 General Stone has, during the past two years, been engaged in building object lesson" roads in some of the Eastern States, under the direction of the Gov ernmental department at Washington. He has had under his control a complete out fll of road building machinery belong ing to the Government. The purpose Of these object lesson" roads Is to instruct people in the neighborhoods in Whch they are built how to construct and maintain a scientific and perfect modern road.
 Now in time of war, when the demand for good roads is the greatest. this Gov, ernment has shown it's appreciation Of their value and necessity by drawing upon the best road-building talent and sending the man who has been for years at the head of the good roads movement. doing at the same time actual road buflu- ing. General Stone is an engineer of ability and an army officer. Being mili- tary man, he understands the eXigencies of the situation in Cuba.
 It is reported that all the road-buil-.ng machinery belonging to the Agricultural Department Is to be sent to Cuba with
 
 roads, with the aid of troops, over the marshes and swamps of Cuba and through the otherwise impenetrable for ests, over which our army will march on it's way to Havana.
 In the days of Caesar, the Roman sol diers were employed in building roads; soldiers were not otherwise engaged, they were put at work building roads that would last forever, and preparing the country for future military movements RIf tt raTnQipQ inva of American citizens and for Yankee in- genuity to hit upon the idea of construct ing the roads in actual warfare, through the enemy's country, over which our sol diers shall march to storm their cita- dels.
 And great need there Is that we should miles long. Its width varies from about ninety miles at the eastern end, to about twenty miles in the vicinity of Havana. which lies on the northern side of the western end Its area is 2s, ,0OO GOO acres Cor about 46,000 square miles-a little larger than all of New England), of which 100000 acres. 50 per cent. is un- cleared forest, much of which Is practical ly impenetrable. The conhguratfon of the remaining 40 per cent. or say 1000 square miles. consists of varied and distinct types marshes and swamps. About one-fourth of the total area Is mountainous, while a very large portion Is swampy, breeding the deadly miasm, more to be feared than the bullets and sabers of the enemy.
 So accustomed have we become to the mysteries of African jungles and to tales of the researches of Livingstones and Stanleys that we think nothing of them. The average reader will be astonished to know that so near our own fresides as the island of Cuba, there lies another re- zion of darkness, veritable dark con- tinent." which the foot of man has never yet trod. Yet such is the fact.
 We write and think of Cuba as the Pearl of the Antilles. "clad in a voluptu- ous floral mantle, smothered with flowers and exhaling the sweet perfumes of the tropics. Humboldt has said of Cuba, I've might believe the entire island was orig inally a forest of palms. wild lines and orange trees.''