Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-20

famous traveller is said to have fallen to
the ground overcome with rapture at a
turn OF the road which exposes this COM
bination Of rugged and NOV capped vol
cano, peaceful paradise and restless surf.
After roaming over two continents he had
found the gem OF mundane scenery, and
subsequent travellers have been constrained
TO admit this verdict as finat.
Orotava is about thirty miles distant from
Santa Cruz. with which It Is connected by
q fine macadamized road. Similar excellent
roads connect the principal towns OF Tenerife
and Grand Canary, but all these are OF late
falling into disrepair. On account OF the
extremely mountainous character of the
country the building OF roads is very diff
cult. The roadbed has frequently and for
long distances to be blasted out Of the solid
rock, and winds along the perpendicular
sides of deep ravines. All bridges are OF
masonry and are very substantially built.
but as the size and span of such structures
Is limited the road Is sometimes miles
longer than would have been necessary had
iron bridges or trestles been resorted to-.
An extremely easy grade is maintained,
which also increases the length OF the road.
sometimes quite unnecessarily. 1t is said
In explanation that the contracts were let
by the mile, and that as many miles as
possible were made.
Few Good Roads.
On these few good roads all kinds Of
vehicles are, Of course, used, tourists being
served by carriages which can be hired at
very reasonable rates, while the local public
patronizes numerous coaches running on a
daily schedule and Offering very cheap rates
of fare, a journey of twenty-five miles cost
ing about 40 cents. If one wishes to leave
the highway he must rely on his own legs
or those Of the sure-footed little donkeys,
which form the general means OF transporta-
ton throughout the islands, the macadam-
lied roads or "carreteras'' reaching only a
very small part of the agricultural popula-
ton. All other roads are, however, mere
paths of the toughest character, usually
filled with loose stones and in the winter
season forming the beds of small torrents.
Not the slightest attempt at improvement
is made and so difficult Is transportation
that even on these most valuable islands.
with a superlatively temperate climate and
fertile soil, there are still large tracts Of
land sparsely inhabited for lack OF means
Of access. For centuries the inhabitants Of
many agricultural parts Of these islands
have been paying q large fraction of their
slender incomes in taxes without having
the advantage Of a single public Improve
ment, not even a passable road.
The same amount of taxation paid over
to an honest and efficient government and
expended for local purposes instead OF be-
Ing sent away to Spain would have made
one of the garden spots OF the world.
Climate, soil and geographic position are
most favorable. With good roads and
proper facilities for storing and distributing
water the Canaries might become O valuable
possessioh.7
A greater blessing could not come to the
good people of these islands than to fall
into the hands Of England or the United
States. The assurance of good government
would stimulate the investment of capital
in numerous paying Improvements. The
amount OF cultivated land could be widely
increased and would support in plenty a
much larger population than at present,
and the employment of iaborers in these
improvements would be an immediate re-
lief to the very hard times into which the
gradual impoverishment of Spain through
the Cuban war has plunged the people
During the last few years wages and prices
OF local products have steadily declined
while imported articles have advanced
through the depreciation of Spanish cur
rency.
Should the exigencies Of war throw these
Islands into our hands the objections urged
against tropical colonies will not apply
With the latitude of central Florida and .
finer and more equable climate, so that al
subtropical and many tropical fruits car
be grown with perfect security from frost
and with a geographic position nearer tc
the European market than any region able
to compete in these products, the com,
mercial value OF the Canaries would not be
open to Doubt. The English have already
Slightly colonized the two principal islands
many invalids and merchants having :aker
up permanent residence there, some antilles
for several generations. For many years
We have been supplying coal, petroleum
lumber, and, strangely enough, Florids
water for the Canaries, and for the West
African trade, conducted by English ant
German steamship lines which touch
there. The English population would bt
much larger If it had not been for tht
irresponsible and corrupt Spanish govern,
ment of the islands, under which one may
find himself at any time at the mercy o
an ignorant soldier or official for some rea
or fancied violation of a real or fanciet
3 local regulation or tax law. The purchas,
and conveyance of property, and especially
of water rights, are also matters of great
> AhiNu ~ NY. WIN d ClNlilZeu
government assured there would undoubt-
t edly be a large Increase in European, and
+ especially English, population, to say moth.
Ing of c~olonists who would go out from this
r country. The present inhabitants, too
. would prosper as never before, and they
8 are q people worthy of such good fortune
The peasantry would supply a large quantit,
e of cheap and efficient labor and more in.
S telligent classes are generally DESTROYS Of
e progress. With good government and good
schools a complete change might be ex-
e pected in a single generation, as the ex.
: ample of English superiority has alread,
0 turned attention to the possibility of i'm.
t Iproyement.
But the great and unique value of the
Canaries to us would be as a Distributing
point for our products and manufactured
articles. All the west and South African
-, and a large part of the South American ant
- New Zealand steamers take coal, water ant
. provisions at Las Palmas or Santa Cruz
Four or five steamers a day are thus served
so that with a base at the Canaries W,
: could lay siege to the worlds ommerc a
an enormous advantage, for none of th,
European nations occupy any such centra
, port OF call. With the Philippines and tn,
~ C~anaries we would have the finest CONNER,
cial bases in the two oceans, making pos,