Evening star., 1899-03-15
THE ISLE OF PINES
Description Of a Visit by Captain
Foltz.
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NO DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES
Marble Quaries and Forests Of
Fine Timber.
I NJ P 4 S S A LIE SW A MPS
10 DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES
/ NJ P 4 s S A LIE S W A Mp S

from the collector of customs at Havana
Col. Tasker H. Bliss. in relation to a recent
visit made to the northern part of the Isle
of Pines by Capt Fred S. FoltZ, I'd Caval-
ry, collector of customs at Batabano.
Captain Foltz states in his report that he
spent upward of three weeks in the north
ern part of the island. He was unable to
visit the southern portion on account of an
impossible swamp. which is accessible only
by sea. Captain Foltz states however that
the southern portion of the island contains
considerable mahogany and other valua BILE
hard wood In regard 10 the Topography
of the section visited. Captain Foltz re-
marks that the surface is a plateau with an
elevation of some fifty to 100 feet above the
sea, broken by ridges of hills or cliffs that
project abruptly here and there above the
general .evel surface. The soil generally
speaking. is of firm sand mixed with some
clay and gravel, all of which makes good
roads even in RAINY weather by merely
clearing away the brush
Inc TWO mountain ridges at the northern
end OF the island have an elevat ton of some
i,1oo feet. These ridges are composed of
lime stone and marble The other ridges
IN the center of the island are much lower
less ofeclpltous and are formed of gray
SANDSTONE and red rock and gravel contain
ing iron.
The southern part of the island is COM
posed OF what is locally known as dog
tooih coral rock. Inc southern coast is
rochE ana dangerous, containing only one
small harbor. Carapachray On the south-
west or the island is capacious anchora ge
lns 'Isuanea. and from this anchorage YES.
seis drawing twenty feet can mass nortb-
ward around the island as far &c NJ,
eoIoha inside the keys that lie some six
miles off the coast. The whole island viii
u tne tAception or the rocky southern coast
IS surrounded by mangrove swamns viii
oh
beach. VI Sahuy
The only two landings on the island oro
Eem Herqna, on the Rio Las Casas and
1ucaro, the latter on the Rio Santa e., FL
ihese are accessible by vessels dra wine
Ite M leet OF water or less, the bars at The
river mouths being very shallow.
Like the Rarren Parts of FIor,d.
Inc central part bears yellow pine, mostly
TOO small for lumber although there ara
considerable tracts of very fair sawloes
AS You approach the western northern
ana eastern coasts the pine disappears and
the country becomes a savanna. corored
"lth thin grass and dotted with scrubby
thi@ e @ Gnu Pdihetto. In general appearance
Florida. {" p@lts VI
captain t'oltz says that after careful
investigation he finds that the only land
slXty-three lots of about fifty acres each
ana scattered about within three miles of
New Corona, These lots seem tn he tbooa
iE let after the land had been picked over.
Ihey are generally in the worst locations
practically worthless and contain notbin1
Dut mangrove scrubs, dwarf palmettos and
tnln pine grass. A few of the lots ire hot
tef ana are used as small farms the resi-
oeht paying, II is understood a nominal
rent to the hacienda at Havana How
ever: there are no records on this point in
the island ~ P'' III
Captain Foltz could find no record of dues
fp,
porting timber. but says it is understand
mat contributions are arbitrarily levied
from time to time by the military governor
..i,rt. "a tne Island: These contributions or
srdthcations We're paid to secure i'm
inuihty from official obstruction in the go
ing and coming of vessels from the mac
cesSlble points at which the lumber was
Sathered. 1t Is presumed, however that a
portion at least of these "contributions''
was used for the benefit of the island. No
record appears to have been kept of the
amount DISPOSITION.
The governor of the island rep1IIa+ad tba
dues for the slaughtering of cattle, for the
se!llng OF meat, and also dues from stores
or shops for the selling of goods of all
Kinds. AS an illustration A woodchop-
pers camp would require beef, and would
also probably maintain a store for the sale
OF provisions. In this case the proprietor
OF the camp would become liable for dues,
cessible location of the camp, these dues
We're difficult of collection. The quantity
of mangrove and other scrubby wood avail
able FOR charcoal and soft wood, Captain
foltZ states, is practically unlimited All
the coast OF the island and the KEYS to the
north are covered with this growth of
mangroVe and other scrubby wood, and as
far as could be aScertained, the crown does
not appear to have collected any dues for
the privilege of cutting. The dues seem to
nave been Simply in the nature of town
taxes. levied on woodchoppers camps in
order that they should not. by leaving the
established towns. escape the burden of
taxation. 1t is believed that the impress
SION that dues We're paid to the state for
the use of its timber lands in the Isle of
Pines has arisen from an erroneous under
standing of the system explained hitherto
Since the first Of January last the taxes
named, like all others, have not been paid
The alcade of the island and as well as the
military governor ian officer of the Cuban
army either did not feel themselves suffi-
ciently secure to enforce payment, or found
it to their material interest to allow things
to run themselves. AS a consequence of
all this the bridges are in need of repair
the schools closed and the clerks living
from hand to mouth without any remunera-
tion.
New Corona the Capital.
The island contains but two towns, New
Corona on the north coast, and Santa Fe
in the center. The former numbers some
800 inhabitants; the latter $50 persons The
entire population of the island is about
2,00O. The capital is New Corona. In fact
it is the only town, and Santa Fe, fifteen
miles distant, is officially a suburb, Cap
tain Foltz recommends that the towns be
made officially independent of each other
as Santa Fe possesses a port at Jucaro
seven miles distant. Such course. he
thinks. would stimulate the commercial and
municipal activity Of the towns.
New Corona is described as advantageous
ly situated on a picturesque plateau at the
base of the Casas mountains and is some
thirty feet above the level of the sea. as
we'll as of the swamps at the mouth of the
river. The site is well drained exposed to
constant breeZeS, and seems to promise rea-
sonable freedom from ma1arial influences
The water of the town comes from a mag
ne SUM spring said to be very beneficial in
cases Of stomach trouble. Baths have been
built into which water from the spring
is conducted. Just outside of the town
limits, on an open plateau, are the bar
racks. They are a large stone building.
with interior courts, capable OF accommo-
dating comfortably 200 American troops
and, IL necessary, affording shelter to dou-
Bile that number. New Corona also Dos
sesses wharf. at which the steamer Pro-
tector from Batabano lands once a week
The articles exported are charcoal tobacco
poles, roofing poles, railway ties and to-
bacco. New Corona has no hotel In
vakds do not usually stop at this point
but proceed at once to Santa Fe In the