The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-27
TO BE DEVELOPED
MILLIONS OF AMERICAN CAPITAL
TO BE INVESTED IN RAILWAYS.
Company Incorporated with Well
known Men at the ad-Vie
of Sir william G. Van Horne.

NEW YORK, April 26.-Representative
American capital has been enlisted in a
scheme for the rehabilitation and develop
ment of the railway system of Cuba. A
newly formed corporation. the Cuba com
pany, is to undertake this work, and al
though its existence is chiefly due to the
labors and enthusiasm of a Canadian, Sir
William c. Van Horne, William c. Whit
ney. and other prominent members of the
Whitney syndicate. Ex-Governor Morton,
James j. Hill. the Western railway mag
nate. General Samuel Thomas and other
w~ell-known American inanciers, are to en-
ploy their brains and money in pushing
the project. The Cuba company has been
Incorporated in New Jersey with ss,o00,00 o
capitalization. Beside the men already
mentioned as subscribers the list includes:
III. NJ. Flagler, the Standard oil magnate;
Edward II. Hartman, of the syndicate
now in charge of the affairs of the Union
Pacific Railroad: Thomas NJ. Ryan, p. A
b. Widener and W.. l.. Elkins, of the Whit
ney syndicate; E. j. Berwind, General
renville NJ. Dodge; III. Walters, George G.
Haven, M. H. Whitney, G. B. Hopkins,
William Lanman Bull and Charles T. Bar
ney.
The Cuba company may devote itself in
some measure to developing the natural
resources of the island of Cuba, but will
roads. Sir William c. Van Horne said last
night: 1.-THE western half of Cuba geo.
graphically, is well supplied will railroads
already, and but little more in that way
Is now needed there. Butothe eastern half.
which comprises the provinces of Santa
Clara, Puerto Principe and Santiago, is still
In an almost wholly undeveloped state. To
the southwark the mountain ranges lie
near the coast. as they do in certain por-
tions of the coast elsewhere; In conse-
quence but few railroads having been
built there, and those of an insignificant
character, the population has not pene-
trated far inland, and the interior Of these
provinces remains in an undeveloped state.
Some small investments / had in Cuba led
me there first to look after them. and later
to increase them. One thing that led me
to take this step was that / found
Cubans not only willing to work, but to do
work well and with intelligence. I also
believed them, after close observation, to
be capable of disagreement, and found
that the better classes among them were
anxious and would use their influence to
render capital invested in Cuba as safe as
that invested in other countries and while
conditions may arise calling for the inter-
ference of the United States in the future
l don't think they will.
Cuba will, 1 think, be ultimately annexed
10 Tie OUlleu otdteS, " Ou dCCOuHl IL
self-government there, but because her in
terest lies so clearly I'm that direction that
she herself will probably some day request
1t, but in any event l have no fear of in
vesting capital there on account of the
Cubans, for even If the self-government
which the United States has pledged her.
self to give them has failed, the United
States has given an even stronger pledge
to the world, that she will maintain order
in Cuba which insures the safety of in
made there.
Not the least important feature of this
new company is that 1t is the first invest
ment on a large scale of American capital
In Cuba We propose to develope these
three great provinces that in territory are
half the size of the entire island. but which
as yet only hold a third of the population.
They are wonderfully rich agriculturally,
In minerals and i'm timber, and the first
work in their development will be to build
railroads. We shall not stop there, but
shall do any and everything that seems to
us wise to do to promote development in
agriculture, mining, timber and manufac-
ture.
To-day Santiago has practically no COM
mercial intercourse with Havana, but this
will all be remedied, and all parts of the
island, we hope, will be brought in COM
mercial touch with each other. Java, with
approximately the same area as Cuba to-
day supports a population of 1900. 900 and
this despite the fact that ii is one of the
most remote countries of the world. To-
day Cuba's population is but 1.500, 900, al
though it can sustain three times as many
people as Java, and Cuba is in the worlds
front doorway. We shall develop the east
ern half of Cubs but our scheme does
not contemplate an entrance into the west
ern half of the island, but which we, never
theless, expect to benefit by an increased
trade. That we shall not lack money to
carry out our plan 1 think the list of
subscribers is a sufficient guarantee"
Sir William was asked If the plan of the
Cuban company was not similar to that
which the Canadian Pacific had originally
ohnntn1 nrhAn thnt rood Cat -
structed and i'm reply said: when the
Canadian Pacific was built ii traversed a
territory of g. 700 miles that was unoccupied,
save by the Indians. In order to prevent in
terest from eating us UP, the road had to
be constructed within a limited time and
we were called upon to do that which rail-
road companies do not ordinarily do, and
in order to build up the country we started
all sorts of business enterprises which ulti-
mately passed into private hands, and it is
something of this kind that is contemplated
for the rapid development of Cuba"
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