Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-05-14
An AMERICAN COLONY IN CUBA.

The enterprising and restless Amer
lean is constantly looking for some
new field on which to try his genius.
On Cuba he has had an eye since 1848,
when President Polk wanted to buy
the island for million dollars. When
it was determined that this island
should be set free from the yoke of
Spain, it was very evident that many
Americans would sooD be seeking
fortunes in the ''Pearl of the Antilles"
Her nearness to our own shores and
the fact that most of her exports come
to our markets, added to the reported
richness of her soil and the fact that
there is abundant room for larger
population, seem to make Cuba an
attractive field, and many have been
| quick to recognize the fact and plan
to take advantage of the new oppor-
tunity.
One of the boldest ventures in this
line has been the founding of an Am
erican colony at a point some forty
miles west of Nuevitas, to which has
| been given the name La Gloria (the
Glory. The undertaking is immense
in all it's pro portions and time only
can tell how far it's aims will be real
lied; but it is already a reality and it's
permanence seems assured. 1t has had
an immense amount of difficulties to
contend with, both in the form of nat
ural obstacles and opposition from
outside. One New York paper in par
ticulsr showed remarkable activity in
printing everything unfavorable to
the enterprise and refused to print
| statements of favorable nature from
colonists who were on the ground.
The jealousy of a rival steamship
company showed itself in several ways
and may have been the hidden infiu-
ence in this case. The weather also
put in some difficulties which had not
been counted on and could not W ell
be anticipated.
visited the colony and got more
favorable impression of it than from
the many reports in circulation at
Nuevitas or in New York. The COM
paDy which was promoting the scheme
had chartered an ocean steamer to
run from New York to Nuevitas and
bought small steamer to run between
the latter place and La Gloria. This
small steamer had a series of mishaps
on the way down and had not yet
arrived when I made the trip, but was
at the dock when I returned. So
took passage in native sailboat and
my passage was through a shallow
bay and a narrow canal. The wind
failed us, obliging us to make the trip
very slowly, but there was one COM
pensation in fine view Of the phos-
phoresence of tropical waters. AS
night settled down we began to see a
strange glimmering over the water
which we at first took for moonlight;
but there was no moon, and as dark
nessincreased the light grew brighter.
Soon we noticed a fish jump near the
boat and the water where it splashed
glowed with a silvery light. We
reached over the side and splashed
the water with our hands, with the
same result. Wherever the surface
was broken by splash or ripple, there
was the silvery glow, soft, evanes-
cent, white light almost like the glow
of a match rubbed gently in the dark. |
The effect was like an enchanted land,
a veritable fairy sea, where every fish !
swimming near the surface or skipping
along over the water became the |
bearer of fairy torch, or dispenser i
of diluted moonlight.
But when we reached the canal we
found other sorts of fairies abroad.
The thick bushes afforded a favorite
retreat for ubiquitous mosquito, who,
as we came in ha ling distance, scared
forth on the wings of night to meet
us with a hearty welcome to his hum
BILE abode. We had prepared to meet
him and modestly drew down our
wells of material named in his honor.
But we soon found that his cheerful
voice was not the only Indication of
life in those solitudes; for while he
hummed a cheerful sere made just out
side the veil, voicing his regret at not
being permitted to form a more init
mate acquaintance with our inviting
faces, his more dimin utive neighbor
passed unheard and unseen through
nets, and m ade his presence
known by a kiss as warm as the ardor
of his affection. We noticed that even
our Cuban boatman, who seemed in
different to the mosquitoes, were put
on the defensive by these small gnats,
those ON duty fiohtiner them off with