The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1901-09-07
HER BRIGHT FUTURE.
csba VIII Bsesass tAs Riviera
Of America IN Tine.
Hs4sA RAILWAY DualAso Desssthss
Present aaa CsAAn6 Con4Itssos
when 1asilitiss fer Tnavsa
Are AAoeAsA4

After having reaehed the 49, whsA
most men are ghd to retire and enjoy
the wealth gained BY 70 years Of ex.
acting work, Sir william Van Horne,
the creator of the Canadian Pacific rail-
road. has undertaken to give Cuba 9
new railroad system, which he himseh
describes below. The present writer.
says the Worlds Works, once spent
many interesting hours watching the
days work Of this born builder aud
manager Of railroads. who was then
president OF the Canadian Pacific. He
had then completed the line across tbs
continent and was arranging for its
complimentary feet Of steamships to
the orient. Sir Williams marvellous
mastery OF details showed itself to bis
wondering visitor in hundred ways.
The commissary department was gone
into with . thoroughness which would
have done honor to . New England
pany's hotels and steamships were ex-
amined into and decided upon; the
standard size Of the sandwiches to be
served at the eating houses on the line
was laid down in inches; he scrutinixed
the copy Of dozen advertisements and
q hundred other items of equally small
import apparently. Yet one carried
away the notbn that during his in6er-
views with men who submitted these
multitudes of etails for his decision he
was in reality training them how to
make their own future; and in proof
of this one observes that aft.r his with
drawal from the presidency to become
chairman Of the board these identical
assistants were moved up the ladder.
and to-day conduct the road in the very
manner set forth in those interviews.
Railroad people will watch with
great interest his new enterprise in
Cuba.
THE construction OF this road" said
Sir William, who hns lately returned
from Cuba, 'is essential to the develop
ment Of the eastern end Of the island,
and this fact has prompted us to face
obstacles Of q serious and unusual ma
ture. Under the conditions which now
prevail In Cuba, conditions mainly due
to the terms of the Foraker resolution,
all application for public concessions
must be referred to the United States
military authorities, and we are,
therefore. proceeding on the basis Of
private railroad doing business on its
own ground, right of way having beea
cheeffu.ly accorded without considera-
ton BY the owners Of the property
through which our line passes. We are
well aware that WHEN our road Il COM
plsted Ne shall not - abs 70 open II
for -traflc without the naneticn Of the
authorities, but Ne cherish the belief
that by that time come decision a. to
the governmento Of Cuba will have been
reached, or, II not, that congress will
recognize that the Foraker resolution
II an, incubus to Industrial enterprise
in the island and ford relief. That the
road will yield q handsome profit is OBJ
solutely certain. Cuba IL the richest
country I have ever seen, and the time
will surely come when 1t will be the
Riviera Of the United States. Wealthy
Americans will build villas there by the
hundreds and enjoy the ideal winter
residence. When the railroad from
Sanka Clara to Santiago II completed its
projectors will turn their attention TO
the mining and plantation industries of
the interior. Eastern Cuba 10 rich in
mineral resources and the land acquisi-
tons. of the development company in
that part Of the island are already
large" The'subscribers to the prelim-
mary installment were, It il said, will
ing to take double the amount for which
they set down their names, which
means nothing more than tho conf
dence Of capitalists in Sir william.