The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-03
GO TO
CUBAN RAILROADS
]. F. Whitmer, Superintendent Of
New Five Hundred-MiIe Road !.
There Was Here Yesterday.

Cuba, that newly acquired fairyland Of
the. United States, ana that arena in which
freedoms battle was so bitterly fought,
is absorbing the millions of this country
in railroad enterprises. Within a few
years, says j. F. Whitmer a railroad
constructor who passed through Rich
mond yesterday on his way to Cuba,
where he will take charge of eight thou
sand railroad builders. the island will be
interplaced, as is now the continent. with
railroads, and when that comes. Cuba's
tremendous resources will lor the, first
time be opened to the world.
Mr.. Whtnler has been employed as SUI
perntendent OF ,vorkmen by the Cuba
Company, an sS00G0,O00 organization of No
so Broadway, New York. re has but re-
Gently returned from South America,
where he has been for several months
When seen yesterday at NIurphy's Hotel,
he talked at length about Cuba and what
the railroads will do there.
Nov Cuba's railroad facilities are, to
say the least, limited, he said. For in
stance there is a road which runs from
Havana east and another road which runs
from Havana directly across the island
and these are the most important of the
railroads of Cuba Altogether the mileage
is about two hundred and it is doubtful
if there is fifty more miles of track i'll the
country
1.-THE Cuba Company, by which I am
employed, has IL capital of eighty million
dollars. and IS now at work constructing
a road from Santiago to Jucarot, which
is west of that point, some five hundred
miles. When 1 reach Cuba, l am to take
charge of this work of, construction, and
within a year or so. with the eight thou
sand workmen which I will have under
me, trains will be running from Santiago
straight to Havana over our line and by
means of connection which we Will
make at Jucarot. That part of the coun-
try will then be opened up to traffic for
the first time and capital poured into 1t.
considerable progress has already been
made on islis road. there being four thou-
sand men at Santiago and four thousand
at Jucarot, working toward each other.
There are many engineering difficulties to
be overcome. But the American ability To
overcome difficulties will make. that only
a trfiing affair. The Cuba Company is
not only railroad building company, but
has a plan of general development along
all lines. Immediately this road is finish
ed it is probable that the company Will
undertake other similar enterprises in ad-
dition to spending great deat OF money
on the general development of theacoun-
try through which it passes. OF course,
the commercial Importance of this will be
inestmabe to all.
Many of the company's workmen in
Cuba are Americans" he continued. in
fact, a majority of them are former SOL
(,iers, who, on being mustered out, have
decided to remain in that country, and
nave gone, to work on this new railroad.
Therefore. the general American spirit is
not missing there, and the American spirit
is what will. I believe. force Cuba to
rapid progression along all lines.
Compared to the vast railroad mileage
of this country, Cuba is yet an infant
in its swaddling clothes. The Cuba Com
pany alone, in its planning for the island,
wilt spend many millions while other
companies Will do likewise, now that free
dom is assured to the Pearl of thelAntiies,
which has so long fought for that boon.