Daily camera., 1901-04-05
HER BRIGHT, FUTURE,
Cuba Will Become the Riviera
of America in Time.
Noted Railway Bailder Describes
Present and Coming Conditions
When Facilities for Travel
Are Afforded.

After having reached the age when
most men are glad to retire and enjoy
the wealth gained by 40 years of ex-
acting work, Sir William Van Horne
the creator of the Canadian Pacific rail-
road, has undertaken to give Cuba a
new railroad system. which he himself
describes below, The present writer,
says the Worlds Works, once spent
many interesting hours watching the
days work of this born builder and
manager Of railroads, who was then
president of the Canadian Pacific. He
had then completed the line across the
continent and was arranging for its
Complementary fleet of steamships to
the orient. Sir Williams marvellous
mastery of details showed itself to his
wondering visitor in hundred ways.
The commissary department was gone
into with thoroughness which would
have done honor to New England
housekeeper; dining cars, the com
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 scrutinized
the copy of a dozen advertisements and
a hundred other items of equally small
import, apparently. Yet one carried
away the notion that during his inter
views with men who submitted these
multitudes of details for his decision he
was in reality training them how to
make their own future; and in proof
of this one observes that after 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 obstruction OF this road" said
Sir William. who has lately returned
from Cub&,, lis essential to the develop
ment of the eastern end Of the island,
and this fact has prompted us to face
obstacles of a serious and unusual na-
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 been
cheerfuly accorded without considera-
ton by the owners of the property
through which our line passes. We are
well aware that when our road is com
pleted we shall not be able TO open it
for traffic without the sanction of the
authorities, but we cherish the belief
that by that time some decision as to
the government of Cuba will have been
reached, or. If not, that congress will
recognize that the Foraker resolution
is an, incubus to industrial enterprise
in the island and afford relief That the
road will yield handsome profit is alb
so.utely certain. Cuba is the richest
country ! have ever seen, and the time
will surely come when it 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
Santa Clara to Santiago is completed its
projectors will turn their attention 70
he mining and plantation industries OF
the interior. Eastern Cuba is rich in
resources and the land acquis-
tions of the development company in
that part of the island are already
large" The subscribers to the prelim-
mary installment were. it is said, will
ing to take double the amount for which
they set down their names, which
means nothing more than the conf
dence of capitalists in Sir William.
MAPTH I'M GANp