Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23

enough to raise tobacco of the quality
which would command a ready market.
Nevertheless some of the enthusiasts claim
that the Isle of Pines tobacco Is of most
excellent quality -.lnd passes for the
choicest product of the Vuelta Abajo.
The quarries In the interior are said to
be of great value but that is another as
sertion that must be received with caution.
They were worked many years ago and
great stories are told of the marble. which
was declared to be superior to the finest
Italian marble. This is rank nonsense.
Some of the public buildings in Havana
and some private residences have marble
from the Isle of Pines. but it is of a
rather inferior quality. Probably under en-
terprising American management these
QuarrieS may be worked again and be made
to pay, because the marble can be used
for building purposes, yet it is very doubt
full II much of it ever would find market
In the United States, even though coming
from an American possession, it should
not be subjected to tariff dues.
It's Hot Springs.
Probably the most valuable resources of
the Isle of Pines are it's climate and its
hot springs. The springs lie twelve or fif-
teen miles back from the port of New &C.
rome, and there is a little village called
Santa Fe, which at one time had some
passably good hotels of a certain kind,
which was not the best kind. The mineral
constituents of the medicinal springs are
magneSia and iron. Persons with bron-
chial and similar affections were in the
habit of resorting to these springs, and
usually found relief. The Spanish govern
ment maintained an official physician. who
prescribed for everybody who wanted to
take the baths or drink the waters. The
fee was So and no visitor was allowed to
escape without paying. 1t Is quite prob
able that sanitarium will be erected at
Santa Fe, because the place has attraction
both as health resort and for tourists
There have been a large number of
American schemes for exploiting the Isle
of Pines Mr.. Medley Of post office fame
was at the head of one of these en-
terprises He persuaded some army Off
GERS and other Americans to go into it,
and they contributed a couple Of thousand
dollars for a preliminary survey. After
the survey was made they decided that the
inducements were not sufficient, and they
abandoned the enterprise. When the dis
closures came of Neeley's crookedness they
were glad they had dropped the matter,
though all of them would have been inno-
cent parties.
by Iowa capitalists was for a great stock
farm of $4,000 acres but the expert who
reported on this project declared that to
his mind the only feasible plan of stock
ranch would be one for raising jaclxasses.
He thought this might be made profitable.
l once asked an American lawyer in Ha-
wanna who examined the titles in land
purchases made by Americans if any of
Yes he replied, quite a number of my
clients went down to see what the field
was for investment, but when they came
back they all said, oh. HI. and l have
not been asked to pronounce on any titles
there
Perhaps the best investments in the Isle
of Pines for Americans who want to take
flyer would be in a company to search
for buried treasure. l think that would
pay better dividends than town lots or
mangrove swamp farms. For 300 years
the island was the resort Of pirates and
flibusters. French English and Dutch
corsairs alternately made ii their headquar-
tiers without ever trying to occupy it per-
manently or hold it for their respective
governments. Morgan and his buccaneers
started many of their expeditions from the
island, and it is one of the traditions that
much pirate treasure was concealed there.
Something of Its History.
The isle was discovered by Columbus on
his second visit III 1874 He named it La
EVangelista, or Evangelist Island. The
tradition is that CorteZ started his expedi-
ton for conquering Mexico from Batabano
and that previously he had explored all the
coast OF the Isle of Pines and the smaller
keys. That is tradition only, but it is
known that Drake, when he was sweeping
the Spanish main, rcndeZVDuSed more than
once in the Isle of Pines 1t was in this
neighborhood that the expedition returning
with brakes body was attacked by the
one or two of the English galleons.
For two centuries and a half after the
discovery of the island by Columbus. Spain
practically abandoned it to the pirates,
buccaneers and corSairS. Toward the mid
die of the eighteenth century it attracted a
little attention from the Spanish authorities
who governed Cuba and in 1865 Captain
General Ricla established a constable or
magistrate on the island whose authority
extended over the few half-savage fisher
men and cattlemen who dwelt there
few years later they were required to pay
an annual contribution of cattle in Hayan ma
as their part of government taxes.
In the Spanish censuses taken previous
to 1877 no account was given of the Isle
of Pines, and it is rare to find mention
of it in any of the official documents Of
that period. At the beginning of the ninn-
teenth century the town of New Corona
was established AT first it was called
Queen Amalia, in honor of the third wife
of Ferdinand VII. This name ..Reiua
Amalia," is sometimes given to the Isle
of Pines itself.
The present population is about 1000,
and the number has not increased or
diminished materially in the last twenty
or thirty years. Spain used the island as
a kind of penal settlement, sending there
political prisoners and criminals Of the
milder type. At one time many of the
Nanigoes, or members of the secret society
OF negro criminals, were deported there
After the American occupation of Cuba
these prisoners were all released.
The population is made up chiefly Of
small farmers and fishermen. Many of
these will be quite willing to have the is
land become an American possession, be-
cause they think It would add to the value
OF their lands and make more prosperous
times for them. There used to be an
alcalde or mayor at New Corona who was
an enthusiastic anneXationist. Whenever
an American visitor appeared he would
give a bah or public function in honor
Of the distinguished American" but after
the adventures and promoters got to visit
ing the Isle of Pines the alcalde's hospi-
tally was chilled and the functions In
honor of distinguished Americans were
abandoned. CHARLES NJ PEPPER.