Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-04-24
GREAT OPENING UP OF THE
ISLAND.
VAN HORNE'S NEW LINE
Twill Extend Eastward $50 Miles and
Reach Nipe, the Best Harbor on
the Whole Coastine-Vast Fruit
Shipments of the Near Future and
Other Events


it came within few years of the
opening Of the first American line.
Following a concession granted by
Governor General Tacon in 1887, the
Puerto Principe and Nuevitas line
was opened in 1851. The Matanzas-
Sabanilla road was opened in 1854.
Others followed until, at the time of
the American occupation, on Janu-
airy l, 1899, Cuba could boast of 124
railroads, with a total length of 2.100
miles, representing a valuation of
$70,000,000
The Puerto Principe-Nuevitas sys-
tenn deserves a passing note for its
popularity. It's capital is $1,000,000,
represented by eight shares, though no
printed stock certificates have ever
been issued. 1t is practically private
issued. 1t is practically a private
corporation. Three stockholders are
elected annually to serve as a director,
serve without pay and are not eligible
for reelection. The road has neither
mortgage nor. outstanding indebted
ness. It's expenses are paid from its
receipts. For the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1900, it's earnings were $780,
442.42. It's operating expenses were
$191 1908, leaving 1924, BLESS, which
was paid as dividends to its eight
stockholders.
The number of Cuban railways (124
seems out OF proportion to the mileage
until it is understood that only II are
public lines. The remaining 107 are
private roads for the transportation Of
sugar-cane in the vicinity of the large
| centrales, or grinding mills. The II
public lines cover 1875 miles. Of this
all except 1852 miles are in the western
half of the island. The syS-
| tenn of the eastern half is represented
by four short lines running to interior
points from the ports of Santiago,
| Guantanamo, Gibara, and Neuvitas.
and by a Spanish military road across
the island along the line of the
| Jucaro-Moron trocha. This was con-
structed with the expectation that it
would enable the Spanish army to
| limit insurgent activities to the re-
gion of their inception-the provinces
of Santiago and Puerto Principe
Much the larger part of the Cuban
railway system is now in the hands Of
English companies. English capital
was represented prior to the insurrec-
ton, and its holdings have been large
ly increased during recent years,
notably about the time of the Ameri-
can occupation. Purchases were
made at prices which American in
vestors did not care to touch, in view
of the condition of the properties and
the uncertainty of those prompt re-
turns which are a much more import
ant item in the mind of the Ameri-
can investor than they are in the mind
of his English competitor in the world
of finance. The principal systems,
five in number, represent about nine
elevenths of all the public lines These
are under English control, though
some American money is represented
among the stockholders.
The private roads are practically
feeders to the public lines, though
United Fruit company operates, 29
miles of railway. with locomotives
and 300 cars. This runs from the COM
pany's plantations to the shipping
port of Banes. The Terry estate
operates some SIS miles of road, with
Is locomotives and 700 cars. Of the
private lines which connect with the
T1JIh hot
ment and some use the equipment Of
the lines with which they connect.
with the public lines, some use their
own equipment and some use the
equipment of the lines with which
they connect. The 107 roads represent
an Investment of nearly $12,000,000.
At the close Of the war many of
these lines, both public and private,
were in exceedingly bad condition as
a result OF the destructive methods
employed by the contending parties. !
Equipment had been wrecked, stations |
burned, bridges and culverts blown |
up, and road-bed neglected. Travel |
over them meant so many hours of |
misery at exorbitant rates of fare. |
There has been a notable improvement !
in physical conditions, but the rates |
are still excessive. These average
about Z cents per mile for first-class
passengers and about scents per mile |
have paid as high as II cents per
mile. Freight rates are also ex-
orbitant. and a serious detriment to
the welfare and the development of |
the country. Some effort is now being
made to effect a modification of rates
by military order, though the legality
of the step is somewhat doubtful
But the railway feature of the great
est Importance in the island is the
line which is now in process of con-
struction by Sir William Van Horne
and his associates of the Cuba Cen
trail Railway. This will connect at :,
Santa Clara with the lines now run
ming from Havana to Cienfuegos. 1t
will extend eastward for a distance of
some $50 miles, via Ciego de Avila,
Puerto Principe, and Las Tunas. to
the bay of Nipe, on the northeastern
coast, which will become a promi-
nent port of shipment. Nipe is per-
haps the best harbor on the whole
Cuban coast line. This company
has also purchased the short line now
running north from Santiago. This
will be extended to the main line from
Santa Clara to Nipe. With these lines
completed, there will be railway con-
nection from Santiago to Pinar del
Rio, a distance of some 600 miles.