Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-24
An Era of Railroad Building
Pervades the Island.
NEW LINES PROJECTED
PLANS OF SIR VIM. VAN HORNE
AND HIS ASSOCIATES.
Assistance Rendered the Projectors OF
the Scheme by the United States
Authorities.
sp.elal Dispatch to The Evening star.

have vast plans which their granuchlluIeh
may see realized. 1t may even be that
colonization and development in the central
and eastern part of the island Will move
more slowly than has been thought, 1or
everything moves slowly in Cuba. The be-
ginning of the development was marked
short time ago when railway communica-
ton between Santa Clara and Santiago de
Cuba was opened, so that now it Is posi-
bic TO travel from Pinar del Rio in the west
through Havana and on the eastern end
of the island. This has been in project for
seventy-five years.
The Spaniards in the island when Geo.
Stephenson first exploited his invention
were not so slow or so lacking in enterprise
a. they became in subsequent years. They
built railway lines back in the thrties. even
when the first routes were being LAID on IN
New York and Pennsylvania. One line cut
across from Havana in southeasterly d.
rection toward Guines Batabano, on the
southern coast, which was the Havana OF
400 years ago Another short line was
built from Puerto Principe, in the very
heart of the ISLAM. to Nuevtas, on the
north coast. This and the line from Ha-
vana to Guines dispute the claim for first
railway construction.
Early Lines Built.
Afterward other lines were built running
from interior points to the coast, but the
projects for backbone from east to west
made galway slowly so that at the begin
ming of this century the limit of railway
travel directly east from Havana was 1873
miles. French engineers had planned and.
as they thought, secured concessions for
building the backbone. Fully half GEN.
tury ago the plans We're matured. but they
never got further. One reason was said to
be that powerful officials in Spain were in
terested in the steamship lines, and espe-
the coaStwiSe trade.
At various periods Captain General Mar
tinez Campos urged on the home govern
ment the value Of building railways as
means of curbing political discomfort. His
appeals were unheeded. though when the
last insurrection broke out he did get au-
thcrity to make pretense of building
line from Santa Cruz on the south coast
to Puerto Principe. with the promise OF
other extensions, but the country people
insisted on Joining the insurrection instead
of working on the railway at high wages.
1t was trite saying that If Spain had built
railways in Cuba she never would have lost
her sway AS railroad construction is I'M
derstood in the United States it would not
seem great enterprise to build trunk
line of 80 miles, with branches in prospect
which in three or four years may make
the total 1000 miles. Santa Clara is nearer
to Santiago than Pittsburg Is to the Mis-
sissippi river, and the trip from here across
the island is about like going from New
Ork TO BuHa4O. But III view Oh the cir
cumStances and conditions this railway
construction Is really notable
The lines were begun during the Ameri-
can military control. 1t is telling what
everybody knows to be true to say that
the project could not have been carried
out II the War Department in Washing
ton had been hostile. The Foraker amend
ment prohibited the granting of franchises
during the American military occupation.
A horde of spectators, Adventures and
thrnnpp6
York and Washington were bitterly dis
appointed when this became a law. They
had countless projects for issuing bonds
and stocks on Cuban franchises and I'M
loading these issues confiding investors
In the United States. When the Foraker
amendment was enacted ali their plans for
getting rich out of nothing went to naught
Some of them are yet seen around Havana.
but OF the elbows and down at the heels
and occupied in damning Senator Foraker
Backbone Line Planned.
After the American military control be-
c. me fixed several efforts were made to ac-
quire control of the existing railway prop
critics OF Cuba. which were roughly valued
at s400oo.000. These failed for various
causes. and then some OF the men who had
become interested took up the project of
building the backbone line. One of these
was Mr. Percival Farquhar, who had been
very hopeful of railway development in
Cuba and had gotten Sir VIM. Van Horne
Interested Mr. Van Horne stopped over on
his way to Demerara and decided that the
proposed line was practical and practical
BILE. With the prestige of his success in the
Canadian Pacific he persuaded other capt.
talists 10 join him in a Cuban railway en-
terprise which would have to be begun and
probably completed without a franchise.
The American authorities helped the en-
terprise III two ways. The tariff which was
drawn UP by Robert Z. Porter and which
was put into force gave tariff concessions
on railway material imported into Cuba.
AT first most of this material was brought
from the United States, but when the great
demand for iron and steel products came
and the material could not be had in the
United States 1t was imported from liu-
rope. chiefly from Germany.
Aided by Americans.
The other way in which the American
military authorities aided the enterprise
was by the enactment, under military de-
cree Of a railway law, and the creation
OF commission. This railway law is
g,rera!ly agreed to be a very good thing
for Cuba. and 1t was also a good thing for
Mr.. Van Horne and his associates in the
Cuba company. The right of eminent do
main under the Spanish law very
complicated matter and individual land
holders were delaying the joining of gaps
In the line by their exorbitant demands
When the decree was affirmed by General
Wood enacting the railway law very little
objection was made. One criticism was
that while II was a good law the Cuba
company was the chief beneficiary. This
was partly true as matters then stood, but
II was said that the ends justified the ac-
ton taken, and the Cuban congress has
shown little disposition to amend or modify
the law. III the beginning the Cubans were
suspicious of the Van Horne project. They
thought In some way IL was an evasion OF
the Foraker amendment, and was meant
to secure i franchise by underhand means.
but as the work of actual construct IN
went on and as employment was given
would have been idle the sentiment
changed and the railway was welcomed.
W hue he has had to meet obstacles it IL
the testimony OF Mr. Van Horne that he
has been better treated in his Hallway
building in Cuba than in either Canada or
Illinois
Work of American Engineers.
In going over the route Of the line. some
t!n.es on horseback and sometimes on con-
struction trains. have been impressed with
the ajaptablity of American character
Engineers. superintendent. construction
bosses. gang foremen, all have stories to tell
of their experiences everywhere on this con-
tinent from Mexico to Chill. l met three
or four who had been with Henry Meigs In