The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-18
iday by MIR. Livesey the obliging gen.
letal MANAGE of the Wexfarn rafiwa .

-
feial manager of the western railway:
On leaving Cristina station tHa-
Ivara st point OF intel est Is tn
tancient Fort Atares Immediately on thu
Left, once famous as the only tort wnicf
ldid not lower Its flag wien Havana wa!
Icaptured by the English forces more
THAN a century ago. aid now useo o,
1.-THE American COVER nEIent as a correc'
ltional prison. On the .ight, a few nun
idred yards further on. are the new rae
tories of the Cuban Ice MANUFACTURER
Company and the Pabst Com
lpany, two American enterprises
Alter passing the level crossing OF
1.-THE Jesr,s del Monte Road. the loop in'
Iof the United Railwars OF Havana u
IReela crosses the main line OF thi:
lcompany. On the right lies the pic
lturescue suburb of the Cerro almosI
hidden by the luxuriant foliage of the
surrounding trees. The suburb to thu
Ileft Jesus del Monte. whilst not enjoy
ling the popularity of the Cerro. is
lowing to its height above the sea. on
Iof n healthiest Of Havana. 1t was
lalong the ridges behind this suburb
that the Spanish earthworks were n
Istructed to form the FIRST line OF de-
fence against the American troops. Inc
first stopping place Is the liz road
side station Los PinUs (the Plneso'
From this point the line winds through
ldeep cuttings until the picturesque vii
llage Of Arroyo Naranjo' (Orange
River) is reached. This village. the
lhealthiest in the providence, and where
the dread yellow fever is unknown, is
SITUATED conveniently near to Havana.
and strangers are beginning to realize
THAT this is the pleas. ltest and safest
spot to which they can send their fam
lilies to pass the trying Cuban summer.
From this village a magnificent view
lis obtained.
From arroyo NaranJo the line drops
down a heavy grade into C~alabaZar
ICPumpkin Plot) crossing the valley and
the Almendares river nv a fine iron
Iviaduct 900 metres in length. This river
lis the only one crossing the line which
Joins the sea on the north coast.
The town Of Calabazar was in former
times the most fashionable summer re-
sort of Havana. and still contains many
stone residences. then &C.
by the best families of the city.
Rising cut of Calabazar. the line crosses
the Arrovo Jibaro (Sd vage River) over
an iron viaduct 65 metres in length,
pa ssing through the roadside station
|of Rancho Boyeros (Cattlemen's Camp
where the highroad from Havana TO
IBejucal crosses the lire. Near this
point and to the left IT the line may be
seen fourishing pineapple n orange
- oAAo AAiSAAJ ohAA~ AiN oA NAS1
and vegetables. an important American
firm having selected this locality for the
cultivation of these crops
The next stopping place arrived at
lis Santiago de Las Vegas est. James Of
the Tobacco Planta tions). so-called
from the fact that the highest grades
lof Partido tobacco IRE grown in this
district. Of recent years the cultivation
lof bananas. extensive groves of which
Ican be seen on all sides. has been added
Ito the industries of this town. The
large building seen on the left was for
Imerly q Convalescent hospital for the
Spanish troops. and the healthy record
held by this town was doubtless one of
the principal reasons for its selection
by the American government as the site
of the large Agricultural College now in
course of erection.
After a short run of two kilometres.
the next stopping place is Rincon (The
ICorner). one kilometre beyond which
the railway is crossed by the branch
line of the United Railways to Bata-
lbano on the south coast.
From Rincon the lille run through
long rocky cuttings clothed with
.Imaidenhair n other graceful native
ferns. 1t was from an ambush in these
icuttings that the first attack was made
upon the trains of this company by the
lCuhan forces in the early stages of the
late war.
The next town reached Is that of
lSalud Health). This town. which only
ESCAPED destruction or the occasion OF
Marcos invasion of the district, by the
prompt surrender of all the arms o
ltained in the town. is al impol tant
lcentre of the Partido tobacco district.
Some eight kilometres beyond Saiud.
the line. which up to this point runs
NEARLY south. sweeps round a bold curve
lof 1000 metres radius u west. 1t was
on his curve that the forces of General
Maxine Comes captured and burnt a
passenger n repair train. leaving the
iengines in a dismantied condition on
the track.
Gabriel. the e. town reached. was
burnt to the ground at the commence
Iment Of the late war: all the railway
buildings were completely
destroyed and not a slIigle house in the
town left Standing. This town depends
principally upon the large sugar plan
tation Eel Fajardo" wl,ch is to be seen
on the right of the curve approaching
the town, and also CDon several i'm
'fincas" or farms in the neigh
IhO-hood."
The greater part of the next town.
.Guira de la Melena. including all the
buildings of the railway company. was
destroyed during the war. This town is