Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-16
TO ISLE OF PINES
DR.. and Mrs. Mills of Ottumwe
Members Of Tourist Party.
MANY loWANs ON The ISLAND
Inhabitants OF Island Send communi-
cation to President Roosevelt Ask
ing Relief From Present Govern
ment and That Island Be Retained.

Drs. F. w. and Margaret Mills, 123
West Albany street, who left Ottumwa
on March is, have returned from
a flying trip to the Isle of Pines. They
were accompanied on their journey by
several friends from Fairfield and by
a n,saber of people who joined the
party at ST. Louis and other points en-
route until the total number in the
party was thirty-two.
In the party from Fairfield were
Gus and Edward Finchbaugh, Creston
Gordon, Will Cruett, Charley Fulton,
Mrs. Lou Herschberger, Mr. and Mrs.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Steelman.
From ST. Louis the party travelled to
Tampa, Florida, in a special car. The
steamer Olivette carried them to Ha-
wanna, whence they journeyed to Ba-
tadano on the south coast of Cuba, by
rail. small steamer carried them
the remaining forty miles across to
Jucaro on the coast OF the Isle of
Pines.
During the three weeks that the
members of the party were away they
not only made the journey both ways,
but saw the greater portion of the
Island of Pines and had quite an ex-
tensive view of Cuba. The object in
making the trip was partly business
and partly pleasure. A majority OF.
those in the party thought well enough
of the future prospects of the island to
make investments,
Dr. Frank Mills has promised to
give the readers of the Courier an ac-
count of what he saw on his journey
and the impression made upon him
during his flying trip across the Cuban
Republic and its little dependency, the
Isle Of Pines.
The party made it's headquarters and
bought land about Columbia, town
of 300 population, made up exclusively
of Iowans. These Iowans have about
come to the conclusion that they are
exiles from theid ntive land and state
and have sent the following memorial
to President Roosevelt:
4 Three hundred American citizens
residing on the Isle of Pines. and who
own more than one-half of the island
make the following prayer: First. re
lief from the present government Of
the Isle of Pines; and second, that the
island be retained as part of the
territory of the United States.
sIn respect to the first, it may be
said that there is no government OF
the Isle of Pines. There is an Alcadt
and seven policemen and clerk ant
:. p Judge, whose office is in Havana
Province. Cuba. The official action!
of all these are governed by officer!
residing on the island of Cuba. As ;
! matter of fact there is no need of tbs
. presence of the Alcade and the police
men and the clerk on the island, TO
' the reason that the moral influence o
A the Americans is dominant and quit,
| sufficient to maintain order. The clerl
e referred to has no jurisdiction no
powers which enable him to transac
any business of consequence to tn
: residents of the island. Almost tn
( entire business that would come be
/ fore a governmental officer has bee
the conveyance of land, the paymen
of taxes and such acknowledgment
as might be taken before a notar
:, public. Yet. wherever this bushes
:. had to be attended to. it was necesss
ny to travel to the Province of Hs
vana. which required several days an
a entailed considerable expense, hare
" snip which many Americans hav
d found it hard to bear. But this hare
: ship is less burdensome and less OF
jectionable. than the greed shown b
Cuban officials in the eXaction OF III
reasonable fees for the performing
of the simplest official acts.
Y "The experience of one of our Anne
lean colonists, S. H. Pearcy, the vic
"a president of the Isle of Pines 1mprov
,e ment company, fully illustrates thi
ID He has purchased a tract of land an
T.. was compelled to go to Bijucal, Cub
ii where the records of the Isle of Pine
a. are kept, to have the conveyance
,e the property made. Owing to the pr
O. crastination of the Cuban officials,
q. was unable to have the necessary p
Id pers executed for nearly four month
s. during which time he made ten tril
IN from the Isle of Pines to Bijucf
of which cost him about $500. In ado
III ton to this veXatious delay and Il
IN necessary expense he was compellt
lb to pay the Cuban notary $500 Il
Id drawing the deed. Under the law ]
oy one but notary can draw a deed
20 Cuba. He was then compelled to p'
I'll 81 100 to the recorder for recordil
IT. the papers. Then he was forced
70. pay / per cent on all amounts
lg, money stated in the papers, the p,
al chase price of the property, all mo
to cages, ETC., and then taxes amounti
st. Ito $1,31O.92 The total cost of obta
)s- ling simple conveyance of this o
So piece of property was nearly $40
r a Under a rational and just system
ry government on the island nothing Ii
ill this would be possible. Besides, t
fees and taxes collected under
American government would be a
piled to improvements on the islal
So AS it is now, Americans owning pr
ers erty on the island are taxed withc
Ext representation, and money exact
be from them is used in no way for tn
OF benefit.
he American citizens have acqui1
ion most of the land on the island. The
are not to exceed twenty natives W
ar are landed proprietors on the isla
More of the island is owned by n
oir- resident Spaniards and Cubans tn
native residents. The public land d.
Os. not exceed 10000 acres. Hence
larger part of the island belongs
oes citizens of the United States, who p
chased it from private individu;
lis; and have made and are making s