Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-07-02
CUBA FOR THE AMERICANS.
Notes of Recent Explorations In the Is
land by n vermont Naturalist.

and bitter cold for genial trorc sun
shine, soft brccZcs and green and iowcrY
fields and gardens | expect to sec Ameri-
cans seek the shores of Cuba not only
ny scores as in that earlier day, but by
hundreds of thousands. and not only for
Il winters stay but to make for them
selves homes there and to transform
its idle wlds into many an earthly para
dsc-to make cuba in fact a sovereign
American state, unique in character.
rcdundantlN rich in resources of surpass-
ing attractions.
At the time of which speak, fifty years
ago. cuba as a resort for winter tourists
had scarcely a rival in the western hcmis-
pEcrc The forests and everglades OF
Florida, then but recently wrcstcd from
the Scminoles. were still lying wild, with
but few towns in all their extent Cali
lornia was then known as our Eldorado,
was only visited by gold hunters and
hardy too often desperate in character
as VOL as hardy were the men who won
their way ththcr through the tolls and
perls of the overland journey across
the broad, dry plains and over the noun
tans of woarisomo height The alterna-
tive of that overland march with wagon
train, which consumed months. was the
long circuituous sail through southern
soaS that required as many weeks as the
number of days 1t now takes to reach
california by train. Two or three decades
/ pass and American enterprise has changed
! the face of tho country in both California
and Florida. and all tho world is invited
to ocme and sec tho marvel. We have
| enjoyed the comforts and beauties Of
| these regions without asking the question
whether our earth can yield us anything
| better.
cuba has heen forgotten The Spanish
atrocities Of the ten years war, and espc-
ciaIly tho Nrginius affair. turned Amcri-
nD Oh, 100
on a later day Spanish atrocities. ted
and intensified. called Americans back to
those shores in the interests of humanity
with hattloships and battalons to break
forever tho Spanish rule there and to
/ cleanse tho land. cuba lies to-day free
! but poor. helpless but cXpcctant OF holm
| from us. ana offers field for cxploita o.
tion worthy Of such a pcople as ours.
10 make a visit i'm early winter to- the
tronical experimental gardens Of Harvard
! University in cuba comes among nv du-
ties as n member of the botanical STAFF ~
! that institution So lacy winter | sneut
some four weeks There srbsaouer+ 10 tho
18th IF January. As walked I'm tho train
In this city late one evening freshly
returned from the warn, folds Of Noxic0
singing blasts bufrctted mo ana vbirIed
wroaths Of snow IN my faco CAUSING
mo Ia lose sight Of the main of Ieavc-tol,,
! ING in anticipation Of soon beinr again
in a sunny land with ,,ranro nclds 10
explore. Chilling winds followed my. niobt
cutie to the Florida coast and across fhe
straits of Florida. Cuha howoyer on
! cirolod hv the gulf stream ever nou,inc
from warm couatorial sons 1ins eocurr
! from access Of any such cold waves II
is true that frosts may occur in mar
| row bolt Of country alorr tho ror,ho,,,
/ coast west of Havana. but 7 dorht
whether frosts severe enough to ini,,re
orange frees ovcr rau In ,b,+ ~, 80,