Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-29
THE ISLE OF PINES
DIR. F: W. MILLS DESCRIBES ISLE
AS SEEN BY HIM ON A
VISIT.
Isle Was Originally Granted to Span
ish Court Favorite Whose Descend
ants Still Live and Own Most of 1t
"A Fine Climate.

"A Fine Climate.
DR.. F. w. Mills, who is at present on
visit to the Isle of Pines, situated in
the Gulf OF Mexico south of the west
END OF Cuba, writes from Santa Fe, one
OF the little villages of the island, a
letter that may prove interesting and
furnish some general information. to
the readers of the Courier. The letter
tells something Of the history of the
Island, gives a physical description of
II as seen by the doctor, tells of the
kind OF soil and what it will grow.
A portion Of the letter is as follows:
Location and History.
The Isle of Pines lies about fifty
miles south of the western norton of
Cuba. Its area is 1,240 square miles, or
over 100000 acres. The southern one
fourth of the island is separated at
nlgh tide from the other portion by a
salt marsh. AS a rule from one-half
to one mile back from the coast the
land is but little above sea level. Be
yond this and throughout the interior
1t is diversified by hills, mountains and
fertile valleys. Through the valleys
flow the many crystal streams, which
converge as they near the coast to
FORM the several navigable rivers.
1t is said. to have been discovered by
Columbus in 1894. A settlement was
! first made at Nueva Corona, but later
when the island became invested by
pirates, to escape them, most of the
inhabitants moved twelve miles in
| terror and founded the town of Santa
Fe The whole island was finally grant
Led to Spanish court favorite, subject
to Spanish rule, whose six heirs parti-
toned the island. These estates have
remained intact to the present time or
till bought by the Americans during
the last four years. The owners Gull
tivated but little, but pastured vast
herds of cattle upon them. The in
come from their fiocks was sufficient
and their ambition did not lead them
to improve their estates The spirit. of
enterprise in real estate was never
| awakened among them. So generation
after generation. the descendants built
| their -thatched houses; on the
estate to which they, belonged, and
with little variation continued the oc-
cupation of their fathers. This process
of settlement being slow the island was
but sparsely peopled.
Since the close of the Spanish
American war enterprising and far
oeelllS lAIHeIlSdIlS nave bought OUT llG
owners of as many of these plantations
as would sell, have surveyed and sold
direct or by allotment thousands Of
acres to English speaking settlers.
| These immigrants are clearing, build
| ing and planting, and bid fair to verify
the claim, that it is never the original
settlers of any country who develop
| it's greatest resources.
Climate and HeaIthfuIness.
The average temperature of the is
land is 20 degrees with a variation
from As degrees in winter. to 80 degrees
in summer. and the temperature may
be said to be always mild and equable
The nights are cool and it is always
cool during the day in the shade. There
is always breeze from the northeast,
and the ocean current of this region
also flows from the northeast which
modifies the heat Of summer. There is
a rainy season in summer and a dry
season in winter. These seasons are
not always faithful to their names
since in summer we may have several
successive days without rain, and in
winter there is seldom a week without
a shower.
This island is beyond the influence
of any oceanic storms centers, and it
is said tornadoes or storms of any kind
do not occur here as in Jamaica, Cuba
or Porto Rico. There are no volcanoes,
and none within thousand miles. The
climate is invigorating and in no way
depressing. 1 have never observed the
laziness or lassitude that we read of
in other semi-tropical localities.
To my knowledge no disease prevails
here at any season of the year. l have
| never heard of a case of the. grip or
any Of the infectious fevers. People
afflicted with catarrh, bronchitis, asth-
ma, rheumatism and stomach troubles,
when the latter is not malignant, ji
nearly every instance finds relief here.
The magnesia mineral water, the eGu-
able temperature, the pure sea air, the
sunshine, and the volatile, balsanic
oils from the pines, the sea baths. min-
eral water baths, and exercise in the
| open air which is always permissible,
constitute the chief curative agencies.
Soil and Productions.
The fertility of the soil of the Isle OF
Pines surpasses belief or estimate, and
forms a substantial foundation for an
almost unlimited future. The soil is
fertile. not because it is all deep black
| loan and leaf mold, which it is not, nor
because it will raise corn and wheat
like Iowa or Kansas, which it certainly
will not.
Geologically the soil is composed of
decOmpOSed coral rock, and OF ,diSinte-
grated volcanic rock together with sea
sand, eroded rock and decayed vegeta-
tion forming a sedamentary soil which
has accumulated on the lower land and
| valleys for ages. This gives a variety
of distinct Soils each of which capable
of producing the best of the crops to
which each is suited.
To illustrate: An Ottumwa friend
recently purchased several hundred
acres near Nueva Corona On this
tract bordering on a stream is forty or
fifty acres of deep black soil which lies
low and level, and overflows at times in
summer. This has proved to be per-
fectly adapted to the growth of cocoa
nuts and the cultivation of rice, both
being profitable crops here, and the
former requiring little attention after
planting. Lying back of this are about
one hundred and fifty acres of deep soil
| which drains well and is admirably
suited to bananas, sea island cotton,
alfalfa casava and other native vege-
tables; also beans, cabbage tomatoes
and egg plant, which are grown in the
states.
On the higher ground which con-
tains less of the black soil and more
mineral, which is perfectly drained, we
find pineappies grow their best al
though pines grow in any soil whore