The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-15


the hills large proportion being
sterile upland and "cienga," which
IS the Spanish for swamp. Only
about I per cent Of the Isle Of Pines
was formerly cultivated, but since the
Influx OF Americans with their colony,
the area has been greatly increased.
The climate Of the Isle Of Pines is
nearly perfect, and it has the
finest mineral springs in the world;
but it lies sixty miles to the south Of
Havana, can be reached only by steam-
eFs drawing less than eight feet Of wa
ter; and though it can raise anything
that grows on top Of earth" all pro-
ducts must be first taken to Batabano
oy wafer there trsnsshipped and sent
by rail tc Havana, with another traps
shipment to port Of destination. All
this, with the monopoly across the
Gulf to Batabano, means probably the
difference to the grower between pro-
tit and loss. With many things in his
favor, including direct aud cheap trans
portations to Northern ports, even .he
advantageously situated colonists on
the north coast Of Cuba will have to
face similar situation.
An obstinate and apparently irwin
chile colony on the north coast is that
Of La Gloria, of some 500 people,
about thirty miles from the port of
Neuvitras, which has succeeded, in
spite Of many discouragements, in
raising almost everything under the
sun. But LIE Gloria is without rail or
direct water communication with the
outside world.
A COLONY situated more nearly with
in reach Of civilization is Las Miuas,
on the railroad between Puerto Prin.
oipe and Nuevitas, and this appears to
be fourishing. The same may be said
Of the Holguin colony and the Cabsl-
los; though the latter, about ten miles
from Ciego de Avila on the Cuba Rail.
way, is rather cooperative concern
than @ colouy. Without committing
myself to On opinion as to the relative
merits Of these settlements. or Of che
several others have seen, I may say
that all show determination to hang
on and succeed, if possible. They
have proved ct least two things; that
Americans can live and thrive il Gu
BE-, ssd that the island has in it the
makiDgs Of many fortune. In all
my wanderings about I did not see an
American who seemed to be ill, though
1 did see many very much down in the
mouth. This is not saying, or even
implying, that there are no indemic
diseases there, for there are, but
mostly Of malarial or intestinal char.
aeter.
The monotony Of country life in
Cuba has hardly palliative for one
who came from what he so fondly re.
curs to in his thoughts ss "God's
Country" He is likely to get down.
hearted and NOPE about the ''shack,"
instead Of looking around for the
really interesting things to be seen
outdoors on every side. If he sees o
centipede, scorpion, or tarantule-
and they are ell there, and liable to
make for his happy home when tho
rains come down, preferring dry
thateh to wet hole in the ground
he may possibly draw contrasts be-
tween life in the tropics and in the
North. En- passant, I may remark
that while people are sometimes bitten
or stung by ell three, very few fatali-
l.ss OCCUR; end ss feoT snakes, there is
s:,o'Sing worse than the big boa, local
W Inown as the "maja," which,
Though sometimes attaining length
Of. sixteen feet, is entirely harmless to
human beings. But it likes fowl and
dotes on chickens, so has Go be Teok.
ioned with. IL the settlement be near o
forest.
/ In summing up, I shauld say that,
ell things considered, alocation on or
near the north coast Of thesouthease.
ern section Of Cuba, which 10 two de-
grees south Of Havana, and has q near
~ perfect climate, with rich soil, per-
mitsing ,oe raising such pnrslS tropi,
GAL products aB coffee and caaoao1, as
wen as ell the citrus fruiss i'd: perfec-
tion. pineapples, ete., would be pre-:
ferable 70 any other. Immense tracts
of virgin soil are yet available, and
the ecanery comprises some Of the
Rairest prospects on earth.