Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-03
THE ISLE OF PINES
oTTuMWA PARTY VISITS ISLAND
- PROPERTY OF. UNCLE
SAM.

J. Proctor Of ottumwa, Who Recently
Returned, Tells of Trip in Interest.
| ling Manner - Likes Iowa Better
But Sees Opportunities on Island.
j. Proctor, 145 West Albany street,
who returned last Saturday from a
months journey in the south which in
Guided hasty trip across Cuba and to
the Isle of Pines, has written a letter
to the Courier in which he tells of his
trip in a manner that will prove inter
esting to his friends and to the read
ers of the Courier. The letter is as
follows:
Editor Courier:
On the 18th OF January, a party of
1Ottumwans consisting of DR.. Frank
4 Mills. DR.. Hansell and son. Messrs
Charles F. Mast, Lloyd Bell. Henry
Bremhorst and the writer, bid farewell
to the vicissitudes of northern eli
mate to spend brief period of time
in the sunny south.
After a pleasant though unevent
full journey. we 4 arrived at Mobile
where we were Joined by party OF
four. found Mobile to be great
shipping point, there being a very
large amount of pine lumber shipped
from this city to various points in for
feign countries.
| On January 90. we boarded the
steamship Mobile for Havana at which
place we arrived January %. We
found Havana to be a very beautiful
place. even beyond our most sanquine
expectations. It's historic landmarks
its beautiful architecture, the cleanli
ness of it's streets, the lavish display
OF natures handiwork, the hospitality
OF Its citizens, make it place at once
refreshing and entertaining at all
times of the year.
| Visit Spanish Dungeons.
"On January 26 our party accom-
panied by guide. visited Morrc
Castle and number of old Spanish
forts, together with the dungeons un
derneath where the Cuban prisoners
were incarcerated by the Spanish gov
eminent and later brutally murdered
~ sAAS Sp1Aioll oolNlCio. .NlOllO SdS LIE
is large rambling old place, covering
about three acres Of ground and BULL
entirely of stone and masonry 1t is
| certainly a tribute to the intelligence
and perseverance of the early Span
ish architects. Led by the guide, we
entered a long, dark, damp passage
way. on either side of which We're dun
geons. Not ray of light could pene
trate these dark and loathsome holes
They were divided into rooms, each
about large enough for one prisoner tc
stand upright. Here they were tortar
ed for several dayso subsisting on Q
4 diet OF bread and water at the, end Of
which time, they were blindfolded ant
led to the parapet Of Che castle and
ruthless shot or pushed off into the sea
to be devoured alive by the sharks.
\ Wreck Of the Maine.5 70.
From this point We had an excel
lent view of the wreck of the Maine
portion of which still projects above
the water, about ten feet The Ameri
cans at Havana will not suffer this tc
! be removed prefering it to remain as
monument to the bravery and patriot
ism of the American marines and sail
ors in charge of the Maine, who with
out a moments warning, were hurled
into eternity I'll
/ Most of the business buildings ant
/ dwellings in the newer portion of Ha
vana are constructed of stone and ma
sorry, beautifully finished on the in
terror with a fine quality of marble
The older portion of Havana has yer,
narrow streets and sidewalks, excep
the main street. This extends into tina
part of Havana which has beer
built since the Spanish-American war
and is perhaps $50 feet in width will
a fine park and, shady, flower borderet
walk extending the full length of 1t
| "On Sunday we attended service a
the cathedral where the remains O
Columbus once. reposed in state. Thi
cathedral has been built $40 years ant
while the exterior is very dilapidatet
in appearance, the massive pillars, tn,
exquisite statuary the beautiful paint
ings and the magnificent candelabra Ii
the interior inspired one with a sensa
ton of awe.
"On Tuesday and Wednesday, we Wis
tied number Of fruit plantations neal
the city wish to make special men
ton of the one owned by Adam Gray
an American, which contains $40 acres
A portion of it was devoted to Havana
tobacco which was almost maturei
and of an excellent quality. The re
mainder of the plantation was set out
in grape fruit, oranges, pineapples ant
other tropical fruits. On our way bacl
to Havana, we saw several fields o.
corn in various stages of development
from one foot in height to the roasting
Lear period.
"On the morning of January %
4 we boarded the steamer and after 6
pleasant voyage across the Caribbean
Sea, arrived at Columbia, Isle of Pines
at $3.50 p. m. of the same day. The
next morning our party of seven start
ed for Santa Fe, distance of sever
miles. One mule was the only avail
able means of transportation and SC
six of us necessarily walked.
An ottumwans Plantation,
Elm the evening of that day we pitch
ed our tent about a mile from Santa
Fe on the plantation of DR.. F.W. Mills