Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12


spare. In great part Of # the water 10
over 200 feet deep with n depth great
enough for big steamers close to the shore.
Wharves have already been built at An
tilla and the Ward Steamship Company has
contracted to put on regular steamers from
1t to New York. The ships will be OF from
3up0 to 5000 tons and will make the trip
IN two and one-half days. Through rates
from New York TO Havana, via Antllla ana
the Cuba railroad, will be sold at the same
rate as TO Havana direct and 1t is probable
that large part OF the tourist travel will
come or return hcme this way. Arrange
ments have been made with the ships GO
Ing from New York To Jamaica to call at
Santiago or Antilla and passengers will be
able to go through this part OF Cuba on
their way to and from jamaica.
The Nipe day barber will have all mod
ern conveniences for handling freight, At
Havana everything is loaded and UHloaGed
In lighters. The Cuba Company VIII trans
fer its freight from the cars direct 10 the
steamers, and II Will have such loading
and unloading facilities that It will pay yes
sells to so there rather than to Havana or
any other port for that reason alone. In
deed. 1t Is expected that NiTe hay viii with
in short time be the chief port at the
eastern end Of the island and that it will
seriously inju-e the trade Of Santiago.
In the Backwoods Of Cuba.
I wish I could show you the bacllwoods
Of Cuba which have been opened up by this
'IN" IAtLtcstu Leaving SA1lS AriArA the tram
takes You for miles through rich farming
country with sugar mills tobacco fields and
pastures on each side of the track
Farther on the road enters the woods, and
you ride for miles through tangled jungle
OF great trees loaded with orchids and
bound together with vines. There are
hogany. cedar lignum vitae palms and
tropical trees. Here they are cutting the
forests and there is saw mill where the
logs are being trimmed up for shipment. (
The mahogany lies on the ground in great
piles with cords Of ties stacked Up beside
it.
Your next sight is a clearing where the
forest has been cut and burned over. There
are stumps as high as your waist, half
burned logs lie on the ground. but through
out the whole clearing the rows Of sugar
cane are sprouting, and nearby are patches
of bananas which have grown up and al
most hidden the stuTups No blowing 10
needed for such land. The cane is put ia n
hole in the earth, the bananas Sc: out and
all grow without cultivation.
Every now and then you pass new town
site with real estate signs stating that
tracts Of five lots Will be given free to the
first settlers who VIII build houses salts
factory to the company. AS a rule a half
dozen matched buildings and the depot
constitute the settlement, and so far the
pioneers have not yet arrived
There are many places along the road
where the trees have been cut and the fire
started so that you ride through blazing
rough pastures fenced in with wire with
guinea grass growing among the stumps
and fat cattle feeding upon IL. About
Camaguey of the country has long been
cleared for pasture. and farther on | saw
many new clearings on both sides OF the
road.
Camaguey is the headquarters OF the Cuba
railroad. II is a city OF $4,000 people which
has until now been accessible by railroad
only from Nuevitas. 1t Is here that the
chief offices Of the Cuba Company are, and
Here also IS the Camaguey Hotel about
the best on the island. which was built by
Sir William Van Horne.
Going farther eastward the road ans for
many miles through the woods, with scat
terIng settlements here and there. to Alto
Cedro about fifty miles from Sanilgo. 1t
Is there that the branch goes off to Nipe
bay, which is l Judge, twenty-five or thir-
ty miles distant The Nipe road is also
through the wilds but the land has been
cleared close to the water, and II Is now
growing sugar cane. cacao oranges ana
bananas, and is already shipping fruit to
New York.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.