Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-19
GATEWAY into CUBA
Commerce Will Flow Through
Nipe Bay.
NEW GARDEN OF EDEN
TERMINUS OF THE NEW CUBAN
RAILWAY LINE.
Two Days From New York to the
Greatest Fruit Farms Of
the World
Copyright, 1905, by Frank G. carpenter.)

1 date this letter at the future great city
of eastern Cuba, the new port of Antilla,
the terminus of Sir William Van Hornes
Cuba railroad, Nipe bay. The place
now consists of some thatched huts
railroad depot and large warehouse which
serves as quarters for the civil engineers
and other Americans who are laying out
the town. The railroad has been opened
only short time and the wharves al
though such that great steamers can land
at them, are far from completion
Inc plans are up on a grand scale and
when carried out, Antilla will be one of the
beautiful cities of the world. AS it is now
it is surrounded by wilderness There are
thousands of acres of forests in every d.
rection, with here and there = great fruit
or sugar plantation, cut out of the woods
Nevertheless, this country will one day be
the winter vegetable garden for New York,
and 1t has already begun to supply our mar
kets with oranges, bananas, pineapples and
other tropical fruits. 1t Is only two and
half days by fast steamers from New York
city, and next winter line of large YES
sells will be going back and forth, carrying
freight and passengers The port is al
ready connected with Havana by rail-
way, and the Cuba road will make such
freight rates that a large part of the prod
ucts of eastern and central Cuba Will be
shipped to the United States via Antilla
The loading arrangements will be such that
freight can be cheaply transferred from the
cars to the vessels, and lower freight rates
will be given than possible via Havana.
Indeed, it is expected that a large part Of
the travel from the United States to Cuba
will be carried this way, and that this whole
region will be rapidly developed.
Some Big Enterprises.
AT present the most of the lands here are
in the hands of large capitalists and the
M Cub ic eli IN INV, al
tracts. and everything so far Is on a grand
scale 1 came to AntiIla from Santiago,
leaving the main line of the Cuba road at
Alto Cedro, which is twenty or thirty
miles from Antilla Almost the whole coun-
try from there to the immediate vicinity of
the bay is owned by three four families.
That nearest the bay belongs to H. Dumoi5
& Co., who own about 10000 acres, and have
already 1900 acres under cultivation. and
to the Nipe Bay Company, an association
of Boston capitalists which has bought
125, 900 acres, much of which 1t proposes to
clear and plant In cane. Within a short
distance of these tracts Is one of 10000
acres, for which the Knickerbocker Trust
Company Of New York is negotiating. The
owners are rich Cubans and they ask $780,
600 for the property. Near 1t Is another
estate of $4,000 acres, which includes the
site of Alto Cedro. This is valued at $40 an
acre or at half million dollars, and can
only be bought in the lump.
The United Fruit Company Estate.
Within short distance of Nipe bay is
Banes bay, the lands about which are
owned by the United Fruit Company,
whose steamers run regularly between Nipe
bay and Banes bay and New York. This
company has 1900 acres Of land and about
10 600 acres under cultivation. 1t has al
most 5000 acres in sugar cane and Its
sugar mill alone cost 100000 1t Is now
grinding out about 100000 pounds or
sugar a year. Its annual banana ship
ments to New York are about 100000
punches. The Dumois Company has an
enormous acreage under fruit, and 1t has
also several thousand acres in cane.
The Nipe Bay Company is composed OF
Yankees who are largely interested In the
United Fruit Company. 1t has a capltai
Of about Sc, 600, 600, and If It's plans are car
ried out 1t will have the largest plantations
in Cuba. 1t is now preparing TO pulid the
largest sugar mill Of the world, one Whlcn
will grind 5000 bags per day. and which
will eat up as much sugar cane as can De
produced on 10000 acres.
All this land, as l have said, Is now IN
large tracts and its owners consider it's
present value to be something like $40 per
acre 1t may be years before 1t Is onered
to the public, but the probability Is that
much of it will eventually be subdlVided,
and that this whole region Will be covered
with fruit farms of greater or less size and
of enormous value.
Nipe Bay.
But let me tell you something about Nipe
bay. 1t has the finest harbor in Cuba. and
Is so large that you could put Santiago bay.
Havana bay and nearly every other good
bay of this island inside 1t and have room to
spare 1t is ten or twelve miles long, eight
or ten miles wide. and Is entered by mar
row channel with q deep waterway. Inc
channel Is deep throughout to CORDIAL bay,
where Sir William Van Horne has laid out
Ant lilo ho a
and low mountains and its scenery COM
pares with that Of the Bay of Naples
or the waters about the Isles OF
Greece. 1t has fine climate. and many
think 1t will be one OF tho winter resorts
Of the United States. Sir William Van
Horne has bought $50 acres on the Raymon
peninsula, not far from the entrance. He
| is clearing this and expects to build q win
ter home there. I understand that Chi
cago millionaire, whose daughter ID 70
marry Sir William Van Horne's son. viii
build a residence nearby. and that other
| rich Americans are negotiating for similar
properties Just across the way the Du-
| mois family has already constructed build
| ings on the Island of Saetia, and the faips
| Bay Company millionaires are likely TO have
homes on their property. The Spanish
American Iron Company has bought q. 900
| acres on the pine hills In the mountains on
| the other side Of the bay. and are prospect
| Ing 1t for metals. and there are others who
are negotiating with the Cubans for the
| lands remaining.
From Alto Cedro to Nipe BAY.
| The railroad ride from Alto Cedro to
Antilla gives fair idea Of the whole Of
this region, except where the plantations
have been cut out OF the woods and trans
formed by miracle. as It were. from =
| tropical jungle to the richest fruit fields
on earth. All the way along the road
l there Is q thick forest composed Of white
trunked trees, knotty and gnariy, whieh