The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-09
Is an Interesting Country; Its
Climate is Superb.
Lies About One Hundred Miles
TO South of Cuba.
Criminals Are Banded Together
for Self-PrOteCii0n.
From Fridays Daily.

south of Cuba lies the Isle of Pines,
which, owing to the uncertainty of the
nation to which it owes allegiance, has
become a refuge for American fugi-
tives from Justice. From the mountains
of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, whenever the
day is fair, one may easily discern of
peaks of the Sierra de Caballos of the
Isle of Pines, fringing the southern sky.
So numerous are the keys and so shall
low the waters intervening between the
two islands that one might almost walk
from one to the other For long time
the passenger traffic between the two
was taken care of by one steamer,
which used to ply on the Hudson river,
but assumed Spanish name with its
new duties.
The Isle of Pines is not so large in
extent of area as the state of Rhode
Island. Take Blue Earth and Nicol-
let counties together and you have an
extent of territory about equal to that
of the Isle of Pines. But the Isle of
Pines is mountainous, thus possessing
both a tropical and temperate eli
mate. There are forests of pine, ma
hogany, cedar and mangoes. Oranges,
pineapples and bananas have been
planted in great groves by enterpris-
ing Americans, and the fruits thrive
well, and the yields are abundant,
The villager lands on the wharf of
the little pueblo or village capital,
Neuva Corona In the year 1899 there
were about thousand people in this
vile, comprising about a third of the
population of the entire island. There
were on the island at that time about
twenty-five hundred whites though
there are probably many more now.
Most of them had come there from
Spain by way of Cuba. Neuva Corona
is typical Spanish town. To its
churcn, the only one on the island, the
people come for STRIVING. To its
wharves, the carbonari b. ing their
charcoal and the peasants their cas-
sava and tobacco, fruits and shells, and
their primitative manufactured articles.
These products are exchanged for
things from foreign ports, simple things
that are necessary for satisfactory liv-
ing.
While third of the people live in
the village of Neuva Corona, another
third live dozen miles inland in the
village of Santa Fe, founded many
years ago by the inhabitants of Neuva
Corona, fleeing from pirates, who sailed
up the river.
This island was once as much re-
sort for pirates as it is now a refuge
to criminals. There are stories. of
buried treasures being found here,
treasures deposited by the bold buc-
cancers, and even now one may see an
adyenturesome person now and then
digging in the hope of discovering some
thing precious.
President Palma accepted for Cuba
the temporary guardianship of the Isle
of Pines pending negotiations. The
Platt amendment provided that the
Isle of Pines should be omitted from the
constitutional boundaries of Cuba and
its title left to future adjustment by
treaty. The isle has thus been polit-
ically beyond the limits of the Cuban
constitution. The situation is amomal-
Gus and something should be done to re-
lieve it. By deed of our transfer the
island was left in care of the de facto
government, but there is no de facto
government except that of the alcalde
or mayor of Neuva Corona, both an
executive and a judicial officer, and pre-
siding officer of the village council.
Meanwhile few Cuban police keep the
peace.
1t is thought by many that this is
land will belong to America. If this
matter is ever thus adjusted by treaty,
many think that it would give the
United States place of great strategic
value. At any rate, it would be pos
session of some worth, for the fertile
little isle is able to sustain a mucn lar
ger population than it has. and might
be the home of flourishing American
colony But, the instant the island
comes Into the possession of the United
States, woe to the fugitives that are
harbored there, safe in the fact that
the ownership of the isle has not been
determined.
1t is said that the outlaws now there
are banded together and were an at
tempt made to remove one of them
from the island trouble would ensue for
the officer. 1t is truly haven for those
who have violated the laws.