Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-04-29

hooed, and the latter did not learn
until he had mahogany bridge on
the line until 1t had been in use for
several months.
Jique pronounced Hickey. acana,
Juraco negro. all hard woods which =
do not grow large and cannot be utii- I
ized for cabinet work. are just ms
good as mahogany for ties and will
outlast steel rails in this climate be-
'ause they won't rust. On the rail-
road between Nuevitas and Camaguey,
The oldest in Cuba, which was built in
1898. are jique ties that have been in
Use for fifty years. Some of them
have been taken out and used for
ence posts after thirty years in the
railroad bed. There is a tramway at
Camaguey with rails OF jique wood
1ver which the cars have been run
ling for more than a quarter of a
century, and they do not show wear
my more than steel after the same
eryice. Much of the wood is so hard
md heavy that 1t will sink in water.
Sir William Van Horne is trying to
introduce modern forestry reform into
ms country, and is persuading tim 4.
1er cutters to spare the small trees.
Therefore, they are not taking out
inything but mahogany and cedar, for
which there is an active demand.
There Is no mahogany trust The
logs that are piled up along the tracy
belong to private individuals, who
ut them during the dry season and
laul them to the railroad stations.
where they are inspected and pur-
'hased by commission men and agents
or timber dealers in New York. Ham
>urg, Liverpool, Marseilles and other
markets. After the sugar season, which
continues from December to May. the
railway companies will haul the logs
the nearest seaport, where they will
'e shipped by sailing vessels to Eu-
'ope and by steamer to New York. A
coed mahogany log is worth $35, de-
ivered at a railway station.
Sancti Spiritus, the town of the Holy
ihost, is the oldest white settlement
Cuba except Barracao and Trinidad,
md Is still very conservative and
primitive. 1t was founded in 1914 upon
delightful site surrounded by green
ills, groups of royal palms and clumps
If giant bamboo. For centuries 1t mas
ieen the headquarters of the cattle
rade of Cuba, and many rich ranch
men live here still. The quaint old
athedral was built in 1880. and is the
oldest on the island, The most con-
picuous object in the town is the
oofless ruin of the Tglesia del Sa-
| ,rado CoraZon de Maria (The Church
If the Sacred Heart of Mary), which
was destroyed by the insurgents in
1898. The old monastery attached to
t. built in 1908, is now occupied bye
Rev, II. S. Harris, a Presbyterian mis-
| ionary, for his church and school,
| The people of Sanct Spiritus can
blame themselves because they are
not on the main line of the Cuba
ailway. The original survey passed
through the town. but when agents of
The company applied for a right of
way it was refused. The ayuniamento.
)r common council, would not take the
responsibility of deciding the question
md distributed handbills through the
| town inviting a manifestation" of
| public opinion in the theater A large
| crowd assembled. Everybody waX
here. The representatives of the -
way made speeches explaining ths
| plans of the company and describing
| the advantages that would be enjoyed
by the town as station on the trunk
line between Havana and Santiago.
| After they had finished the Oldest In
habitants arose and opposed their
project. He was against all innova-
lions. Saddle-mules and carts had
I been good enough for their fathers
md grandfathers, he said, and they
ought to be good enough for the pres
ent generation. The city had pros
nered for nearly four centuries with
out railroad, and 1t would doubtless
continue to do so without one. Rail-
ways were generally undesirable They
were apt to bring in undesirable ad-
dtions to the population.
1t was long speech and was listen
ed to with reverence. When the old
gentleman concluded vote was taken
and the railway was denied the privi-
lege of passing through the town. A
| line was surveyed through the forests
and a new town called Zaza del Medic
was established directly north of the
| city of the Holy Ghost and the station
was located there. Two or three years
| afterward the people realized their
mistake and paid heavy bounty to =
induce the company to build branch
| line for their benefit.
Another curious old town in this
neighborhood is Trinidad, which was
the second European settlement In
Cuba and has the reputation of hav-
ing the oldest and the finest srivate
residences on the island 1t is d quiet,
pretty place, with a small population
composed mostly OF wealthy sugar
planters, ranchmen and rich people
from other parts of the island who
have been attracted by the climate and
the superior society. The people of
Trinidad consider themselves the most
exclusive aristocracy in Cuba. They
are all natives; no foreigners have
been allowed to intrude Many Of
the rich planters have residences In