Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-15

thirty years In the railroad bed. There Is
tramway at Camaguey with rails Of jique
wood over which the cars have been run
ming for more than quarter of a century.
and they do not show wear any more than
stel after the same service. Much Of the
wood IS SO hard and. heavy that 1t will
sink in water.
Forestry Reform Urged.
Sir William Van Horne Is trying to in
troduce modern forestry reform in this
country, and is persuading timber cutters
to spare the small trees. Therefore, they
are not taking out anything but mahogany
and cedar, for which there is an active de-
mand There is no mahogany trust. The
logs that are piled up along the track be-
during the dry season and haul them to the
railroad stations, where they are inspect
ed and purchased by commission men and
agents for timber dealers in New York,
Hamburg, Liverpool, Marseilles and other
markets. After the sugar season, which
continues from December to May, the rail-
way companies will haul the logs to the
nearest seaport. where they will be shipped
by sailing vessels to Europe and by
steamer to New York. A good mahog-
any log is worth $35 delivered at a rail-
way station.
Town Of the Holy Ghost.
Sancti Spiritus, the town Of the Holy
Ghost, is the oldest white settlement In
Cuba, except Baracao and Trinidad, and Is
still very conservative and primitive. 1t
was founded in 1914 upon delightful site
surrounded by green hills, groups of royal
palms and clumps Of giant bamboo For
centuries it has been the headquarters Of
the cattle trade Of Cuba, and many rich
ranchmen live there still. The quaint old
cathedral was built in $780, and is the
oldest on the island. The most conspic-
uous object In the town is the roofess ruin
Of TO1a oil Go
Maria the Church Of the Sacred Heart of
Nary, which was destroyed by the in
surgents in 1898. The old monastery at
tached to 1t, built in 1903, Is now occu-
pied by the Rev. H. 8. Harris, Presby-
terrain missionary for his church and
school.
The people of Sancti Spiritus can blame
themselves because they are not on the
main line of the Cuba railway. The oriei-
nal survey passed through the town, but
when the agents of the company applied
for a right-of-way 1t was refused. The
ayuniamento, or common council, would
not take the responsibility of deciding the
question. and distributed handbills through
the town inviting manifestation" of the
public opinion in the theater A large
crowd assembled. Everybody was there
The representatives of the railway made
speeches explaining the plans of the COM
pany and describing the advantages that
would be enjoyed by the town as a station
on the trunk line between Havana and San
tiago. After they had finished the oldest
inhabitant arose and opposed the project
He was against all innovations Saddle
mules and carts had been good enough for
their fathers and grandfathers, he said.
and they ought to be good enough for the
present generation. The city had prospered
for nearly four centuries without a railroad
and 1t would doubtless continue to do So
without one. Railways We're generally I'M
desirable. They were apt to bring in unde-
sirable additions to the population
1t was long speech and was listened to
with reverence. When the old gentleman
concluded a vote was taken and the rail-
way was denied the privilege of passing