Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-02-20
TUMWA AN IN
west indies
LETTER RECEIVED FROM JULIUS
FECHT DESCRIBING THE
ISLE OF PINES.

NSAA SPoI VI lLS IWpl dCSOlullS W IhO
prediction of Julius Fecht, an Ottum-
wan who is on an extended pleasure
and business trip in the West Indies.
An interesting letter has been re-
ce1ved from Mr.. Fecht in which he de-
scribes his ten days stay in the Isle
OF Pines, where he climbed mountains,
went fishing and bathed on a beach,
which he says is equal to Coney Island
beach. Mr.. Fecht states that the
tobacco crop, the principal product of
the island, was failure last year, and
much of the tobacco is worthless, but
when Uncle Sam gets the island, will
make it the garden spot of the world
Mr.. Fecht states the accommodations
are not of the best, and everything Is
costly, and the insane desire to "get
something" out of all Americans some
times makes things unpleasant After
spending ten days on the island Mr..
and Mrs. Fecht sailed from the island
to Cuba, and landed there Sunday,
February 9, from which place Mr..
Fecht wrote the following letter:
Havana, Cuba, Feb, 9, 1908.
w. G. Mckee, Ottumwa, Iowa,
Friend Will:-Have just arrived
from the Isle of Pines, where l staid
10 days. found very many old friends
Everyone there is interested" in land
deals,and there is good deal on de-
clared at once, most emphatically, that
l had no land to buy, or sell, and was
not interested in the least about East
Mckinley, West Mckinley, Los Indios,,
or any other tract of land. l was there
fore a curisity. They stuck their
heads together, and found out at last,
that was possessed of untold wealth,
with which to buy up privately and
secretly, vast tracts of land.
| was taken to the best productive
farms. They belong to Ottumwa PEG.
pie. VOORHEES, is one of them. Mr..
Abbey's, formerly of Dalonega) is an
other. DR.. Mills farm is just about in
bearing condition. Bells farm is all
right, but Rogers farm is the best on
the island, and is worth 500 per acre.
Then | went mountain climbing,
with my wife. We arrived at the top
of Crystal mountain in one hour and
forty minutes. 1t was very hard and
partly perpendicular rock climbing.
The view was of magic beauty.
About thirty miles, each direction,
of tropical country and the Caribbean
sea, with many other wild islands.
Then | got boat and went eight
miles to Devils Island" Mount Bibbi,
lagus, and other rocky places. Caught
immense Holsters, and many fish Also
went in bathing on beach equal to
Coney Island beach.
l visited the Cartel" the Cuban
fort in Pine Island, then also the Uni
ted States barracks, close by tenanted
by thirty marines They live in close
neighborhood, and friendship, those
soldiers do. The terrible Cuban
navy olso makes its appearance often.
Accommodations are not good in Pine
Island. Fruit is dearer than in Of
tumwa, meat is bad, everything is
very costly.
The insane desire to ''get some
thing out of all Americans, makes
things unpleasant sometimes. Ameri-
cans are supposed to pay for every
thing double or triple
I collected many shells and rock
specimens, and now hate to lug them
around.
| visited the tobacco farms on Pine
Island, and smoked there, as well as in
Cuba, lot of un-smokable stuff. The
last years tobacco crop is failure alb.
solutely. have surety on my money
invested in the crops. How the others
can get out, can just guess. They
will take that worthless stuff and hope
for prestige" to sell it, or work it up.
1t Is impossible to get a good cigar
here, at ordinary price, (10c)
The better class Of factories here
Will not use the stuff grown last year.
The trust" however, will Our agent
who is still in the States, will be back
Wednesday. hope to be able to come
back in about five days from now, that
is, start back. You should see the
trip across the Caribbean that new
steamer, the "Cristobol Colon" 1t
draws too much water We struck the
rocks, but bumped off, after the wind
came up. Very slow, and way late we
limped into Battabona, with one pro-
peller gone. The crew, captain and
all, are Cubans, SO to them | guess it
makes no great difference The Amer
leans on board swore plenty. did too,
but most of those Cubans did not I'M
derstand my Spanish on this oc-
casion
All things considered, there is a
great future for Fine Islands. It is
surely health resort. never felt bet
ter in my life. The Americans there
are of the better class, and after the
island comes to the United States, will
make garden spot Of the world. l
do not so much believe in the produc-
ton of great wealth there | never
see any exports from there Except
empty beer bottles), but am told that
this is not the season for exports.
Spectators sell many worthless pieces
of ground, to parties that never saw
the land before, and as a rule, are not
practical farmers anyway. The many
tales of disappointment here, come
from these sources.
will visit these lands again, if I
live, next year.
Very truly yours,
Julius Fecht.