The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-07-16

bra, intended to be private pleasure
resort, but recently purchased by the
government for hospital purposes.
Automobiles climb the hill to its. very
door. The prospect from the build
ing's upper balconies is almost unreal;
it looks like vast curtain prepared
for some gigantic theater.
Westward still from Guanajay the
government road runs on to Cabanas,
center of the best sugar-producing re-
gion in the west country. Very short
ly it will reach Bahia Honda, toward
which it is working rapidly.
The main government road, which
soon will unite Pinar del Rio city and
Havana, is finished to point little
beyond San Cristobal, 921A kilometers
from Havana. An excursion into the
west by way of that main road Is
worth while. To the north are the
mountains of the Organo range, built
on a foundation of hard blue lime
stone, but honeycombed with caves,
where Indians, runaway slaves and
bandits once hid, and later the Gu
only to sally forth on given signal to
burn the towns of the valley, pass
the trotcha or defeat the Spanish in
drawn battles as famous as Cacara-
jicara. Now American orange grow
ers, from their estates strung all
along the line of the railway, picnic
in the caverns there.
When the 81 kilometers of road be-
tween San Cristobal and Pinar del
Rio, on which work is progressing,
are finished the touring car will be
admitted to the worlds most famous
tobacco region, the genuine Vuelta
Abajo. Roads traversing all that
western end of the island are either
finished or rapidly finishing. San Di-
ego de los Banos will then be acces-
sible to the automobile turning north
from Paso Real. Esperanza, on the
north coast, like Coloma, on the
south, can be reached from Pinar del
city other roads will be opened to
Guane. There are other roads ex-
tending eastward and to the south.
Cars should slow up on approach
ing hamlets and villages. This is a
courtesy which should be the more
readily accorded, because it is not de-
manded. but merely confidently ex-
pected as a matter of course.
Few if any accidents have occurred
on country roads or in country towns
Of Cuba and because of this circum-
stance the automobilist is welcome
everywhere. Half the charm of his
travels in this island will be gone
when the ivory grin of appreciation
fades from faces of urchins who wave
after him and the countryman in the
field, like the housewife in the hut's
doorway, ceases to regard him with
approval as he comes and goes.
1t is customary in Cuba for persons
meeting on the road to salute each
other. Occupants of car are recon-
mended to try the effect of greeting
every passerby. The surprising vari-
ETY. of smiles and grave inclination of
head and body they will receive in
recognition makes the effort well
worth while.
The tourist will not find knowl-
edge of Spanish necessary in travel
ing over Cuba. He should, however,
learn to pronounce properly the name
of the place he means to reach before
setting out upon any excursion. If
to say it tries his tongue too severely,
he should have the name written on
card in plain characters. Then, in
case of doubt as to his way there, he
need but pronounce the name or show
the card to persons he meets. If he
will wave his arms about in helpless
fashion and gaze all along the horizon
anxiously, while repeating the name
or exhibiting the card, it will be per-
fectly understood that he wants to
know the route to the place he men,
tons. The tourist will find every
body willing to help him; there will
be no attempt to misinform him.
The Cuban who directs him may not
speak word of English, but he will
converse so eloquently in pantomime
that the traveller, even without any
knowledge of Spanish, will under
stand.