The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-11-04
John Penniwell Likes Cuba.

Matanzas, Cuba, Oct. q, 1915.
Dear Ollie.-As l am finally locat-
ed for the next few months | will
write you a few lines about the
country and people I will have to do
business with.
We left New York Thursday morn
ing over the Pennsylvania, arriving
at Washington at 1870 p. m. We
had 25 minutes there and | hot-foot-
ted through the station and rubber
ed around as long as I dared. From
Washington we went over the Allan
tic Coast Line to Jacksonville, Fla,
and from there to Key West over the
Florida East Coast Line or Flagler
System. The Florida east coast is
surely the limit for barrenness and
.desolation and how human can sub
sist there is beyond my comprehen-
sion. The oversee railroad from the
Florida coast to Key West is Won
der and consider it one of the great ,
est pieces of railroad engineering in
the world We arrived at Key West
Saturday morning at 8 o'clock and
Immediately went aboard the boat
for Havana We were due to leave
at $3.50 but engine trouble held us
up until 10 o'clock before we were
finally underway.
| fully expected to feed the fishes
on the way over but the day was
calm and nothing happened to me so
l enjoyed the trip across the Gulf
Immensely Weather was fine until
about half an hour out of Havana
when we ran into rain storm which
lasted until near midnight. We ar
rived at Havana about 6 and spent
the night there, leaving at S:15 Sun
day morning for this place where we
arrived at 1915. Did not have time
to see much of Havana, but was very
favorably impressed with what | did
zee and expect to give the town more
than 'once over" before return to
the states.
Matanzas is so miles east of Hav-
ana, located on the Matanzas Bay and
is a typical Spanish town of 10000.
There are few Americans here and
it is hard to make the NUTS UNI
derstand what you want, put we
have some natives employed VINO
speak both languages and l usually
take one with me when l go into the
city and talk to them through him.
We are starting to build a Dig
fertilizer plant for Armour & CO.,
which will cost about $4OO,OOO.oO.
1t is located on the shore OF the pay
> miles northeast of the city.
We have rented house at the
site of the works and are living right
on the job. We have good COOK
and are living on the fat OF the land.
For a bath room we have the whole
bay and l have purchased bathlng
suit and take my dip every evening.
The water is fine and warm put we
have to stay close to shore as the pay
is full of sharks and II we venture TOO
far out we are likely to meet up
with trouble. am enjoying things
Immensely and SO far it is more IKE
vacation than work, but l expect
/ will have plenty OF troubles De1ore
we are through.
/ enclose you some clippings from
the Havana Post which shows you
how closely they cover the news field
and it is the only paper in Cuba
printed in English and as it is the
univ news we get from the states
that is not days old we surely go
after it when it comes to camp.
NV correct address is Apartado SO,
Matanzas. Cuba, and if you will send |
NV Reporter to that address l will
he more certain of getting it than II
addressed as notified you from New
york. expect to get last weeks
Reporter today or tomorrow It you
mailed it as soon as you should nave
received my letter from New YORK
When you get time write me %
a,vays ike to get the intimate news
from my old homo.