The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-04-18
BY EDITH C.

w H YHEN q doctor pronounced
EWF the edict, -four months Of
VI rest and change of climate,
with plenty Of fresh air and
sunshine" the question arose, where
to? Tho time was December, with all
the cold and disagreeableness Of n
northern climate.
Someone suggested "Why not go to
the Isle If Pines? There you could
rest and have all the sunshine and
fresh air that you need"
SO when Z learned that it is one of
the most beautiful and interesting
spots to be found in the world, and
situated almost at our very door, less
than two hundred miles south of Key
West and not as far distant from New
York as the Mississippi, l decided to
visit it.
L found there were many routes to
choose from, but / selected the quick
est one, most commonly used, by way
Of Jacksonville, Fla, Miami, and the
delightful scarab route to Key West.
From there a sea trip of six hours
brings one TO Havana, Cuba, and an
other by rail or auto, 80 miles, TO Ba-
tabanO, now the most important sea-
portso on the south side of Cuba. The
trains run to the dock, where one can
take a comfortable boat making the
trip to the Isle Of Pines in a few
hours.
On reaching JucarO, q port Of entry,
we have our choice of a number of
automobiles for a ride over a govern
ment turnpike road, called here a
calZada, to Santa Fe, q distance of
five miles. We cannot help being sur
prised at the fine road, almost equal
ing any boulevard found in our north
tells us that there are about one hun
dred miles of these calzada roads
built and maintained by the govern
ment.
All Comforts in Santa re.
In the picturesque little town of
Santa Fe, about five hundred feet
above sea level, is q hotel meeting
every requirement of the most exact
ing traveller. There are other less eX-
pensive establishments. Here are
small American churches of almost
every denomination, a bank, schools,
clubs for both men and women, a
chamber Of commerce, a large Ma
sonic temple and other institutions
found in average American cOmmuni-
ties.
After resting and bathing in the
Santa Rita thermal springs-the privi-
lege of guests Of our hotel-one feels
like a new being. All the tiredness
of the long trip vanishes.
The wealthy Spanish military and
government classes came here from
Havana to spend the summer for gen.
e%ratiOns, as the Isle Of Pines is
much cooler than Cuba. The baths
are marvellous for curing rheumatism,
nervous troubles and obesity. The
water comes from iron and magnesia
springs.
The history Of the isle is replete
with romance. How many Of US know,
l wonder, that Christopher Columbus,
in his second trip to the new world,
was lost in the keys, or small islands,
surrounding the Isle Of Pines for a
number Of days, finally landing on the
isle, upon which, after inspection and
replenishing his supply of water, he
bestowed the name of La Evangelista
(the Evangel), later reaching the har-
Dor of Batabano, Cuba.
Pineapples and Pines.
1t is questionable whether the Isle
of Pines gets its name from the Won
derful pineapples, weighing from
seven to fifteen pounds, growing so
profusely there, or to the pine trees,
the odor of which, when the wind is
blowing in the right direction, can be
noticed several miles from shore.
In early days the Isle Of Pines, like
many other islands Of the Caribbean
was a rendezvous for pirates, and the
south part Of the island Is often re-
garded as the Treasure Island" Of
S~tevenson's tale.
AS recently as some thirty years
ago a Spaniard who had lived a long
time on the Isle of Pines, as poor as
the %proverbial church mouse, suddenly
blossomed out as a gentleman Of
great afiuence. He moved with his
family to Havana, the "Paris Of the
West Indies" and to him was traced,
as the source Of circulation, a large
amount OF old Spanish dOubloons,
pieces of eight" and other gold coins
Of the pirate days. 1t was generally
believed he had discovered the cnche