THE CUBA REVIEW. 



25 



per cent. The site was first plowed and 

 leveled with an easy crown to the center. 

 On top of this surface was placed six inches 

 of rock in pieces as big as a man's two fists. 

 Above this came four inches of broken stone 

 the size of an egg, and then a final cover- 

 ing of fine surfacing stone, which filled all 

 the voids. The road was then compacted 

 by a heavy steam roller. 



The cream and blue limestone of the coun- 

 try furnished the material for the roads. 



The roads are of a universal width of 34 

 feet, of which the pavement covers 16 feet. 

 All the culverts are made of concrete. The 

 bridges are modern steel structures such as 

 the island never saw before. The right of 

 way was ditched to prevent inundation, and 

 swamps were dramed where they interfered 

 with the work. At intervals of fifteen miles 

 there is a road house, at which is stationed 

 a caretaker and the employes who maintain 

 the road. — Scientific American. 



THE ISLE OF PINES FIVE YEARS AGO AND TO-DAY. 



The Isle of Pines Appeal celebrated its 

 fifth anniversary April 15 by publishing a 

 twenty-page edition full of illustrations and 

 descriptive matter concerning the Isle of 

 Pines. 



Its history of the great progress of the 

 development of the island makes interesting 

 reading. It says in part : 



"Five years ago the Isle of Pines was 

 looked upon as more or less of a joke by 

 those who had heard of it, and even those 

 who had heard of it were few. Now those 

 who say they have not heard of the Isle of 

 Pines argue themselves unknown. It has 

 been heralded to the four quarters of the 

 earth in clarion tones and few there are who 

 have had good and sufficient cause to say ill 

 of it. There were of course times when the 

 Isle of Pines was less inviting than many of 

 the frontier settlements, partially because of 

 the fact that there were so few persons liv- 

 ing on it who could speak the tongue which 

 Americans were accustomed to hearing and 

 further because of the fact that five years 

 ago it seemed very far away from home. 



"This is all changed now, and one 

 may live and die in the Isle of Pines 

 without being compelled to utter a syl- 

 lable in any other than the English 

 language; and many talk to people from 

 their own State and in many parts of the 

 island from their own city or town. 



There is intercourse between the natives 

 and the Americans of the most friendly na- 

 ture, but English is now the predominating 

 language in the Isle of Pines as are the 

 Americans the predominating people. 



"Then, the natives or Cubans or 

 Spaniards owned nearly all of the 

 land of the island; now the Amer- 

 icans own all except a possible four 

 per cent, of the land, and even this 

 is destined to pass to American ownership in 

 the very near future. These figures are 

 given to 'The Appeal' by no lesser person 

 than Mayor Benito Ortiz whose truthfulness 

 has never been questioned and who is him- 

 self one of those who at one time had great 

 land holdings in the island. 



"Duringthe past five years the island has 

 had constructed upon it a net-work of the 

 best public roadways. We may now drive 

 by automobile to almost any part of the 

 island. Where there were formerly fords 

 there are now substantial bridges and in 

 many cases splendid steel structures. The 

 harbors have been deepened. Churches have 

 been built in many of the towns of the 

 island, schools with American teachers have 

 been established with a college in prospect, 

 social and literary societies have been or- 

 ganized and the Americans on the island 

 brought in closer communion." 



! 



Picturesque and thoroughly comfortable home 

 of an American colonist. 



