24 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



THE ISLE OF PINES. 



Items of Interest from the Island Condensed from the Isle of Pines Appeal — 

 Schools to Be Re-established — A Telephone Service Promised, Etc. 



The Best Firewood. 



To those people about to keep house 

 in the Isle of Pines and using a wood- 

 burning stove, it is suggested that the 

 choice of wood necessary to secure a 

 clear, hot fire, free from smoke is most 

 important for comfort. It would be well 

 to select an old standing tree, free from 

 bark or pitch and cut up into short 

 lengths, shorter than the grate. 



Any tree free of bark that has stooa 

 long enough to have dried out the pitch 

 is superior for this purpose, as it gives 

 a clear, hot fire and sends out no smoke. 

 In the winter, girdle the tree which is 

 suitable for fire wood and in the spring 

 cut it down when the pitch has run out. 

 A young tree makes a bad smoke in 

 burning in the cooking stove and clogs 

 the pipe with soot. — H. R. Blaney. 



To Get Rid of Stumps. 



A good way to get rid of stumps is 

 to drill a hole in the tap root, pour in 

 sulphuric acid for pine trees and muratic 

 acid for hardwood trees and then make 

 the boring airtight. 



Under this process the stump would 

 rot away in six months' time, so that a 

 plow could be run through the ground 

 without meeting any hard obstacle. — 

 Supt. McVean, McKinley. 



Parrots Hurt Fruit Groves. 



Parrots are about the worst things fruit 

 growers have tc contend with. They de- 

 scend upon the fruit and when they do 

 not pick it to pieces they pick the stems, 

 causing the fruit to fall off the trees. A 

 few parrots can do a great deal of dam- 

 age in an orange and grape-fruit grove. 

 — George F. Young. 



The October stoim did not reach the 

 Isle of Pines. 



There is no word yet concerning the 

 reconstruction of the wireless poles de- 

 stroyed in a recent storm. Meanwhile 

 the island is without telegraphic com- 

 munication with the outside world and 

 much inconvenience is caused thereby. 



It is claimed that the clay in the Isle 

 of Pines for brickmaking purposes is ex- 

 cellent. A plant may be established at 

 no distant time. 



Public Schools Re-established. 



Superintendent of Public Instruction 

 Carbonell, of the Province of Havana, 

 has been investigating the public schools 

 of the island, in response to a petition di- 

 rected to the Cuban government asking 

 that the schools be provided for in the 

 same manner that they were last year. 

 Teachers appointed are not capable of 

 giving instruction in English. There are 

 a large number of American residents 

 and taxpayers on the island, and these 

 recently petitioned the government as 

 above. La Lucha said that five teachers 

 will be appointed capable of giving Eng- 

 lish tuition. The Appeal expects to see 

 five American schools in operation before 

 the middle of November. 



The authorities at Havana have given 

 promises that the American schools in 

 the island shall be re-established, and 

 thcit the annoyances incident to the de- 

 livery of deeds will be abated. One 

 company has since received 290 of the 

 deeds to property which for some months 

 have been held up in the treasurers' office 

 in Havana. 



Mayor D. Benito Oediz, who recently 

 went to Havana concerning matters of 

 vital interest to Americans, said on his 

 return that he had the utmost confidence 

 in the government acceding to the sev- 

 eral requests. 



The Isle of Pines Steamship Company 

 has been obliged to increase the number 

 of trips of its steamer Cristobal Colon. 

 The new schedule went into effect in Oc- 

 tober, and provides for three sailings 

 each week between Batabano and the 

 Isle of Pines. 



The Isle of Pines is likely to have a 

 telephone service, taking in the towns of 

 the island. J. I. Anderson was recently 

 given a concession by the Cuban govern- 

 ment. The winter may see the system 

 . completed. 



Work will soon be begun dredging the 

 New River and opening the port of Mc- 

 Kinley. 



The Vuelta Abajo Steamship Company, 

 owning the Veguero and other vessels, 

 which were operated by the company, has 

 been purchased by the Western Railways. 

 of Havana. No details are given con- 

 cerning the purchase price. 



