18 THECUBAREVIEW 



LA GLORIA 



TIhtc is a beautiful ancient wdrd wliieh is so overused and so earelessly used that its true 

 lueaninfi lias been obseured. This word is "jjaradise," and it means park, garden, a lovely spot. 

 King Cyrus built a jiaradise, and always when the ancients used the word they referred to any 

 natural or artificial scene of ureat beauty. Three things were essential to the j)aradise — water, 

 flowers and abundant scenery. Cuba has all these and more and La (Uoria is an .\nierican 

 colony in Eastern Cuba. 



It is reached by water trip from the port of Xuevitas on the north coast of Cuba to Port 

 Viaro, thence by stage to la Ciloria. The launch trip from Xuevitas to Port \'iaro is filled 

 with incidents of delight to the northerner in the continuous and ever-changing tropical scenery. 

 Soon after leaving the dock at Nuevitas we rovmd the point extending into Nuevitas Bay 

 where the engineers can now be seen at work surveying and sounding for the proposed rail 

 extension and wharf facilities for this port, and make it possible for incoming passengers from 

 the north to disembark from the steamer direct to the train for interior points. 



Midway on the trip the "Sabinal" (in good .American "cut") is pa.ssed, which gives one who 

 has never seen similar work, an idea of the difficulties encountered in building our Panama 

 Canal. This is a short cut through the marshy land and shallow water, and judging from the 

 time it has taken the Cuban Government to do the work (seven years), it could be considered a 

 stupendous piece of engineering work. However, it is a good job that it is near completion, and 

 its only drawback at present is its depth in places — aliout three feet in the shallow parts. As 

 we pass on, after negotiating the shallowest parts, everybody's attention is attracted at the 

 sight of a group of those wonderful and rarely to be approached members of the bird kingdom 

 "Flamingoes," and they are a beautiful sight in their flaming red j^lumage as seen in the 

 distant marshes. The Mlue Heron is a common visitor in these parts and can be approached 

 to a close distance frequt;ntly. Other rare troi)ical birds and small alligators are frecjuently 

 seen. Far in the distant haze can be seen the "Culjitas" mountains and we are now crossing the 

 channel leading to the Maximo River, where it is said one "Christopher Columbus" moved his 

 caravel along this route a long time ago to the mouth of the Maximo to replenish his supply of 

 fresh water. All along this route the thought must occur to the genuine sportsman of what 

 opportunities nature offers for the hunting of deer, game, birds, etc., and to fulfill the desire 

 of every good hunter to shoot 'gators and find splendid fishing grounds, for there is a great 

 variety of fish to be had here for a little effort. The boat is now nearing the voyage end as we 

 approach the first stopping place, Columbia, a small settlement of Americans, and near this 

 point a citric-acid plant is under construction to remove the acid from limes and other citrus 

 fruit to be made into a crude citric acid; also a plant for extnicting castor oil from the castor 

 bean which is grown here. It is the intention to grow limes in this vicinity on a large scale and 

 a good highway is to be constructed betw-een Columbia and Port Viaro with the groves on each 

 side of the highway. As we round the point after leaving Columbia, the voyage destination, 

 Port Viaro is to be seen, and everybody is happy after the six-hour trip along the safe inside 

 water route, for everyone aboard is anxious to see that so-called garden spot I. a (Uoria. 



Port\'iaro is reached and we diseml)ark to look after our luggage and board the stage for 

 la Gloria. This is a four-mile trip and will be much imjjroved when the Cuban Government 

 sees its way clear to make necessary approjjriations for maintaining this road properly and 

 show its appreciation for the interest displayed by American colonists in making sacrifices to 

 develop and improve their land values. (Only recently an appropriation of .$(?,()()() has been 

 made for road betterments at this place, which will improve things very much). 



La Gloria is reached after an eventful day's travel, and the first impression is that it's worth 

 the visit. Yet after conditions have been improved and necessary changes have been made to 

 reduce the time of this .50-mile trip to about three to four hours the jileasures of such a journey 

 will never be forgotten and the movement to this section will no doubt be enormously large. 



Grapefruit is the King of all La Gloria and on all sides can be heard talk of this wonderful 

 fruit, and sufficient evidence is given right in the townsite that this is a real business with these 

 people and they are there to make it a go. The only stumbling block in the venture is a suit- 

 able and readily accessible market, for, strange as it may seem, there is no market in Cuba for 



