THE CUBA REVIEW. 



23 



THE ISLE OF PINES. 



Cost and Extent of New Highways — Benefits Large — Character of the Native 



Pineros, etc. 



By S. G. Keenan. 

 (Especially contributed to the Cuba Review.) 



The official figures of the contract cost 

 of the three "calzadas' or highroads, at 

 present under construction in the Isle 

 of Pines, are as follows: 



Nueva Gerona to Jucaro $35,562.59 



Nueva Gerona to McKinley.. 73,153.30 

 Santa Fe to La Ceiba 37,931,73 



$146,647.62 

 Their extent exceeds 30,600 metres, di- 

 vided as per the following table: 



Metres. 



Nueva Gerona to Jucaro 11,000 



Nueva Gerona to McKinley 13,000 



Santa Fe to La Ceiba 6,600 



Total lineas metres 30,600 



All three roads were begun February 

 12, 1908, and the latest is to be finished 

 October 4, 1908. These 19 miles of fine 

 roadway involve the building of many 

 concrete culverts and strong bridges to 

 withstand the floods in every river or 

 brook during the rainy season. This is 

 especially so upon the road from Nueva 

 Gerona, the capital port of entry and 

 chief port to the American town of Mc- 

 Kinley. The,- road from Nueva Gerona 

 to Jucaro river, a mile below Columbia 

 (the earliest American colony on the 

 Isle), presents no engineering difficulties. 

 This highway connects two of the three 

 ports of the isle. The third, Jucaro land- 

 ing, on the Jucaro river, opposite the 

 Columbia landing, is the port of Santa 

 Fe, seven miles inland, second town to 

 the capital in population and impor- 

 tance, and also containing mineral baths. 

 The Santa Fe-La Ceiba road is the 

 only one involving any grade worth 

 mentioning. It is expected that it will 

 be extended later to the west coast of 

 the island. It is customary, at least in 

 rural districts, for land owners adjoin- 

 ing to sign agreements whereby they 

 give the strip of land required without 

 assessment of benefit or claims for dam- 

 ages. In return, the Government re- 

 builds fences necessarily removed, or, in 

 some cases, erects fences where none had 

 been before. This liberal dealing is per- 

 haps no more than fair, since the strip 

 of land appropriated for the calzada is 

 66 feet wide, and the adjacent landown- 

 ers must each give 33 feet willy-nilly. 

 The rural highways do not cover all this 

 magnificent breadth, a wide margin being 

 left for the planting of trees on both 

 sides by the government, a glory to the 

 eye in the stately avenues of palms or 



mangoes, and a god-send whether for 

 shade or fruit. 



This road building, extensive for so 

 small a population, has greatly eased 

 economic conditions on the Isle of Pines, 

 and the benefits from every point of view 

 have been beyond all expectation in these 

 hard times. 

 Local teams, 

 road machines 

 and men of va- 

 rious trades 

 have foiind di- 

 rect employ- 

 ment in the 

 slackest season, 

 and the wagons 

 now hauling 

 rocks and Port- 

 land cement will 

 in many cases 

 b e returning 



over highways 

 this winter with 

 the first grape- 

 fruit ripened in 

 their owners' 

 groves for ship- 

 ment north. To- 

 matoes, cucum- 

 bers, egg-plants, 

 etc., may be grown the first year, but 

 the citrus planter, with no side crops, 

 has a long waiL for returns. 



Sr. BENITO ORTIZ. 



Mayor of the Isle of 



Pines. 



Isle of Pines Rainfall. 



The rainfall at Ojo De Agua during 

 the year ending August 1, 1908, was as 

 follows: 



1907-08. 



Inches. 



August 9.37 



September 3.86 



October 1.55 



November 3.75 



December ...... .87 



January 2.50 



February 20 



March 75 



April 



May 5.37 



June 19.00 



July 7.20 



— Isle of Pines Appeal. 



Preliminary steps toward the organ- 

 ization of a Growers' and Shippers' As- 

 sociation were taken recently by the 

 planters tributary to Columbia port, Isle 

 of Pines. 



