24 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



Cuban Master of Chess. 



Cappablanca, the Cuban chess master, 

 in less than an hour's time, December 

 15, cleaned up on eleven boards, and 

 among his victims were numbered sev- 

 eral who rank among the best amateurs 

 of New Orleans. Mr. Cappablanca had 

 all wins, and not a single loss, or even 

 draw, was scored against him. 



Mr. Cappablanca is a marvel in his 

 wa}'. saj's the New Orleans (La.) Pic- 

 aj'une, and shows more aggressiveness 

 and soundness in play than any of the 

 other masters who have been here. He 

 is very rapid in his calculations, and 

 makes plays in quick succession. 



Mr. Cappablanca to-day stands in line 

 for first honors in the chess world. 



Western Railway Needs Room. 



Plans are now being made for the ex- 

 tension of the wharf on the Western Rail- 

 way Company, where it juts out into Ha- 

 vana harbor near Atares castle. The large 

 Hacicndados warehouse at that point was 

 purchased by the company in November, 

 1908, but the wharf facilities were found in- 

 sufficient for the amount of business which 

 was done there afterwards. The govern- 

 ment was then asked to approve the trans- 

 fer to the railroad company of the right to 

 extend its wharf. 



The first train to be run on the new 

 branch between Manzanillo and Bayamo 

 was used Dec. 26, when an excursion train 

 left the former city for the historical town 

 of Vara. 



ISLE OF PINES MATTERS. 



Service for Isle of Pines. 



A new freight and passenger service 

 to the Isle of Pines was inaugurated 

 Dec. 9th by the Ward Line steamer 

 Camaguey, which sailed for Cienfugos, 

 on the South coast of Cuba, where con- 

 nection will be made with Nueva Gerona 

 and other ports of the Isle of Pines, 

 by the steamers of the Inland Trading 

 and Transportation Company. Sailings 

 from New York will be every alternate 

 Wednesday. The new service will be 

 welcomed by shippers as it avoids the 

 long delay of goods going by way of 

 Havana or Mobile and reduces the time 

 in transit very materiallj\ 



A. new tubular steel mast 175 feet high, 

 will constitute the new wireless station 

 at Nueva Gerona. The station will be 

 very much better than the old one, which 

 was of wood and blown down in a recent 

 storm. 



The citrus fruit crop of the Isle of 

 Pines this year will be more than double 

 that of last year and last year it doubled 

 in quantity that of the year before. 



Secretary of Public Instruction, Dr. 

 Ramon Meza, conferred December 18 

 \yith the President about the re-estab- 

 lishment of several of the English class- 

 es at the schools in the Isle of Pines. It 

 appears that several of these classes were 

 suppressed and Minister Morgan recently 

 brought the matter to the attention of 

 the President. 



Peculiarly Healthy. 



The Isle of Pines is peculiarly heal- 

 thy. Very little sickness of any kind 

 prevails, and cases of yellow fever, so 

 long the scourge of some of the Cuban 

 cities, are rarely known. This exemp- 

 tion from sickness is supposed to be due 

 to the Gulf breezes and the pure air of 

 the mountains of the interior, which af- 

 fects the whole island, and also to the 

 healthful influences of the pine forests, 

 which prevail everywhere. It may be 

 truly said that, taken altogether, the Isle 

 of Pines comes as near fulfilling all the 

 requirements of an earthly paradise as 

 any other locality in the world. The 

 scenery of the mountains, hills and dales 

 is unsurpassed. — Correspondence, Brook- 

 lyn (N. Y.) Standard-Union. 



The Isle of Pines steamer Cristobal 

 Colon leaves P.atabano Mondays, Wed- 

 nesday's and Saturdays on the arrival of 

 train leaving Havana (Villa Nueva sta- 

 tion) at 5.50 P. M. The boat leaves the 

 Isle of Pines on the return trip on Sun- 

 daj's, Tuesday and Fridays. 



The Americans in the Isle of Pines are 

 determined that the petty thieving 

 which of late has been occurring in the 

 vicinity of Santa Fe shall cease, as it is 

 growing beyond endurance. The au- 

 thorities have been advised of the depre- 

 dations and a number of arrests have 

 been made. Mayor Ortiz has announced 

 that he will see that the law is enforced 

 even though an entire change in the 

 personnel of the Rural Guard has to be 

 made. 



