THE CUBA REVIEW 



29 



ISLE OF PINES NOTES 



For some time interested parties have 

 been agitating the question of a transporta- 

 tion Hne between a point in Pinar del Rio 

 province and the West Coast of the Isle 

 of Pines, and a trip was made in the 

 launch "Canada" principally to ascertain 

 the time necessary and its feasiGility, says 

 the Neivs. 



The run from the mouth of Casas River 

 to Da3'aniguas Bay near the entrance to 

 the San Diego River on the main land was 

 made in about five hours. 



Several specimens of real paches, some 

 of the first to be raised to full maturity 

 on the Isle, were recently exhibited in Co- 

 lumbia, says the Appeal. 



The fruit was of fair size, of good color 

 and of excellent flavor. 



These were of the first bearing, but a 

 better crop is expected next year. 



Now while the mangos are ripe gather 

 a lot ; mash them in a tight box and shovel 

 them into a coarse grain sack, suspended so 

 as to drip into a convenient vessel, fill a 

 garaphone and let it ferment a couple of 

 weeks, then draw off into a clean gara- 

 phone with a syphon, and soon you will 

 have the finest vinegar that can be made. — 

 F. R. Rainsdell in the Isle of Pines Ah^ivs. 



One of the sights on Nueva Gerona's 

 streets that first attracts the attention of 

 newcomers is the large "blue" crane that 

 has been domesticated and has the run of 

 the town. Some of these birds are so tame 

 that they follow their owners about. 



Governor Asbert of Havana province has 

 notified the alcalde of the Isle of Pines of 

 the action of the government in appropriat- 

 ing $17,000 for the repair bills for the 

 bridges over the Casas, Mai Pais and Cayo 

 Benito rivers. 



The largest single piece of freight ever 

 landed on the Isle of Pines was the boiler 

 for the cannery at McKinley. It weighed 

 8,250 pounds and was delivered at the fac- 

 tory from New York without mishap. 



Nueva Gerona is to have a theatre of the 

 modern order soon, by the opening of the 

 coming fall season at least. 



Among the appropriations recently made 

 by congress for the postal service in the 

 province of Havana is one for $.5,000 for 

 the post-office of Nueva Gerona. 



Dr. Trilio Carballo of Havana, Cuba, has 

 purchased the drug store in Nueva Gerona. 

 formerly conducted by Dr. Serra, and will 

 run a first-class pharmacy for the Isle. 



The Isle of Pines A^ezi^'s has received fre- 

 quent inquiries about the delay that is oc- 



casioned in the delivery of deeds to Isle 

 of Pines properties and has been at some 

 trouble to find the true causes. With 

 scarcely an exception there has been no 

 delay where the maker of the deed could 

 be blamed, neither could the officials on the 

 Isle of Pines be accused truthfully of hin- 

 dering the delivery. Carelessness is at the 

 l)ottoni of the whole deal, and the parties 

 in Havana who have the handling of the 

 deeds are the ones at fault. 



The Isle of Pines Steamship Company 

 has been authorized to construct a wharf 

 and a warehouse on the littoral of the port 

 of Nueva Gerona in the Isle of Pines, to be 

 put to public service. 



\\ork on the extension of the new rail- 

 road line from San Diego del Valle to La 

 Esperanza by the Cuban Central Railroad 

 has been commenced at Cifuentes, Santa 

 Clara province. 



Shipments of fruit from the Isle of Pine, 

 approximated 10,000 crates last season, says 

 The Appeal. There were 7,000 crates of 

 grapefruit, 2.000 of oranges and 1,000 of 

 lemons. This year the output will be dou- 

 bled. 



The office of the Canada Land and Fruit 

 Compan}^ has been changed from 10 Fol- 

 lansbec Block, Marinette, Wis., to 117 Wis- 

 consin Street, Milwaukee, Wis. 



The United Railways of Havana in con- 

 junction with the Isle of Pines Steamboat 

 Company, will sell round-trip tickets from 

 Havana to the isle at the very low rate of 

 $12. This ticket covers first-class fare on 

 railroad to and from Batabano and first- 

 class fare and berth on the steamer "Cris- 

 tobal Colon" from Batabano to the island 

 and return. It also includes automobile 

 transportation from Jucaro to Santa Fe and 

 thence to Nueva Gerona. 



The Isle of Pines, from time immemorial 

 a favorite objective point for fihbustering 

 expeditions, is the most americanized part 

 of the Cuban domain. Uncle Sam's nephews 

 have established many industries, and Amer- 

 icans compose a large proportion of the 

 population. 



For this reason the island and everything 

 pertaining to it is looked upon with pecu- 

 liar disfavor by the Cuban government. The 

 support of schools, a difficult job at best, 

 has especially languished here. Teachers 

 and appropriations have been refused and 

 everything possible done to discourage edu- 

 cational, as well as other growth. — Phila- 

 delphia (Pa.) Bulletin. 



Sixty Malagra grape vines are growing 

 lirely on a McKinley colonist's farm. They 

 were planted in the spring. 



