2(1 THE CUBA REVIEW 



ALONG THE NEW RAILROAD 



FROM BAYAMO TO SANTIAGO \'IA PALMA SORIANO — A TRAVELER S EX- 

 PERIENCES 



Especially written for The Cuba Review by J. K. Elwell 



The train leaves Manzanillo at 6 a. m.. arriving at Bayanio Junction about 8 a. m. 

 Something being wrong with the bridge, it was the program to mount a crazy carriage 

 drawn by a pair of sorrowful-looking Cuban pinies and flounder through a river gulch 

 to a village of ruins, called Bayamo. Everybody in Bayamo is enthused with the idea 

 that a real railroad will soon connect them with the world. Already corner-lots are 

 quoted sky-high. It was a surprise for me to fmd electric lights in my bedroom and 

 cracked ice for dinner. The Bayamo Company, an American concern, is responsible 

 for this. They furnish electric light, ice, bricks, and operate a strictly up-to-date saw- 

 mill. As the track is only laid from Palma Soranio to the Contra Maestre River, the 

 ne.xt stage was made in a primitive carriage drawn by a pair of roan ponies somewhat 

 larger than Angoria goats. My traveling companion was -Mr. L. M. Tonnison, superin- 

 tendent of the construction of the new railroad. 



The carriage ride of 40 kilometres from Bayamo to Baire promised at first to be a 

 pleasant dream, but the delusion was soon dispelled, and very nearly ended in a night- 

 mare. The magnificent "carratera," built only a few years ago, is partly in ruins. The 

 heavy carts have cut the macadam to shreds, and apparently no repairs have ever been 

 attempted. When the customary afternoon shower came, our little horses strained in 

 and out of the deadly ruts, by walking up hill and over the stoniest places, we did finally 

 sight the lights of historic Baire, a village of more fame than size and more patriotism 

 than beauty. Baire is surrounded by coffee and tobacco plantations, and promises to 

 assume some importance in the near future. The village and community is controlled 

 absolutely by the colored General Rabi — the natives worship him as a prophet. He it 

 was who, at the head of a band of gallant henchmen, assaulted and captured a Spanish 

 fort in the center of Baire's plaza. 



The twelve kilometres from Baire to Contra Maestre Bridge were accomplished by 

 mule back, my beast being the famous fox-trotter "Pete," the pride and joy of Superin- 

 tendent Tonnison. 



The railroad bridges have been completed. The first and second spans of the bridge 

 are 1.57 feet each ; the third span is 202 feet. The height of base rail to water is 9.5 feet. 

 The forms used for all concrete work, including four piers 65 feet high are corrugated 

 iron roofing instead of plank, which gives the illusion that the piers are built of white 

 brick. The Bayamo Bridge is a heavy steel structure and a beauty. It is 462 feet long. 

 It was a record job, the steel having been placed in thirteen days. 



From Contra Maestre Bridge to Palrna Soriano we traveled by hand-cars propelled 

 by four stalwart "gallegos," who easily sustained a 30-mile clip. 



Of the natural resources and beauty of Oriente, the half has never been told. 



Cuban and Philippine Tobacco On the other hand an article in the Plii- 



Vippine RcTxezv, for July, 1910, by Pius E. 



"The new tariff law of the United States Burns, says that the Philippine tobacco in- 



has already made itself felt on the Cuban dustry "is passing and must pass for the 



market," says La Lucha of Havana, "for next few years through a very critical pc- 



where there were formerly ten buyers in riod," and that the present crude methods 



the Pinar del Rio tobacco section scarcely of harvesting and curing tobacco are very 



one now puts in an appearance, and this unsatisfactory, due to the fact that the 



fact has caused a great slump in the prices people engaged in the industry are in many 



of tobacco. cases poor, ignorant and followers of blind 



"No Cuban tobacco." it says further, "is customs. They seem to prefer, says Mr. 



used in the Philippine or Porto Rican Burns, to raise an inferior fifth grade to- 



cigars, and that will cut off a large market bacco, when a better kind can be grown 



of Cuban tobacco. with proper culture. 



"The United States importations of the "If," he says, "by placing on the market 

 Philippine and Porto Rican cigars now ex- an inferior tobacco with a coarse-veined 

 ceeding .300,000.000 annually, are sold much wrapper packed with musty and worm- 

 cheaper than the clear Havana goods made eaten filler, we lose the trade we have al- 

 in Tampa, and if the buyers in the United ready gained, it will take many years of 

 States get used to them they may stick to toil to regain it and restore the market 

 them". confidence even with a better grade." 



