So “~Tr = 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 7 
(Written for the North Shore Breeze) 
Across the Isle of Pines Behind IT'wo Mules 
By Thomas D. Connolly 
(Copyright Thos. D. Connolly) 
I] 
AFIER leaving Nueva Gerona we pass into the rural 
part of the Island, passing large citrus fruit groves, 
We meet several automobiles going and coming and, by 
the way, gasoline here is 42 cents per gallon, How this 
is I do not know; it is only a short distance from the 
Island to Texas, where the refineries are, while we in 
the North pay 16 cents per gallon. When the Cuban 
government gets busy they may have an investigation 
as to this enormous price. 
We pass through Santa Rosalia a small community 
and reach Santa Fe, the oldest town on the Island, 12 
miles from Nueva Gerona. A good road leads from here 
to Jacauro and Columbia, the ports for Santa Fe. Santa 
Fe is a thriving town with churches, schools, a fine hotel, 
banks and all that go to make up an American com- 
munity. I visited their annual fair which is held each 
February, and the display is wonderful: all kinds of 
vegetables, citrus fruits, farming implements, horses and 
cattle It is what you would call in the North “a cattle 
show.” One thing about the Island—no poisonous rep- 
tiles exist. One thing I missed her was the telephone. 
You find along the roads palm telephone posts without 
the wires. These were put in the ground some years 
ago and I believe they are laid from Nueva Gerona 
through Santa Fe, Le Ceiba, San Pedro, La Siguanea 
to Los Indios, a distance of 38 miles. Private enter- 
prise was willing to install the telephone and when they 
started in to do it were not allowed by the Cuban gov 
ernment as they were told some company in Cuba had 
the franchise and that settled it. This company would 
do nothing, nor would they let others do it, A dog-in- 
the-manger position to take. I do not see how the 
American settlers stand it. 
Santa Fe is the home of Robert Irwin Wall, who 
owns a beautiful place, very extensive grounds called 
“Villa Aurora”; he also has a large grape fruit grove. 
A. C. Schultz has a beautiful place and grove and 
is the owner of the famous “Gen, Weyler Spring.” 
An other famous spring is the “Santa Rita.” At the 
Santa Fe fair last year Secretary of State W. J. Bryan 
made an address. He made a tour of the Island and 
was much suprised at the development. There are many 
large estates at Santa Fe. Besides those spoken or there 
are those of W. Forest Nelson, H, A. Cristy and a host 
of others. Santa Fe is bound to make vast strides be- 
cause its people are up and doing. 
One of the largest groves just beyond Santa Fe is 
the Mason Brothers’ grove. They have 4o acres of 
citrus fruits under cultivation. The manager of this 
estate is Mr. W. D. Middleton, who showed me over 
the grounds; the place is a wonder. One grape fruit 
tree he showed me had already netted a profit of $35.00 
and the tree looked as if only one half the fruit had 
been taken off. When you think that the oldest trees 
are only 8 years old it makes one wonder. They also 
have extensive nurseries.. It is called Le Ceiba. It 
takes five years for the grape fruit trees to come into 
bearing and they have to be ploughed and harrowed be- 
teween the rows twice a year and fertilized three to 
four times each year if you want to obtain results you 
have to keep a sharp look out for their care. 
On the way from Le Ceiba to San Pedro dre beauti- 
ful groves of citrus fruit. San Pedro for the short time 
has made wonderful strides and it is an up to date little 
town, most of whose inhabitants are from the State of 
Ohio. Some beautiful residents here, notibly the resi- 
dence of Fred M. Hammond; also the San Pedro Hotel. 
This is one of the best carried out communities. They 
have co-operated fruit clubs, you may plant a 5-or Io- 
acre lot of grape fruit, leave your grove in their hands 
to take care of, go back to your home in the States and 
know that your interests are well taken care of, so when 
you make your annual visit each winter you will be sur- 
prised as to results, This is done for you for a fair 
remuneration. [hey are now building a co-operative 
packing house which will be of immense value in ship- 
ping the fruit north. When I was coming home the 
boat shipped from this place and Santa Fe one shipment 
of 2078 crates of grape fruit. These groves have de- 
veloped so fast all over the Island that the people and 
transportation companies cannot take care, as well as 
they should, of the shipping of citrus fruits; while they 
are doing as well as they can they will have to do better. 
I wonder why the steamship company does not go 
up to New York and buy some of the large steel ferry 
boats that are now for sale on account of the new sub- 
ways in New York. The boats are very strong, large 
and shallow and make about 17 knots per hour, they 
only draw five feet of water and would be just the thing 
in the shallow water from Batabano to Los Indios, 
Jacauro and Nueva Gerona, I understand they can be 
put in good order and delivered on the Island for $25,000 
each. Havana has over three hundred thousand people. 
A great many of its inhabitants would be pleased to go 
to the Island for an outing, but the price of $12.00 for 
the round trip is prohibitive. With the large steel ferry 
boats the trip could be easily made in five hours and have 
the round trip fare $5.00; and this would be a great in- 
come, besides taking care of the immense amount of 
freight both ways, I say these things as I see them, 
for the Island with its remarkable growth has done well 
up to the present time, but they do want to look ahead 
and make preparation to take care of the increasing fruit 
product. 
I met here C. L. Gaines, civil engineer, graduate 
of Harvard University, native of Cambridge, Mass., a 
hardy pioneer who has helped to develop and lay-out 
estates and lots for the different land companies. When 
I saw him he was laying out a new bridge to be built 
over a river. He has been down in the tropics for a 
number of years. I enjoyed meeting him and he seemed 
pleased to meet some one from Massachusetts. 
The houses on the island are built on wooden or 
concrete posts; no need of a cellar, you do not need any 
window sash; all you need is large window openings with 
Dutch half and quarter doors in case of rain. Of course, 
you will have to have screens and at the same time be 
sure your house is tight to keep out the small knat, called 
the Jejenne (hay-hen-e), during the night, but this is 
no. bother during the day time. The houses are very 
plain, showing the studding and boards on the inside; 
but they generally cover the inside with burlap drawn 
very tight and at the top of room you can have for a 
