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Pioneering
... in Cuba
By
JAMES M. ADAMS
[Illustration]
[Illustration: JAMES M. ADAMS.]
PIONEERING IN CUBA
_A NARRATIVE OF THE SETTLEMENT OF LA GLORIA, THE FIRST AMERICAN COLONY
IN CUBA, AND THE EARLY EXPERIENCES OF THE PIONEERS_
BY
JAMES M. ADAMS
ONE OF THE ORIGINAL COLONISTS
_Illustrated_
CONCORD, N. H.:
The Rumford Press
1901
Copyright, 1901, by
JAMES M. ADAMS
TO
MY FELLOW COLONISTS
WHOSE COURAGE, CHEERFULNESS, AND KINDLY SPIRIT WON MY ADMIRATION AND
AFFECTION
THIS BOOK IS
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
PREFACE.
My excuse for writing and publishing this book is a threefold one. For
some time I have strongly felt that the true story of the La Gloria
colony should be told, without bias and with an accurate, first-hand
knowledge of all the facts. My close relations with the colony and the
colonists, and an actual personal residence in La Gloria for nearly half
a year, have made me entirely familiar with the conditions there, and I
have endeavored to present them to the reader clearly, correctly, and
honestly. Secondly, I have been imbued with the belief that many of the
daily happenings in the colony, particularly those of the earlier
months, are of sufficient general interest to justify their narration;
and if I am wrong in this, I am quite sure that these incidents,
anecdotes, and recollections will find an attentive audience among the
colonists and their friends. It is one of the author's chief regrets
that the size and scope of this book does not admit of the mention by
name of all of the colonists who were prominent and active in the life
of the colony. Thirdly, while in La Gloria, in his capacity as a member
of the Pioneer Association, the author had the honor to be the chairman
of the committee on History of the Colony. This committee was not
officially or outwardly active, but in a quiet way its members stored up
history as fast as it was made. The author does not dignify the present
work by the name of history, but prefers to call it a narrative of the
first year of the colony. He believes, however, that it contains many
facts and incidents which will be found useful material to draw upon
when in later years a complete history of the first American colony in
Cuba may be written.
I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. V. K. Van De Venter, a
professional photographer of Dundee, Michigan, for some of the best
pictures in the book. The other photographs were taken, and in several
cases kindly furnished gratuitously, by Robin H. Ford, John H. Rising,
L. E. Mayo, and W. G. Spiker. I am also under obligation to Mr. Spiker
for the loan of the cut of the lake on the Laguna Grande tract, and to
Dr. W. P. Peirce for the use of the cut of his pineapple garden in La
Gloria. All of the pictures in the book are scenes in the province of
Puerto Principe, and with two or three exceptions, in or around La
Gloria.
J. M. A.
_North Weare, N. H., December, 1900._]
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLONISTS IN NUEVITAS HARBOR.
PAGE
A New Sight for Old Nuevitas--The _Yarmouth_ drops Anchor in the
Harbor--The Vanguard of the First American Colony Planted in Cuba--The
Beautiful Cuban Coast--Picturesque Appearance of Nuevitas--"Distance
Lends Enchantment to the View"--Character of the Colonists--Gen. Paul
Van der Voort--Nearly all the States Represented--"The Only Canuck on
Board"--The Voyage from New York 17
CHAPTER II.
THE JOURNEY TO PORT LA GLORIA
An Irritating Delay--Ashore at Nuevitas--Midnight Row at the
Pier--Convivial Colonists Clash With Cubans--Ex-Soldier Takes an
Involuntary Bath--The Cuban Police--Hon. Peter E. Park--The Start for La
Gloria--Some Intending Colonists Back Out--The Man With the Long, Red
Face--The Only Woman--The Fleet Anchors--"To-morrow, Four O'clock, Wind
Right, Go!"--An Uncomfortable Night--Cuban Captain Falls Overboard--Port
La Gloria Sighted 32
CHAPTER III.
A TOUGH TRAMP TO LA GLORIA CITY.
Arrival at the Port--A Discouraging Scene--Mud, Water, and Sand
Flies--The Memorable Walk to La Gloria "City"--An Awful Road--Battle
With Water, Mud, Stumps, Roots, Logs, Briers and Branches--Lawyer Park
Leads the Strange Procession--La Gloria at Last--The Royal Palm--Women
in Masculine Garb--Col. Thos. H. Maginniss--First Night in La
Gloria--The Survey Corps--Chief Engineer Kelly--Experiences of the
Lowells and Spikers 44
CHAPTER IV.
FIRST DAYS IN THE NEW COLONY.
Isolation of La Gloria--The Camp at Night--Strange Sounds in the
Forest--The Colonists Happy--Their Excellent Health--Remarkable Cures
Effected by the Climate--The Agreeable Temperature--Prolonged Rainy
Season--The "Hotel"--The Log Foundation--A Favorite Joke--The Company's
Spring--Small Variety of Food--My First Supper in La Gloria--Eating
Flamingo and Aged Goat--A Commissary With Nothing to Sell--A Fluctuating
Population 59
CHAPTER V.
THE ALLOTMENT OF THE LAND.
The Character of the Contracts--The Question of Subdivision--Some of the
Difficulties--Matter Placed in the Hands of a Committee of the
Colonists--Fair and Feasible Plan Adopted--Gen. Van der Voort's Arrival
in La Gloria--His Boat Nearly Wrecked--Delay in Getting
Baggage--Colonists Get Their Land Promptly--The Town as Laid Out--Site
Well Chosen--Woods Full of Colonists Hunting for Their
Plantations--Different Kinds of Soil 73
CHAPTER VI.
THE SUGAR RIOT.
Population of Colony Slowly Increases--Arrival of Second
_Yarmouth_--Sensational and Ridiculous Reports--Consternation in Asbury
Park--Laughing Over Newspaper Stories--Excitement Over Sugar--Mass
Meeting to Air the Grievance--An Unexpected Turn of Affairs--Cable From
New York Brings Good News--Van der Voort Elected President of the
Company--Sugar Orators Remain Silent--A Noisy Celebration 86
CHAPTER VII.
ADVENTURES AND MISADVENTURES.
The Women in the Camp--Mrs. Moller--Her Costume and Extraordinary
Adventures--How She Entered La Gloria--Roosts in a Tree all
Night--Builds the First House in La Gloria--Her Famous Cow and
Calf--Wonderful Bloomers--Ubiquitous Mrs. Horn--Weighed 250, but Waded
Into La Gloria--Not "Rattled" by a Brook Running Through Her Tent--A Pig
Hunt and Its Results--Surveyors Lost in the Woods 94
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CUBANS.
Good People to "Get Along With"--Their Kindness and Courtesy--Harmony
and Good Feeling Between the Colonists and Cubans--Their Primitive Style
of Living--The Red Soil and Its Stains--Rural Homes--Prevalence of
Children, Chickens, and Dogs--Little Girl Dresses for Company With Only
a Slipper--Food and Drink of the Cubans--Few Amusements--An Indifferent
People--The Country Districts of the Province of Puerto Principe 104
CHAPTER IX.
STEPS OF PROGRESS.
Clearing and Planting--The Post-office--Col. John F. Early--The "Old
Señor"--La Gloria Police Force--Chief Matthews' Nightly Trip "Down the
Line"--No Liquor Sold, and Practically no Crime Committed--Watchman
Eugene Kezar--Religious Services and Ministers--La Gloria Pioneer
Association--Dr. W. P. Peirce--Mr. D. E. Lowell--Mr. R. G.
Barner--Important Work of the Association 118
CHAPTER X.
EVENTS IMPORTANT AND OTHERWISE.
Worth of the Colonists--Gen. Van der Voort's New Cuban House--The
"Lookout Tree"--Its Part in the Cuban Wars--The General's
Garden--Marvelously Rapid Growth of Plants--First Birth in La
Gloria--Olaf El Gloria Olson--Given a Town Lot--Temperature
Figures--Perfection of Climate--The Maginniss Corduroy Road--First Well
Dug--Architect M. A. C. Neff 133
CHAPTER XI.
SELF-RELIANCE OF THE COLONISTS.
The Man With the Hoe--"Grandpa" Withee Able to Take Care of Himself--Not
Dead, but Very Much Alive--A Pugnacious Old Man--Mr. Withee Shoots
Chickens and Defies the Authorities--Big Jack McCauley and His
"Influence"--"Albany" and the Mosquitoes--Arrival of Third
_Yarmouth_--Arnold Mollenhauer--John A. Connell--S. W. Storm--The First
School and Its Teacher 143
CHAPTER XII.
THE FIRST HOLIDAY IN LA GLORIA.
Craving for Athletic Sports--Half Holiday Formally Proclaimed--A
Beautiful Day--The Colonists Photographed--Lieut. Evans and His Soldiers
of the Eighth U. S. Cavalry--Successful Sports--Baseball Game--An Event
not Down on the Program--Excited Colonists--Lawyer C. Hugo Drake of
Puerto Principe--His Scheme--Ordered Out of Camp--A Night in the
Woods--Lieutenant Cienfuente 155
CHAPTER XIII.
INDUSTRY OF THE COLONISTS.
Pink Orchids on the Trees--Vegetables Raised and Fruit Trees Set
Out--The Various Employments--Working on the Survey Corps--Chief
Kelly's Facetious Formula--An Official Kicker--B. F.Seibert--Improvements
at the Port--Fish, Alligators, and Flamingo--J. L. Ratekin--First Banquet
in La Gloria--Departure of Maginniss Party--First Death in the Colony--Only
One Death in Six Months--Lowell's Corduroy Road and Kelly's Permanent
Highway 166
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FIRST BALL IN LA GLORIA.
A Semi-Anniversary--Town Lots and Plantations Allotted in First Six
Months--A Grand Ball--French Dancing Master in Charge--Dan Goodman's
Pennsylvania Modesty--Organizing an Orchestra at Short Notice--The
Ballroom--Rev. Dr. Gill Lends His Tent Floor--Elaborate Decorations--A
Transformation Scene--Some Taking Specialties--A Fine Supper--Music in
Camp--An Aggravating Cornet Player--Singers in the Colony 177
CHAPTER XV.
A WALKING TRIP TO PUERTO PRINCIPE.
Five Good Walkers--A Halt at Mercedes--Sparsely Settled Country--Cuban
Trails--A Night in the Woods--A Cripple From Sore Feet--A Pretty Country
Place--The Cubitas Mountains--Hunting for the Late Cuban Capital--A
Broad and Beautiful View--Seventeen Miles Without a House--Night on the
Plain--The City of Puerto Principe--Politeness of Its People--The
Journey Home--Sanchez' Sugar Plantation--Lost in the Forest--La Gloria
Once More 186
CHAPTER XVI.
IN AND AROUND LA GLORIA.
Horses That May Have Committed Suicide--Colonel Maginniss "A Master Hand
in Sickness"--Sudden and Surprising Rise of Water--A Deluge of Frogs--A
Greedy Snake--Catching Fish in Central Avenue--D. Siefert's
Industry--Max Neuber--Mountain View--A Facetious Signboard--The
Sangjai--An Aggravating and Uncertain Channel 203
CHAPTER XVII.
THE COLONY AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR.
The Saw Mill--The Pole Tramway to the Bay--A Tragedy in the
Colony--Death of Mr. Bosworth--The Summer Season--The Country Around La
Gloria--The Cuban Colonization Company--Guanaja--The Rural
Guard--Organizations in La Gloria--The March of Improvements--Construction
of Wooden Buildings--Colonists Delighted With Their New Home in the
Tropics 212
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
James M. Adams Frontispiece.
Map of Cuba 16
City of Nuevitas, Cuba 20
Gen. Paul Van der Voort 26
An Involuntary Bath 42
Port La Gloria 46
Author on Road to La Gloria 48
Col. Thomas H. Maginniss 52
"The Hotel" 64
The Spring 68
Robert C. Beausejour 82
La Gloria, Cuba, Looking North 88
First House in La Gloria 97
Frank J. O'Reilly 110
First Women Colonists of La Gloria. 122
Dr. William P. Peirce 126
Gen. Van der Voort's Cuban House 134
La Gloria, Cuba, Looking South 150
Group of Colonists 158
The Survey Corps 168
Interior Gen. Van der Voort's House 182
Agramonte Plaza, Puerto Principe, Cuba 200
Dr. Peirce's Pineapple Patch 208
Scene on Laguna Grande 214
[Illustration: MAP OF CUBA., PROVINCES.
1 PINAR DEL RIO
2 HAVANA
3 MATANZAS
4 SANTA CLARA
5 PUERTO PRINCIPE
6 SANTIAGO DE CUBA
PIONEERING IN CUBA.
CHAPTER I.
ARRIVAL OF THE COLONISTS IN NUEVITAS HARBOR.
Just after noon on January 4, 1900, the ancient city of Nuevitas, Cuba,
lazily basking in the midday sunshine, witnessed a sight which had not
been paralleled in the four hundred years of its existence. A steamer
was dropping anchor in the placid water of the harbor a mile off shore,
and her decks were thronged with a crowd of more than two hundred eager
and active Americans. They wore no uniforms, nor did they carry either
guns or swords; and yet they had come on an errand of conquest. They had
fared forth from their native land to attack the formidable forests and
to subdue the untamed soil of the province of Puerto Principe--a task
which required scarcely less courage and resolution than a feat of arms
might have demanded in that locality two years before. Well aware that
there was a hard fight before them, they were yet sanguine of success
and eager to begin active operations. It was the vanguard of the first
American colony planted in Cuba.
The vessel that lay at anchor in the beautiful land-locked harbor of
Nuevitas was the screw steamer _Yarmouth_, a steel ship which, if not as
fast and elegant as the ocean greyhounds that cross the Atlantic, was
large and fine enough to have easily commanded the unbounded admiration
and amazement of Christopher Columbus had he beheld her when he landed
from the _Santa Maria_ on the coast of Cuba near this point more than
four centuries ago. Great changes have been wrought since the days of
Columbus in the manner of craft that sail the seas, but less progress
has been made by the city of Nuevitas in those four hundred long years.
The _Yarmouth_, substantial if not handsome, and safe if not swift, had
brought the colonists to this port without mishap, thus redeeming one of
the many promises of the Cuban Land and Steamship Company. Since early
morning the vessel had been slowly steaming along the palm-fringed coast
of the "Pearl of the Antilles," daybreak having revealed the fact that
the boat was too far to the eastward, and late in the forenoon we
entered the picturesque bay of Nuevitas, took on a swarthy Cuban pilot,
and, gliding quietly past straggling palm-thatched native shacks and
tiny green-clad isles, came to anchor in plain view of the city that
Velasquez founded in 1514. We had passed two or three small circular
forts, any one of which would have been demolished by a single
well-directed shot from a thirteen-inch gun. These defenses were
unoccupied, and there was naught else to threaten the established peace.
[Illustration: CITY OF NUEVITAS, CUBA.]
The day was beautiful, freshened by a soft and balmy breeze, with the
delightful temperature of 75 degrees. Far back in the interior, through
the wonderfully transparent Cuban atmosphere, one could see the light
blue peaks of lofty mountains, standing singly instead of in groups, as
if each were the monarch of a small principality. Their outlines, as
seen at this distance, were graceful and symmetrical, rather than rugged
and overpowering like some of their brother chieftains of the North.
Near at hand the listless city of Nuevitas extended from the water's
edge backward up the hillside of a long, green ridge, the low, red-tiled
houses clinging to what seemed precarious positions along the rough,
water-worn streets that gashed the side of the hill. To the right a
green-covered promontory projected far into the bay, dotted with
occasional native shacks and planted in part with sisal hemp. The
colonists on shipboard, ignorant of the appearance of this tropical
product, at first took the hemp for pineapple plants, but soon learned
their mistake from one who had been in the tropics before. Viewed from
the harbor, Nuevitas looks pretty and picturesque, but once on shore the
illusion vanishes. Mud meets you at the threshold and sticks to you like
a brother. The streets, for the most part, are nothing more than
rain-furrowed lanes, filled with large, projecting stones and gullies of
no little depth. Sticky, yellow mud is everywhere, and once acquired is
as hard to get rid of as the rheumatism. The houses, in general, are
little better than hovels, and the gardens around them are neglected and
forlorn. When a spot more attractive than the others is found, Nature is
entitled to all the credit. The shops are poor and mean, and not over
well supplied with merchandise. The natives, while kindly disposed
toward the "Americanos," are, for the most part, unattractive in dress
and person. The few public buildings are ugly and there is not a
pleasant street in the town. And yet when seen from the harbor the city
looks pretty, mainly on account of its red-tiled houses, grassy hillside
slopes, and waving cocoanut palms. The author of the ancient saying that
"distance lends enchantment to the view," might well have gathered his
inspiration at Nuevitas.
If the inhabitants of Nuevitas have the quality of curiosity, they
clearly did not have it with them at the time of our arrival. Although
it is said on good authority, that the city had never before had more
than twelve or fifteen visitors at one time, save soldiers or sailors,
the natives betrayed no excitement and little interest in the advent of
two hundred American civilians. With the exception of a handful of
boatmen and a few fruit venders, not a person came to the piers to gaze
at the new arrivals, and in the town the people scarcely gave themselves
the trouble to look out of their open dwellings and shops at the
colonists. This may have been inherent courtesy--for the Cuban is
nothing if not courteous--but to us it seemed more like indifference.
The Cubans are certainly an indifferent people, and at this port they
appeared to have no object or interest in life. They dwelt in drowsy
content, smoking their cigarettes, and doing their little buying and
selling in a leisurely and heedless manner. The most of them pick up a
precarious living with but little labor. These easy-going habits impress
the close observer as being more the result of indifference than
downright indolence, for when the occasion demands it the Cuban often
exhibits surprising activity and industry. He does not, however, work
for the fun of it, and it never occurs to him that it is necessary to
lay up anything for the proverbial "rainy day." Accustomed to the
fairest skies in the world, he never anticipates cloudy weather.
It is quite possible that if we had been arrayed in brilliant uniforms,
resplendent of gold lace, brass buttons, and all the accompanying
trappings, we should have aroused more interest, for the Cuban loves
color, pageant, and martial show, but as a matter of fact, nothing could
have been plainer and uglier than the dress of most of the colonists. To
the superficial observer, there was nothing about the invaders to hold
attention, but to me, who had closely studied my companions and
fellow-colonists for nearly a week, they were full of interest and
inspiration. They were, to be sure, a motley crowd, representing many
states and territories, and several grades of social standing, but they
were obviously courageous, enterprising, and of good character. In point
of intelligence and manifest honesty and energy they averaged high--much
higher than one would expect of the pioneers in a project of this sort.
They were not reckless and unscrupulous adventurers, nor yet rolling
stones who sought an indolent life of ease, but serious-minded and
industrious home-seekers. They had counted the cost, and resolved to go
forward and achieve success, expecting obstacles, but not anticipating
defeat. A thoughtful person could not fail to be impressed by the
serious and resolute manner in which these voyagers entered upon the
work of establishing a new home for themselves in a tropical country.
Since the days when the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon the bleak shores of
New England, I doubt if a better aggregation of men had entered upon an
enterprise of this character.
The colonists sailed from New York on the _Yarmouth_ on Saturday,
December 30, 1899, a stinging cold day. It was the first excursion run
by the Cuban Land and Steamship Company, whose offices at 32 Broadway
had for several days been crowded with men from all parts of the country
eager to form a part of the first expedition to establish an American
colony at La Gloria, on the north coast of Cuba, about forty miles west
of Nuevitas. Every passenger on board the _Yarmouth_ was supposed to
have purchased or contracted for land at La Gloria, and practically all
had done so. The steamer was commanded by Capt. E. O. Smith, a popular
and efficient officer, and carried besides her complement of crew and
waiters, two hundred and eleven passengers, all men with one exception,
Mrs. Crandall, the wife of an employé of the company. The colonists
represented all sections of the country, from Maine to California, from
Minnesota to Florida. No less than thirty states sent their delegations,
two territories, Canada, Prince Edward's Island, and British Columbia.
All came to New York to make up this memorable excursion. The genial and
stalwart Gen. Paul Van der Voort of Nebraska, who was commander-in-chief
of the national G. A. R. in 1882-'83, had led on a party of over twenty
from the West, several of them his own neighbors in Omaha. The others
were from different parts of Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. General Van
der Voort was the assistant manager of the company, and a little later
became its president. He went to Cuba in the double capacity of an
officer of the company, to take charge of its business there, and a
colonist to make La Gloria his permanent residence. Honest, affable, and
humorous, a magnetic and convincing speaker, with a sunny nature
singularly free from affectation and ardently loyal to his friends,
General Van der Voort was a natural leader of men, well fitted to head a
colonizing expedition. One of his sons had been in La Gloria for some
time working as a surveyor in the employ of the company.
[Illustration: GEN. PAUL VAN DER VOORT.]
General Van der Voort's party, however, formed but a small fraction of
the Western representation. Twelve men came from Illinois, six from
Michigan, five from Minnesota, four from Wisconsin, four from Indiana,
four from Oklahoma--men who were "boomers" in the rush for land in that
territory--two from Missouri, two from Washington state, one from
Wyoming, one from South Dakota, and one from California. Ohio men,
usually so much in evidence, were hard to find, only one man on board
acknowledging that he hailed from that state. The South was not so
largely represented as the West, but there were two men from Maryland,
two from Virginia, two from Georgia, one from Florida, one from West
Virginia, and one from Washington, D. C. New York state led the entire
list with fifty-one. Pennsylvania and Massachusetts came next with
twenty-one each. From New Jersey there were fifteen. Among the New
England states, New Hampshire and Connecticut followed Massachusetts,
with five each. Rhode Island contributed four, Maine two, and Vermont
two. Two of the colonists hailed from British Columbia, one from Prince
Edward's Island, and one from Toronto, Canada. The latter, a tall,
good-looking Englishman by the name of Rutherford, cheerfully announced
himself as "the only Canuck on board." Those who were fortunate enough
to become intimately acquainted with this clear-headed and whole-hearted
gentleman were easily convinced that while he might call himself a
"Canuck" and become a Cuban by emigration, he would remain to the end of
his days an Englishman, and a very good specimen of his race. If
Rutherford had not taken part in the "sugar riot"--but that's "another
story."
The colonists represented even more occupations than states. There were
four physicians, one clergyman, one lawyer, one editor, one patent
office employé, small merchants, clerks, bookkeepers, locomotive
engineers, carpenters, and other skilled mechanics, besides many
farmers. There were also a number of specialists. The embryo colony
included several veterans of the Spanish war, some of whom had been in
Cuba before. G. A. R. buttons were surprisingly numerous. The men,
generally speaking, appeared to be eminently practical and thoroughly
wide awake. They looked able to take hold of a business enterprise and
push it through to success, regardless of obstacles. Several of the
colonists showed their thrift by taking poultry with them, while an old
gentleman from Minnesota had brought along two colonies of Italian honey
bees. Another old man explained his presence by jocularly declaring that
he was going down to Cuba to search for the footprints of Columbus.
Accents representing all sections of the country were harmoniously and
curiously mingled, and the spirit of fraternity was marked. The one
colored man in the party, an intelligent representative of his race, had
as good standing as anybody.
The voyage down was uneventful. It occupied four days and a half, and
for thirty-six hours, in the neighborhood of Cape Hatteras, very rough
water was encountered. But few on board had ever known such a sea, and
sickness was universal. The discomfort was great, partly owing to the
crowded condition of the boat. Many a hardy colonist sighed for his
Western ranch or his comfortable house in the East. The superior
attractions of Cuba were forgotten for the moment, and there was intense
longing for the land that had been left behind. It is a fact hard to
believe that several on board had never before seen the ocean, to say
nothing of sailing upon its turbulent bosom. With the return of a smooth
sea a marvelous change came over the voyagers, and all began to look
eagerly forward to a sight of the famed "Pearl of the Antilles." We were
now sailing a calm tropical sea, with the fairest of skies above us and
a mild and genial temperature that was a great delight after the severe
cold of the Northern winter. The salubrious weather continued through
the remaining forty-eight hours of the voyage, and the colonists
resumed their interrupted intercourse, having but a single subject in
their eager discussions--always the prospects of the colony or something
bearing on their pioneer enterprise. The topic was far from being talked
out when we glided into the tranquil harbor of Nuevitas.
[Illustration]