STEPS OF PROGRESS.
The opening of the month of February found the colonists in excellent
health and good spirits, and hard at work on their land or for the
company. The La Gloria post-office had been established, church services
were held regularly in a large tent, and the La Gloria Pioneer
Association had been organized and held its regular meeting on Saturday
evening of each week. Town lots were being cleared, gardens planted, and
pineapple plants set out as fast as the land could be prepared and the
"suckers" obtained.
Through the active efforts of General Van der Voort, a United States
post-office was established immediately after his arrival. The general
held the commission as postmaster, and selected for his assistant, Col.
John. F. Early of Wilber, Nebraska, who had been postmaster of his town
before coming to Cuba. The general being otherwise engaged, most of the
actual work of the office fell upon Colonel Early, who was well
qualified to perform it. Some months later, Van der Voort resigned the
postmastership, and Early was promoted to the head of the office. The
post-office first occupied a small space in headquarters tent, but was
soon moved to a tent by itself near at hand. Here it remained until the
fall of 1900, when it was moved into a new wooden building constructed
for it on Central avenue. From the first the office did considerable
business, which steadily increased. The colonists wrote and received
many letters, but were loud in their complaints of the irregularity and
infrequency of the mails. In a measure, this faultfinding was justified,
but the philosophical were more patient and felt that the colony was
lucky to have a post-office at all. The remedy was slow in coming, but
the mail facilities gradually improved. At first the letters were
collected at the office in a wooden box, but before many weeks had
passed a regulation metallic receptacle, painted red and marked "U. S.
Mail," was placed in front of the tent. I well remember the shout that
went up from the assembled colonists when this reminder of home and
civilization was brought in on horseback from the port by the mail
carrier. It seemed almost like having a glimpse of the old home.
The regular sworn mail carrier between Port La Gloria and the
post-office was Señor Ciriaco Rivas, familiarly known as "the old señor"
among the colonists, by whom he was much beloved. He was a true-hearted
gentleman and a brave soldier, being a veteran of the Ten Years' War and
the later conflict. He was one of the best friends that the colonists
had, and was their guest and companion on many occasions, and sometimes
their host. Señor Rivas owned a large tract of land in the neighborhood,
but lived with his family in the Cuban camp at La Gloria. While scorning
to take pay from individuals for his services, he assisted the colonists
in manifold ways. In the summer of 1900 he was named by the government
as alcalde (magistrate) of La Gloria and the country for five miles
around, but on the 15th day of the following September he died at
Nuevitas, lamented alike by Cubans and Americans.
Besides attending to his post-office duties, Colonel Early represented
large land interests in the colony and gave much time to work in
connection therewith. He was one of the most enthusiastic of the
colonists, being delighted with the country and its prospects. Fond of
hunting and fishing, a lover of birds, trees, and flowers, versatile in
his tastes and accomplishments, Colonel Early found Cuba much to his
liking, and complained of nothing save the "hell-hens," as he
irreverently called the despised jejines (sand flies). He was a veteran
of the Civil War, and had been something of a politician in his Nebraska
home.
[Illustration: THE FIRST WOMEN COLONISTS OF LA GLORIA.
Mrs. Spiker. Mrs. Horn. Mrs. Morrison. Mrs. Matthews.
Miss Boston. Mrs. Hovora Mrs. Lowell.
Mrs. McElman. Edna Horn.
Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Neff.
]
Unlike the mining camps of our great West, La Gloria was a moral and
orderly town. This was largely due to the fact that General Van der
Voort insisted that no liquor should be sold, a prohibition which was
rigidly enforced. The result was that there was peace and quiet, and no
crime save a few small thefts. Very little policing was necessary. At
the beginning the police force consisted of Mr. George H. Matthews of
Asbury Park, N. J., whose only duty appeared to be a daily tour of the
camp in the early evening. Chief of Police Matthews lived in a tent at
the upper end of the camp. When darkness came on he would light his
little lantern and "go down the line," as he called his nightly trip
down the main street and back. The whole operation, including lighting
the lantern, occupied about twenty minutes. Mr. Matthews also plied the
trade of a barber, charging twenty-five cents for a shave. It was
finally decided that if anybody was robbing the colonists, he was the
man and the police force was abolished altogether. Soon after Mr.
Matthews and his wife returned to their home in Asbury Park. They were
well liked, and their departure was regretted. A little later there were
some actual thefts, generally attributed to negroes who lurked about the
camp, and Eugene Kezar, from Barre, Vermont, was put on as night
watchman. He performed this duty faithfully, as he did every duty which
devolved upon him, and the thefts soon ceased. Much of the time Kezar
was in the employ of the company in the daytime about the camp,
supervising the erection of tents, taking care of property, and
performing manifold duties in the interest of the company and the
colonists.
The first church service in La Gloria was held on January 14, conducted
by the Rev. A. E. Seddon of Atlanta, Ga., a minister of the Christian
church, who was one of the colonists who came on the first _Yarmouth_.
It was attended by a large proportion of the colonists. Mr. Seddon was a
good preacher and a cultivated man, but did not long remain at La
Gloria. Becoming interested in another proposed colony, he took his
departure from La Gloria soon after the allotment of the land. Next the
Rev. J. W. Harris of Vermont preached for one Sunday, but he also took
an early departure. At about this time the venerable Dr. William I. Gill
of Asbury Park, N. J., joined the colony, and conducted church services
for some weeks. His health not being good, he was forced to give up
regular preaching. For a time the congregation was without an
officiating clergyman, but sermons were read each Sunday by some layman,
and a Sabbath school was regularly held. With the spring came two
ministers together, the Rev. James G. Stuart of London, Canada, and the
Rev. W. A. Nicholas of Huntington, West Virginia. Mr. Stuart's stay at
this time was temporary, but he preached one Sunday to the edification
of a good-sized audience. When his leave of absence expired he returned
to his far away home in Canada, but before sailing he expressed himself
as being greatly pleased with La Gloria, and made known his intention
to make it his residence at some future time. He left money to have a
large tract of land cleared and cultivated. Mr. Stuart had been the
owner of an orange grove in California, and was satisfied that the fruit
would do finely in the soil around La Gloria. He was highly enthusiastic
in his praise of the country. Mr. Nicholas, a minister of the Baptist
church, succeeded Mr. Stuart in the La Gloria pulpit, and preached
several weeks. He then returned to West Virginia for the purpose of
bringing his family to Cuba to establish a permanent home. In June he
brought his wife and children to La Gloria and resumed his religious
teaching. He has since preached regularly, and is held in high respect
by the colonists. Mrs. Nicholas is also very popular in the colony. Mr.
Nicholas is delighted with Cuba, and is enjoying greatly improved
health. Besides the preaching and Sunday-school, weekly prayer-meetings,
teachers' meetings, and choir meetings have been held in the colony from
its earliest days.
[Illustration: DR. WILLIAM P. PEIRCE.]
The first organization of the colonists, and the force which had most to
do with shaping the course of affairs in the early life of the colony,
was the La Gloria Pioneer Association. At a mass meeting in front of
headquarters tent on the 18th of January, Dr. W. P. Peirce of Hoopeston,
Ill., was made temporary chairman, and R. C. Bourdette of Dexter,
Kansas, temporary secretary. James M. Adams, D. E. Lowell, and R. C.
Bourdette were appointed a committee to draft a constitution and
by-laws. At a meeting January 27 the committee reported a constitution
and by-laws, which were adopted, and the following officers were elected
for a term of six months: Dr. W. P. Peirce, president; D. E. Lowell,
vice-president; R. G. Barner, secretary; Col. Thomas H. Maginniss,
treasurer; E. B. Newsom, W. G. Spiker, J. A. Florence, W. M. Carson, and
Rev. William I. Gill, executive board. The president, vice-president,
secretary, and treasurer were members of the executive board
_ex-officio_.
Dr. Peirce, the president, was one of the ablest of the colonists, a man
of consequence in his state, and possessed of both mental and financial
resources. Genial, kindly, and humorous, he was much liked by his
fellow-colonists, and made an admirable presiding officer for the
association. He had entire faith in the ultimate success of the colony,
and did much to advance its welfare. Mr. Lowell, the vice-president,
had been a successful fruit grower in Florida and a leading citizen in
that section of the state where he resided. He was one of the first of
the colonists to reach La Gloria, coming in with his wife before the
first _Yarmouth_ party arrived. He was a substantial and practical man,
and a valuable prop to the colony, wherein he was popular and
influential. Mr. Barner, the secretary, was a young man from
Philadelphia, and was one of the colonists who came on the first
_Yarmouth_. He was an expert stenographer and typewriter, and a man of
good judgment and untiring industry. For a time he worked upon the land,
but was soon taken into the president's office, where he proved to be a
faithful and efficient clerk and secretary. Well liked among his brother
and sister colonists, he was given numerous responsible positions as new
organizations were formed. Colonel Maginniss, the treasurer, was also
from Philadelphia, and has been before alluded to as the superintendent
of the camp. His duties as treasurer of the association were not
arduous, but he performed good service as chairman of the committee on
transportation. The other members of the executive board were leading
colonists, and intelligent and practical men.
The executive board appointed the following committees: Transportation,
Col. Thomas H. Maginniss (chairman), J. A. Florence, S. L. Benham, W. P.
Hartzell, Thomas R. Geer--the latter resigning, he was replaced by James
M. Adams; supplies, E. B. Newsom (chr.), D. E. Lowell, W. G. Spiker, E.
F. Rutherford, M. T. Holman; sanitation, Dr. W. P. Peirce (chr.), G. A.
Libby, M. T. Jones, W. S. Dunbar, G. H. Matthews; manufactures, D. L.
Carleton (chr.), W. L. Yard, J. A. Anderson, J. C. Kelly, W. H. Gruver;
history of the colony, James M. Adams (chr.), A. E. Seddon, Rev. William
I. Gill, M. A. C. Neff, F. X. Hovora; legal affairs, Gen. Paul Van der
Voort (chr.), Col. Thomas H. Maginniss, Capt. Joseph Chace, W. M.
Carson, J. F. Early; education and religious observance, Mrs. Andrews
(chr.), Mrs. D. E. Lowell, Mrs. W. G. Spiker, Mrs. William I. Gill, Mrs.
M. A. C. Neff; village improvements, M. A. C. Neff (chr.), D. E. Lowell,
B. F. Seibert, E. B. Newsom, J. C. Florence, Peter Larsen, H. E. Mosher,
S. M. Van der Voort, James Peirce, Mrs. Clara Broome, Mrs. J. A. Horn,
Mrs. G. H. Matthews. Mrs. Andrews did not remain in La Gloria, and hence
never served on the committee on education and religious observance;
Mrs. D. E. Lowell acted as chairman and directed the work of the
committee with zeal and intelligence. As time went on, numerous other
vacancies occurred in the several committees, but these were filled and
the work was not retarded. Most of the committees were more or less
active and accomplished as much as could reasonably be expected
considering the many obstacles encountered. If the net results
accomplished by the association at this early stage seem small, it
should be remembered that it was no slight task to hold the colony
together in the face of natural obstructions, irritating delays, and
disheartening disappointments. All these things the colonists had to
encounter, and the Pioneer Association performed a great work in banding
the settlers together, staying their courage and preventing a stampede
in the darkest hours, and in keeping things moving, slowly though it may
have been, in the right direction. Indeed, it is impossible to conceive
what the colonists would have done at the beginning without the
coöperative aid afforded by this organization. Practically the whole
colony belonged to it during the first few months of its existence.
The meetings were held every Saturday night and were always well
attended. They were valued not only for utilitarian purposes, but as
almost the sole amusement enjoyed by the colonists during the week.
These meetings supplied the place of the theatre, the lyceum, and social
festivities, and some of the women were heard to say that they looked
forward the whole week to this regular gathering. Subjects of absorbing
interest always came up, the speaking was quite good and never tedious,
and humorous and witty remarks were very often heard and fully
appreciated. The ludicrous always appealed to the audience keenly. Many
of the colonists participated in the speaking, and the discussions were
invariably good-natured. The speakers were sure of close attention and
generous treatment from their auditors, even from those who might
disagree with them. The brotherly feeling which pervaded the colony was
always manifest at these gatherings. Some of the Cubans would often
attend, and more than once a Spaniard was in the audience. It was a
strange sight, one of these meetings. In the dim light of two or three
lanterns, the colonists would be grouped together under a shelter tent,
some sitting on rude wooden benches and others standing. Those on the
outskirts were as often under the stars as under the tent. Both the
audience and the surroundings were picturesque, albeit the whole effect
was suggestive of a primitive life which few of the colonists had before
experienced. The scene is one that is not likely ever to be forgotten by
those who participated in it.
In July, 1900, the Pioneer Association elected new officers, as follows:
President, D. E. Lowell; vice-president, John Latham; secretary, William
M. Carson; treasurer, J. R. P. de les Derniers. By this time new and
more wieldy organizations had sprung up which took much of the practical
work from the association, the latter becoming more of a reminiscence
than a potent force. It is still, however, a factor in the social life
of La Gloria.