THE COLONY AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR.
My pen must glide rapidly over the events of the summer and early fall.
The sawmill, which had been so long delayed and so often promised as to
become a standing joke in the colony, finally reached La Gloria from
Nuevitas, via the port, on May 30. Nothing was more needed; its
non-arrival had delayed both building operations and the clearing of
land. A few weeks later the mill was in operation, to the great joy of
the colonists. In June the construction of a pole tramway from La Gloria
to a point on the bay between the port and the Palota landing was begun.
This was completed on August 14, and transportation operations were at
once inaugurated. The new landing place was named Newport. On July 16
the building of a substantial and permanent highway from La Gloria to
the port was commenced under the supervision of Chief Engineer Kelly,
and before October 1 the work was well advanced. The chosen route was
along Central avenue.
The colonists celebrated the Fourth of July with an appropriate
entertainment. On July 3 the colony witnessed a tragedy in the killing
of a youth named Eugene Head by a stone thrown by a young Spanish boy.
The coroner's jury decided that young Head's death was accidental. Both
boys were residents of La Gloria. The fifth of July was marked by the
death of a valued colonist, Mr. F. H. Bosworth, a veteran of the Civil
War. Mr. Bosworth was seventy-one years old, and had not been in rugged
health for a long time. He was an enterprising colonist, and performed a
great deal of work for a man of his years and enfeebled physical
condition. His wife, also a resident of La Gloria, survived him. The
general health of the colony through the summer was excellent. There was
but little rain, and the weather was delightful beyond all expectation.
The temperature ordinarily ranged from about 78° to 90°, and never
exceeded 94°. The colonists came to believe that the summer season was
even more agreeable than the winter. It was heartily voted that Cuba was
a good all-the-year-round country.
[Illustration: SCENE ON LAGUNA GRANDE.]
The end of the first year of the colony--reckoning from October 9, 1899,
when the surveyors began operations--saw much progress toward
extensive colonization, not in La Gloria alone, but also in the
surrounding country. The Cuban Colonization Company, organized with Dr.
W. P. Peirce of Hoopeston, Ill., as president and treasurer, and W. G.
Spiker of Cleveland, Ohio, as vice-president and general manager, had
acquired two excellent tracts of land, known as Laguna Grande and Rincon
Grande, to the eastward of the La Gloria property. These are being
subdivided and sold to colonists in small holdings. In the Rincon Grande
tract, on the bay front, the city of Columbia is being laid out, and
doubtless will soon be settled by thrifty and progressive colonists from
the United States. It is claimed that this is the exact spot where
Columbus landed in 1492, and it certainly does answer well the
historical description. Other colonists had purchased the Canasi tract,
southwest of La Gloria and adjoining the Caridad property, and Hon.
Peter E. Park was said to have secured an option on the Palota tract. It
is understood that these two tracts are to be divided up and sold to
colonists. The Caridad tract, adjoining La Gloria on the south, had
passed into the hands of Mr. O. N. Lumbert of New York, and still other
tracts in the neighborhood were being negotiated for by Americans.
Judging from the progress of this first year in colonization, there will
soon be more Americans in this region than Cubans.
The nearest Cuban village to La Gloria is Guanaja (pronounced Wan-ah-ha)
twelve miles to the northwest, and six or seven miles from Mercedes.
Before the Ten Years' War Guanaja was a port of some importance, and the
village is said to have embraced one hundred and eighty houses. But the
town and surrounding country suffered severely in the long war, and
somewhat in the later conflict. Now Guanaja consists of one rude wooden
building, used as a store, and a dozen shacks stretched along the bay
front close to the water, with a few scattered palm houses further back
from the shore. The situation is rather picturesque, commanding a
beautiful view across the brilliant-hued water to Cayo Romano, and the
surrounding country is pleasant and might be made highly productive. The
La Gloria colonists sometimes patronized the Guanaja store, and found
the proprietor accommodating and reasonable in his prices. In the
country between La Gloria and Guanaja we would often meet members of
the Rural Guard, in groups of two or three. They were fine-looking
mounted Cubans, selected by the American military government from among
the best of the late followers of Gomez, Garcia, and Maceo to patrol the
country and preserve the peace. They frequently visited us at La Gloria,
and made a favorable impression.
The La Gloria colony at the close of its first year had several newly
formed organizations in a flourishing condition. Prominent among these
was the La Gloria Colony Transportation Company, which owned and
operated the pole tramway to the bay. Its officers were: J. C. Kelly,
president; D. E. Lowell, first vice-president and general manager; W. A.
Merrow, second vice-president; M. A. Custer Neff, chief engineer; R. G.
Earner, secretary; William I. Gill, treasurer; H. W. O. Margary,
counsel; and John Latham, E. F. Rutherford, D. W. Clifton, R. H. Ford,
W. M. Carson, J. A. Messier, directors. The La Gloria Colony Telephone
Company, organized to construct and operate a telephone line to the bay,
was officered as follows: J. C. Kelly, president; F. E. Kezar,
vice-president and general manager; J. R. P. de les Derniers,
secretary; S. M. Van der Voort, chief engineer and director; J. A.
Connell, director. The La Gloria Colony Cemetery Association had the
following officers: J. C. Kelly, M. A. C. Neff, D. E. Lowell, trustees;
J. C. Kelly, president; H. W. O. Margary, vice-president; E. L. Ellis,
treasurer; A. B. Chambers, secretary; Rev. W. A. Nicholas, general
manager; F. E. Kezar, J. C. Francis, S. L. Benham, Mrs. W. A. Nicholas,
Mrs. John Lind, directors. The Cuban Land and Steamship Company donated
ten acres of land for a cemetery. The La Gloria Horticultural Society
had about thirty members, with officers as follows: H. W. O. Margary,
president; A. W. Provo, vice-president; R. G. Barner, secretary; Smith
Everett, treasurer. The La Prima Literary Society also had something
like thirty members, and these officers: H. W. O. Margary, chairman; A.
W. Provo, vice-chairman; R. H. Ford, secretary; Smith Everett,
treasurer. The two last named societies jointly purchased a town lot,
and propose to erect at some future time a building for a hall,
reading-room, etc.
The colony's first anniversary found improvements marching steadily, if
not rapidly, on. The sawmill, already alluded to, was busily at work;
Olson's shingle mill was completed; the two-story frame building on
Central avenue to be used as post-office; dwelling, etc., was done, as
were numerous other wooden houses occupied as stores or residences;
there were half a dozen well-stocked stores doing business, and several
restaurants and bakeries. Many buildings were in process of
construction, and much clearing and planting going on. Choice fruit
trees were being imported, as well as cattle, mules, swine, and poultry.
The colonists were subsisting in part upon vegetables and pineapples of
their own raising, and looking confidently forward to exporting products
of this character in the near future.
Fruit growing was the most popular industry among the colonists, but
there were those who were looking into the subjects of sugar, coffee,
tobacco, cacao, rubber, lumber, cattle raising, etc. The outlook for all
such enterprises seemed highly promising. Urgent needs of La Gloria are
a canning factory and an establishment for the manufacture of furniture;
these industries should flourish from the start.
The enthusiasm of the colonists was unbounded; they were filled and
thrilled with delight over their new home in the tropics. The climate
was glorious, the air refreshing and soothing, the country picturesque
and healthful, the soil fertile and productive. Not for a moment did
they doubt that, after a few short years of slight hardship and trifling
deprivations, a life of luxurious comfort lay before them. A fortune or
a competence seemed certain to come to every man who would work and wait
for it, and in all La Gloria there was hardly a person to be found who
would willingly blot from his memory his interesting experiences while
PIONEERING IN CUBA.
[Illustration]
Fortunes in Cuba
A SHORT ROAD TO A COMPETENCY AND A LIFE AMID TROPICAL DELIGHTS FOR
THOSE WHO ARE AWAKE TO THE PRESENT OPPORTUNITY.
[Illustration]
The Cuban Colonization Company
Owns and holds deeds for two large tracts of the best land in Cuba,
situated on the north coast in the Province of Puerto Principe, the most
fertile and healthful portion of the island. This region is being
rapidly colonized by enterprising Americans, who own and are developing
thousands of plantations in the immediate vicinity of our holdings. We
are selling this valuable land in small tracts, from five to forty acres
each, at a low price, payable in monthly installments. It has been
practically demonstrated that this soil will produce abundantly all
kinds of tropical fruits, sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, cocoanuts, etc.
The purchaser of land from us will have no taxes to pay for the first
three years, and can have a warranty deed as soon as his land is paid
for.
A discount of 10 pet cent. allowed from regular prices when full payment
is made at time o£ purchase.
An Insurance Policy.
In case of the death of any purchaser we will issue a warranty deed to
his or her estate without further payment.
REMEMBER--That a 10-acre Orange Grove in Cuba, four years old, is worth
ten thousand dollars, and will net you from three to six thousand
dollars annually.
REMEMBER--That in Cuba you can have fruits ripening every month in the
year.
REMEMBER--That what you would pay for winter clothing and fuel to keep
you warm in the United States will keep up a home in Cuba, where the
winter months are perpetual June.
REMEMBER--That in our location are combined a delightful and healthful
climate, pure and abundant water, and a rich and productive soil.
Send for illustrated booklet and leaflets, giving information concerning
prices, etc.
CUBAN COLONIZATION COMPANY.
MAIN OFFICE,
ROOM 367, ARCADE, CLEVELAND, OHIO
BRANCH OFFICE. -- -- HOOPESTON, ILL.
OFFICERS
DR. W. P. PEIRCE, President and Treasurer.
W. G. SPIKER, Vice-President and General Manager.
G. W. HANCHETT, Assistant Manager.
W. P. PEIRCE, JR., Secretary.
JAMES PEIRCE, Assistant Secretary.
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.
In one volume, 16mo., Illustrated with scenes in La Gloria.
PRICE: Bound in Cloth, $1.00; Bound in Paper, 50 Cents.
The book will be sent postpaid on receipt of price by the author, at
North Weare, N. H., or by the Rumford Printing Co., Concord, N. H.
AGENTS WANTED.
Address the author.