As An Island Proprietor

AS AN ISLAND PROPRIETOR

Mr C.H. CADY of This City in a Big Company

BUYS BIG CUBAN ISLAND

From An Old Spaniard with Romantic History - Will Cut $4,000,000 of Timber and Raise Cattle

I Mr. C. II. Cady, of the Board of Public Works. who has just returned from Cuba after a three weeks in litigation of the lumber interests on island of Turiguano, said to the Argus representative Tuesday that the island had been purchased by a company of which he is a member and that the first payment wouId be made, or was due on February 28, 1903. The island is located on the north central coast of Cuba, about a mile (rom the main land, and is estimated by John Vogel, a Muskegon timber expert of 25 years of experience who spent two weeks there, as worth about $4,000,000 for its standing timber alone. It is about 20 miles east and west in Iength and about 8 miles in width. The investigation of the island has been on for over a year, ever since Charles Wright, of Detroit, collector of internal revenue, made such favorable reports concerning the lumber interests of the islands. The island has been and will be owned up to the time of the transfer next February, by an old Spaniard, Señor Caraasea, whose family has owned the land for the past 250 years. There is a story connected with the old man's life which has been made miserable by his wayward son, for whose crimes he has had to spend a great share of his wealth. Beside his own family there are some 30 others that are employed by him to take care of his cattle and work a small portion of the land.

What this new company intends to do is to locale a large mili on the northernmost part of the Island build a narrow-guage railway the width of the island thus giving them direct communication with the ocean

Others interested in the enterprise are Señor Medoz Capote, vice president of the republic, Attorney Genera Rubins of Cuba, and his assistant attorney, Lamar, and Minister Crusado to the United States. It would seem from this list of names that the company would not be hindered politically from any business proposition that might require the sanction of either government.

Mr. Cady said this morning: "I have driven nearly all over the island and know that the timber on it is of the very best quality. There is an abundance of mahogany and much more Spanish cedar, which is very valuable for several reasons. It is the only wood out of which cigar boxes can be made and is very often used for the interior of Pullman cars."

A good idea of the size of the island may be obtained by realizing that it is larger than six townships. It is about 300 miles from Havana and that much nearer than New York then the Cuban capital. Mr. Cady said that it would be the purpose of the company to sell lumber not only in Cuba, where it is scarce, but in the United States and other countries. While the company does not intend to cultivate tropical fruits, he does not hesitate to praise very highly the soil of the island, which unlike most timber land is good for something once the timber is taken off. The cattle here are of healthy class and it is probable that the business of cattle raising would be very profitable there. As the land is cleared, the company intends to make cattle raising a speciality.