and the honey bees of this incomparable bee country were
happy and industrious. So, too, were the colonists. The work of the
latter was well advanced by the first of May, or, at least, that of some
of them. As an example of industry, D. Siefert is worthy of mention. Mr.
Siefert hailed from British Columbia and came to La Gloria on the first
_Yarmouth_. On the voyage down he was somewhat disturbed over the
question of getting his deed, but once in La Gloria, he put his
apprehensions behind him, secured his allotment of a five-acre
plantation, indulged in no more vain questionings and waited for no
further developments, but each morning shouldered his axe and attacked
the trees on his land. He kept up the battle for months, rarely
missing a day's work. The result was that by May 1, Mr. Siefert, alone
and unaided, had cleared his five acres of timber land, burned it over,
and was ready for planting. Other colonists worked hard and effectually
in the forest, but this was the best single-handed performance that came
under my notice.

[Illustration: DR. PEIRCE'S PINEAPPLE PATCH.]

Another enterprising and highly intelligent colonist was Max Neuber of
Philadelphia, who has been before alluded to as one of the teachers in
the evening school. Mr. Neuber pushed the work upon his land, doing much
of it himself. Early and late his friends would find him chopping,
digging, and planting. When he left for the States in April he had five
boxes packed with the products of his plantation, such as lemons, limes,
potatoes, and specimens of mahogany and other valuable woods.

A group of industrious workers, most of whom had earlier been attached
to the survey corps, were in May located and well settled in a place
which they called Mountain View. This was a partially open tract four or
five miles west of La Gloria and about a mile from Mercedes. Here the
young men pitched their tents and swung their hammocks, confidently
claiming that they had the best spot in all the country round. From here
the Cubitas mountains could be plainly seen; hence the name of Mountain
View. A person following the rough trail from La Gloria to Mercedes
might have seen on a tree at the left, shortly before reaching the
latter place, a shingle bearing the inscription, "Change Cars for
Mountain View." If he should choose to take the narrow, rough, and
crooked trail to the left through the woods, he would ere long come out
into the open and probably see Smith Evere