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