The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-07

healthy than that of Cuba, and Is as good
as that of any tropical country on earth.
owing TO the absence of swamps iungles
and other lowlands which breed malaria.
There is certainly no place in the West
Indies so agreeable as far as climate and
temperature are concerned. The natural
conditions are almost perfect Yellow fe-
yer and other tropical diseases are un-
known, except when they are brought
into the seaports from the other islands.
The thermometer often falls as low as so
degrees Fahrenheit during the winter sea-
son, and never rises above So degrees in
midsummer. The nights are always cool,
and a sea breeze springs up regularly
about Il O'Clock in the morning, and goes
down at sunset
Porto Rico is densely populated. the to-
tai number if people enumerated at the
last census being 7S4, 700, or more than half
as many as are in Cuba. If they wee
scattered evenly over the island they would
run about twenty-five to the square mile,
but they are confined in towns and villages
in the fertile valleys and upon the coast,
while the timber lands are totally unin-
habited Ninety per cent. of the popula-
ton are negroes. or mulattoes; at least
100000 are pure-blooded descendants of the
slaves that were brought over from AZ
RIGA by the Spaniards The white popula-
ton does not exceed 5O000---35, 600 Spaniards
and few English, Germans, Dutchmcn,
Danes Chinese. South Americans and
Canary Islanders. Only 96,S67 of the pop
ulatlon can read and write, and these con-
stitute the upper and middle classes in
the cities and larger towns. The blacks
are absolutely illiterate. There are no
schools except those kept by the priests,
and they are not encouraged. In the lar
ger towns are several private schools for
the rich, but there is no place where the
children of the common people can get an
education.
The capital, San Juan,-is a picturesque
place on the northern coast, with popu-
lation of 23,414. Ponce de Leon, on the
southern coast has theslargest population
and is more popular and prosperous hav-
ing $1,000 people. ST. Germaine has $4,000,
and there are two or three other cities Of
more than 10000 population.
The city of San Juan was founded by,
Ponce de Leon, who, IN 1903, became it's
governor San Juan is situated on an is
land and connected with the mainland by
bridge and causeway. A fine high road
extends across through the sugar regions
of the city Of Ponce. San Juan is protected
by an enormous citadel, which stands upon
Ia rock that projects into the sea, and is
surrounded by massive wells and stone and
cement in some places 100 feet high The
harbor is attractive and the city is a IA
NOFlle place TOT SPANISH EdlfoIS anu SOluAtIS
because of the fine climate and other at
fractions. A
The body Of Ponce de Leon, who died in
Cuba of wounds received from the Indians
in Florida, was brought TO Porto Rico and
deposited in a lead case under the altar of
the Church of the Domnicans, and in the
main plaza of the city is monument 10
the memory of that romantic seeker of the
fountain of youth. The inscription reads:
of a man who was a lion by name and by
deed"
The revenues of Porto Rico have averag-
ed about 81 100000 year. but are nearly all
sent to Spain. Not more than 100000 is
spent annually ON the island, and most of
that goes 10 sustain a garrison of about
20, 600 soldiers. The exports and imports will
average about $15,OjO0OO a year. A large
part of the commerce is with the United
States CIV
The people of Porto Rico are much more
peaceably inclined than those of Cuba
They have been fortunate in having bet
ter government. They have suffered less
from tyranny and taxation. and the island
is so small, the people are so compactly
settled that they have been more easily
controlled by the military. There have been
revolutionary outbreaks from time to time
but none of them were serious, and the
people have been kept in such a state of jig
norance that. they are scarcely able to tell
the difference between good and bad gov
eminent The intelligent classes. being
mostly Spaniards, have been loyal to the
mother country and have frowned upon
political conspiracies. The Duke of Vera
qua descendant of Columbus, Is a sena-
tor for life from Porto Rico to the Spanish
Cortes, and he and his ancestors have re-
ceived pensions from the revenues - sse
island for nearly 400 years,