The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-05-13
PORTO RICO.
Rich, HealthfuI and Beautiful Island and
Densely Populated.


American territory, says a CORES
pondent of the Chicago Record, we
have beard nothing about the
Island of Porto Rico, which. of
course, is less important than Cuba,
but is, nevertheless, the most beauti-
full, fertile and productive of all the
Antilles. Compared with Cuba, it
is very small-not so large as the
smallest of the six provinces into
which the former island is divided.
1t is only ninety miles long from tip
to tip and thirty-siX broad at the
brOadest part. The total area is
3,550 square miles-One-third small
er than Connecticut and not quite
twice as large as Delaware.
The cOnfiguratiOn of the island is
different from that of Cuba. The
land rises Immediately from the sea-
shore into group of hills and
mountains, eliminating in a peak
3,67S feet high. These mountains
are covered with magnificent tim
ber and intersected with lovely
valleys, watered by running streams,
with deep, rich soil that produces
luXuriant crops of all tropical
staples. 1t is said to be even more
fertil than that of Cuba, if such a
thing were possible; but, owing to
the hill S and the rocks, the proper
ton of land susceptible to cultiva-
tiOn is very much smaller. The
chief products are sugar, tobacco,
coffee, rice, cotton and fruits of all
kinds, and the arabic land is pretty
we'll taken up. There are supposed
to be very rich mineral deposits.
Gold, iron, copper, lead, salt and
antimOny have been worked for 200
or 800 years with profit; but
agriculture has paid so much better
that the mineral resources have
been left undeveloped. The timber
upon the mountains is extremely
valuable, being composed Of the
finest cabinet woods, and is easily
accessible in the rainy season, when
the streams are high.
The climate of Porto Rico is much
more healthy than that of Cuba,
and is as good as that of any tropical
country on earth, owing to the alb.
sence of swamps, jungles and other
lOwlands which breed malaria
There is certainly no place in the
West Indies so agreeable, as far as
climate and temperature are con-
cerned. The natural conditions are
almost perfect. Yellow fever and
other tropical diseases are unknown
except when they are brought int
the seapOrts from the other islands
The thermometer often falls as low
as 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the
winter season, and never rises above
S5 degrees in midsummer. Th,
nights are always cool, and SCI
breeze springs up regularly about |
o'clock in the morning and gOe:
down at sunset.
Porto Rico is densely populated
the total number of people enumer
ated at the last census being 7S4, ,7O9
or more than half as many as are ii
Cuba. If they were scattered even
ly over the island, they would rul
about twenty-five to the squar
mile, but they are confined in town
and villages in the fertile valley
and upon the coast, while the timbe
lands are totally uninhabitated
Ninety per cent. Of the population
are negroes or mulattOes; at leas
, 100000 are pure -blooded descend
: ants of the slaves that were brough
over from Africa by the Spaniards
The white population does not eX
ceed 90 OOO)-35,OOO Spaniards and
: few English, Germans, Dutchmer
Danes, Chinese, South American
and Canary Islanders. Only 1856
of the population can read an
write, and these constitute the up
per and middle classes in the citie
f and larger towns. The blacks ar
o absolutely illiterate. There are n
= schools, except those kept by tn
priests, and they are not encoul
y aged. In the larger towns ar
several private schools for the rict
+ but there is no place where the CHI
y dren of the common people can Sc
J, an education.
The capital, San Juan, is a pic
: turesque place on the norther
+ coast, with a population of 23,4l
1 Ponce de Leon, on the sOuther
coast, has the largest pOpulatiO
4 and is more popular and prosperou
: having $1,000 people. St. German
4 has 10000 and there are two or thrC
>. other cities of more than lC,0C
f population.
: The city Of San Juan was fOunde
by Ponce de Leon, who, in 1903, b.
= came its Governor. San Juan is 81
q uated on an island and connecte
n with the mainland by "a bridge an
9 a causeway. A fine high road e.
: tends across through the sugar r
/, gions of the city Of Ponce. Sa
~ Juan is protected by an enOrmOu
o citadel, which stands upon a roc
,e that projects into the sea, and is su
rounded by massive walls and stol
A. and cement, in some places 100 fe
n high. The harbOr is attractive al
n the city is a favorite place for Spar
h ish sailors and soldiers because
a. the fine climate and other attra
tiOns.
The body of Ponce de Leon, W
died in Cuba of wounds receiv
from the Indians in Florida, W
brought to Porto Rico and deposit
n in lead case under the altar of I
Church of the DOminicans, and
70 the main plaza of the city is a mo
W ument to the memory of that I