The age-herald., 1898-09-01
FACTS ABOUT OUR NEW ISLANDS

| by force of arms is being superseded by l the conquest of trade and commerce. AL
 | though the American flag has not fioated l here for single month as yet American | commercial and industrial activity is as- | serting itself, and the first invaders who l expect to find fortune in this new colony I are preparing for their peaceful campaign. With it's population of nearly 100000, of l whom more than half are whites, the op- l portunities for business are practically un- 1 limited. To begin with, nature has outlined
 | the means of making business. providing 1 several good harbors and many naturally excellent highways which when improved
 | by engineers will afford magnificent trans l portation facilities. And it may be said
 l that the early fortunes are to be acquired Il by the shrewd men who supply these fa- l cilities, for, given adequate transportation \ the produce of Porto Rico will success
 | fully compete in every market of the world The harbor of San Juan de Porto Rico IS | known to navgators the world over and \ the ports of Guanica and Ponce have shel- tered many a merchantmen. But all of
 l them may be improved; docks and wharves
 | must take the place of lighters; steam tugs must supersede the slow and tiresome labor
 | at the poles and oars; anchoring grounds
 I and roadsteads must be made hurricane
 proof piers and slips must be constructed,
 | in order that the immense trade which is
 | to come may be cared for properly. This | necessity will prove an advantage to men
 l of large means, for great waterfront con
 sessions are to be made to such as have 1 capital to undertake harbor improvements.
 l In addition the betterment of transporta- | bx, doxy xyil | capital, Few countries of the extent of | Puerto Rico watered by so many | streams Seventeen rivers, their sources in
 | the mountains, cross the valleys of the
 north coast and empty into the sea. Ow-
 | ing to the heavy surf which continually
 | breaks on the north coast these rivers have
 | bars across their embouchures which do
 | not pemit the entrance of large vessels;
 | otherwise they are navgable Improve l ments feasible for the modern engineer will
 make them splendid waterways from the
 | coast to the interior The streams of Bay
 1 amo and Rio. Piedras flow into the harbor l of the capital, and are even now naViga- | ble. At high water small vessels may en- | ter the river of Arecibo with safety and dis | charge their cargoes, notwithstanding the l bar which crosses its mouth. Nine rivers
 l enter the sea between Cabeza de San Juan,
 | the northeast extremity of the island, and | the Cape of Mala Pascua, which lies to the 1 southeast From Cape Mala Pascua to l Point Aguila, which forms the southwest
 l angle of the island, sixteen rivers enter the sea. On the west coast three rivers, Il five rivulets and several fresh-water lakes | communicate with the sea- and in the small | area of 990 square miles there are forty-SlX l rivers besides an almost countless num- l Der of rivulets and branches of water easily | navigable. From the river of AreclDo to l that of Manati, distance of fifteen miles, | a fresh-water lagoon, perfectly naVlgaple | for small vessels throughout the whole or
 l it's course runs parallel to the sea mile
 l from shore. In the wonderfully fertne l valley of Anasco, on the western coast, IS 1 a natural canal, deep and navigable. This l is but hint at the transportation facilities | which, when properly utilized, will enable | the bringing of products from the interior | to the coast at comparatively slight ex- l pense.
 Practically prohibitive taxation has dis couraged the building of steam railways but there are about 150 miles of track in op- eration. An American company could readily construct LOGO miles Of road wlth- in a year. connecting all the principal towns of the island, securing the carriage of freight, which is now taken overland in OK carts and on mules, while the passenger traffic would be immense under the new condition of things. The main highways are suitable for electrical roads, and al- ready company is negotiating for the con- struction of line between Ponce and | Playa del Ponce, distance of three miles. | Such a road continued through Juan Diaz | to Coamo, the pleasure resort of Ponce. would prove a veritable gold mine, for Coamo Is noted for its mineral baths has l a fine hotel and is destined to attract tour ists from all over the world when it be- comes known.
 Given proper transportation between Cay- l ey and the coast the projectors fortune is assured. Here is the center of the tobacco l industry, excellent cigars being made; some | of the factories there are larger than those | at Playa de Ponce. The tobacco raised in l the Cayey district is as fine as any in the world. Much of it has been shipped to Ha- | vana in years past and then found its way l to the United States in the form of high priced cigars under Cuban brands. Cayey | is town of 4,000, of whom two-thirds are white, and is the chief city of jurisdic- ton numbering 15O0O. It is, thirty-seven miles from San Juan and fourteen miles from Guayama, the communication being by wagon road. The nearest railway sta tion is Cauguas.
 While in the imemdiate construction of transportation facilities the greatest for tunes are to be found, there Is also large
 
 graph and telephone lines. Puerto Rico be- ing quite well supplied with these means of communication, which have not been op- erated profitably owing to the enormous government tax. Telephones are common | in San Juan, Ponce and Mayaguez and an American company already has representa- | tives on the ground figuring on the exten- | sion of the system until it shall reach all parts of the island. Street railways will | be popular here and money is to be made in supplying gas and electric lighting, | while the ice machine may be made to run | at profit day and night.
 With an increasing industrial and com | mercial life trade in coal for steaming pur- poses will be immense Manufacturing, heretofore of small importance. is bound to l assume great proportions. The Standard | Oil company, which for some years has maintained small refinery across the bay l of San Juan, in which crude petroleum, | brought from the United States, Is refined | has men here Investigating the situation l preparatory to extending its plant and pip | ing it's product throughout the island.