The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-18
FACTS ABOUT PORT0 RICO.
4 VALUABLE ACQUISITION IN VERY
MANY RESPECTS.
Oenseiy Populated. However and Its
Resources Developed Very Faisy.
50 Little Opportunity II Afforded
Taere-ueytsbtfaI Winter Resort.


10 Rico Is valuable acquisition % tae
people and government o: lie United
siate2."
This IS rFc vieg expressed ~ fae c7}ef
o. tiae treasury bureau Of statistics. aao
has just returned from brief visit 10 he
island.
''Et ruus. i.os D. expected " said Mr. AUS
al, that 80 znsssa n ss.and ran become
"a large factor In Supplying the S-79 ,issj
~yorth Of tropical productions which me
people Of fhe United gates Annually con-
STUNT, or that Il can e3s1rb a FerJ large
pefccntagp Of she 81 @l3. SO "a worth u oar
annual pr0a9ctsGns~~a Ia area IMAM
the state cT Connecticut. and wtta q pop
u.atioB Iess than ftsat Of TIE city ot Brook
jyn. il raay got DC, able 10 faeet me E3fae-
what eytravagans expectations waica en-
fhuslast!e people daFT formed tsta ieIef-
"setslcd by Spain more te1an a century
earlier than ths Ia ad!ng % the Pilgrims
&; Plymouth Rock Is population IS nov
g..5re dense than that - Massachusetts.
aEd t8e pros pect " mate fIafIy increasing
IT'S product VenesS - Eot Hattsrlng. Noun
ts.T.ais from center - ctrcumlsYs nee. the
1895, e4s people who occupy its $3.50 square
saIies OF territory nave put under cu!ii.
yattoa most Of the available sosi. ard
while their methods Of culture ard trans-
yoriati0n are In many eases very pf.U!-
tive IL canno; he expected that ine pro-
CGgff9Ls or tnsS usH%e4y populated anu
ese@eiy cultivated area can oe largely ~
creased or it4s consumption greatly multi
piled. The valleys ana coast lands ATE
now well occupied ~it7 sugar estates, he
aTea adjoining these IL cevDted 10 tobacco.
And TIE mountain sides 70 the very peaks
are occupied by large coffee plantations.
with patches of coCoanuis bananas, plan
taina, bread fruit, oranges and other Fop-
zeal fruits scattered Among them. While
the 5000 Of It's population who live n
e!i.ea ard villages enjoy some o. tae con-
toned. the large proportion Of The rural
population - OF extremely simple habits
IN the matter Ct food. clothing and hah'-
fatIon. and Win small earning capacity
and small per cppita Of deprecated cur
reEc.. cannot be expected 10 soon become
Large consumers u our pFodaets. 4 lit
re rice. vefy little Hour, Il few beans
end plenty OF bananas. plan,a.nS. bread
fIEit and vegetables Aansry their physical
necessities. few gaI.is Of cotton cloth for
f1e ADULTS and nothing FOR toe children
inset their pfinc!pa! requirements for cIath-
iDg, while a few roG.a boards ara pls1-
iifil aupI.y OF planta.n a.td palm caves
supply the material fcr tina humble dwell
ings throughout the interior and in many
Of the villages. Wlta apo4t 7re-.lfth II
It's population abe 10 read ard write. the
knowledge az the outside world Is ox-
frsncly limited, and with only 80 miles
Of railroad and less than go miles III g1cd
wagon road on the island. the means OF IN
able prompt stimulation OF rs produc-
tor or consumption. Most of the good
ROADS, and sor2e n them are very ftne,
sgU from town 10 TOWN. along the cGaSs,
Though ,hert ~ one cx- option IN tie mill
tary ROAD connecting -he toxin Of Ponce.
On tie south shore. with San Juan, on the
aGrta S1c.s. Most OF the interior. how
ever s. only reached by bride paths oyer
which trans poriatior is effected by PACKS
carried Oh small ponies Ia tie cities and
towns most Of The transpoftat lon 81 By bui-
lccks. licked in primitive fashion 70 two
wheeled carts and urged 70 thea work by
.. snarp-pointed pole In the hands Of a ma
tive driver, who walks in front Of his team.
ftrning 10 give them a vigorous punch
when they do not follow WIKI sufficient
speed The cattle 81 he Island are Of
superior class. similar IN appearance 10 Tie
Jersey cattle. but with broad horns the
cows being driven frcm door 30 door IN
the towns and MIXED i.Ito bottles in the
stand patiently upon The sidewalk await
ing the removal Of the peripatetic dairy
10 the residence of the next customer.
Education on the island is not OF a
high oruer. 4 sort Of public school sys-
TEN prevails In some Of the towns and
cti.ef, hat in the interior reading and writ
Ing: except among the plantation owners
sna managers. are rare Spanish IS the
popular tongue. though tho natives az
Traacc 90 whom there are quite Il num-
bef. retain their lansuage. ana there are
groes from -. Thomas ana other near
by English colonies. VINO prove useful rs
Interpreters to the Americans already on
the Island. One of the two daily newSpa-
psIs publishes in Ponce prints one Page
In Englsh. out u compliment "a the nav
conditions most OF the matter so publish
ell be.u& extracts from the constitution Of
the L'Mltsd states and sketches OF t-ia
lives ~ clsr diStiugut she'd men There are
CatnC.tc churches &. au the cities ana
large towns. some % them dating back
eyeF century. handsomely finished with
In and rorfssc nflue a large, expenditure 81
money There IS enc Protestant church II
Poucp said Ia oe the only one 81
the spanish West iudies. bat il * Al pres
ear unpccGpjce3 There aFe theatcrs IN the
principal CITIES anG - Tersl cf tns. lcslio..
toWus have Telephones au1 az: connected
bS TELEGRAPH NuvS sesTeES{irk about So
niics ga leHxts. = asle cable communal a.
iton ls nat w'13 tHa tufed States At Sli3
i'er word
III currency ana finances - tn Island
81 ~unleriS ~ttG vh'cA oor s5ateSiT"n
Will hasc 20 deal The SpAo.~b govern
:nept IN f>& soak up all thr Mexican and
SpnnlSh c",HS IN circulation ANA sUesi4
tufes si'", iai silver rV'Hs struck n tht
r.nt ~ srain for ID e pUfpasr Trey o,ae
60 enc S!3. th~ spanish *ttat - ftt1S an-l
IRE word fsit i" gu go tHco- aEd ca
The other tft fSt-e ~ thr soy k'as and AZ
slHhorat" ii,~-7iFtl"n -H spanish fae
iaiEest vE if"S" - tnF peso. cf la ftt4-
taN nS, '"iftNf t'ii1-'S -" Fs'tfFa. titNE ~"
cut SLY ~ dollars. we.E Jue SHtis grains.
Az geGcFall1 Sseker az rs Ia}ttf
There are also smaller silver @aln@ ~ F..