Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-27
INVESTMENT At SAN JUAN
A PROFITABLE PLACE FOR CAPITAL.
Jos, A. Corriyeau Writes His Friends in Gen.
traia, Well Pleased in Porto Rico. Says
Americans Are Highly Respected.

IN Uncle Sans new territory. Report!
sent back home already indicate tha
the boys find business opportunities
numerous for the young American O.
push and energy in that southern cline
Mr.. COrriveau evidently likes the place
as will be seen from perusal of the
following interesting letter to VIII
Gross which we are permitted to pub
ll8h. From the printed business head
on the letter paper we note that Joe
was registered at the "Inglaterra, Gran
Hotel y Restaurant, San Juan; telefonc
So, A. AguGo, propietario" A side
line tells that this hotel was "establecidC
un Gran Tren de Carriages de Lujo q
precios modicos," and its street number
is "Cruz No. ?, Esquina Teluan." Il
YOU don't understand all the Spanish in
above, write to Joe and he will explain
it. Here is his letter:
San Juan, Porto Rico, Oct. l. 1885,
Dear Friend: You, no doubt, are wait
ing for this letter as | promised to write
YOU and today is my first chance to send
a letter TO the United States. We send
our mail by a government boat that will
mail the letters at Newport News. It is
impossible to obtain stamps of any kind
and our stock will be run out in a week
or SO. The government postOfice will
be open next week but it has no stamps.
Now, about our trip on the Arcadia.
We left New York the Dist and it took
IN n yN1o
was sick the whole trip and fed the
fishes from New York to San Juan.
Arrived at Moro Castle at 5 a. m. and
saw the castle with its large puncture
made by Sampson; also the sunken
Spanish boat, Colon, which was sent to
the bottom of the channel.
The harbOr of San Juan, the fortified
city with It's high walls and ancient
buildings presents grand sight. The
city is 500 years old, narrow streets
paved with stone, and sidewalks only
24 inches wide. 1t is nothing unusual
to see a building 800 years old. [ have
in my possession cane made from
mahogany that is 80 years old. The
wood was taken from door in the old
mission. This cane was given to me by
a Catholic priest.
The natives are mostly black, about
two-thirds Of them, perhaps, and yerv
kind hearted set of people. They will
do most anything for an American
They beg for American flags, rich and
poor alike. The city by the time this
reaches you will be American, as four
Spanish boats are at this moment load
no their soldiers for Spain.
We just got back from trip up into
the mountains and no pen could des-
Cribe the grandeur of the scenery. The
trip from the city on the French rail-
road to Rio Pedros WAS fine. Pretty
cottages and large mansions on both
sides OF the track painted in all COlOrs :;
gardens OF palm trees, COcOanuts,
oranges, bananas, mountain pears, and
flowers all colOrs of the rainbow This
picture extends twenty miles in the
country so you can imagine that it must
heaven on earth. Then
from Rio PedrOs we took carriages on
the military road to Carolina, eight
miles through Spanish lines, then
horses and went to Bano, then
left the carriages and took Porto Rico
"claVOs" or horses and went horseback
on trail up the mountains to coffee
plantation called America, trip of IL
miles up and down bill. There we took
supper anu luGN 6lll6l ldluSu us With
Spanish dances and music. One Of the
instruments was maChete. a most
deadly weapon but used by all it seems
they could not live without it for they
use the same for tilling the soil, as axes
and almost everything.
The money exchange is $175 for 81
of American gold. We were the first
boat to land at San Juan and were
Ii nf
tives ran after US and tried to do some
thing to show us that they were our
friends. We have taken over a hun
dred pictures of interest and of inform
alton to Americans which we will for
ward to L. 2. Arpin. The island is a
beautiful one and no sickness. | drink
the juice from three to five cocoanuts
every day and 1t is, to me, the best of
all the native drinks and considered
very healthy. Pineapples are plentiful
and as sweet as sugar. Baked bananas
taste like corn pone and are fine
French potatoes are the same as Amer
lean. The cattle are the finest and give
rich milk. Oxen are used the same as
horses IN the United States. Horses
are the most expensive thing on the
island, worth from 5000 to $500 per head
weight from 500 to 700 lbs. But Ameri-
can horses could not stand the climate
nor climb the mountains. All the
American people who came on our
boat will be entertained at this hotel
tonight by Admiral Schley and staff and
we expect to bave great time.
The weather in the island is mild with
local rains i'll the city but not considered
ram here because people think the
heavy rains are In the mountains. |
have had two or three offers for my
services but have declined as [ expect
to go into business for myself, but am
in no hurry. 1t is a splendid place for
American capital, | could invest $4,000
and make it pay 90 per cent. interest
without any trouble, the finest oppor-
tunity Of the age, The people are over
a hundred years behind the times, but
are awakening to the idea of value very
fast. The banks do not even know how
banking business is done. We have
suggested to them the idea of checks in
place of orders as of yore and they in
vite us in their offices and have us ex-
plain the banking system to them.
Tomorrow evening We dine with Mr.
Marriott, banker who speaks English
very well. Well, | guess you must be
tired of this letter by this time. Trust
ing | have interested you and that ]
may hear from you in return, | remain
your friend, J. A. CoRRIvEAU.
Arsln l.. Arpiu was not long on the
island of Porto Rico before he decided
II a safe country for investment. He
bus purchased large plantation of one
thousand, eight hundred and sixty
acres, comprising timber land, sugar
land and cultivated tract, with build
ings and ! 900 head of cattle thereon
Consideration is said to have been Sl5,