Evening star., 1898-12-01
Experience Of Mr.. Russell of the De.
partment of Justice.
REPORTS OF TROUBLE EXAGGERATED
A Picturesque and Remarkably
Fertile Country.
CLIMATE AND THE PEOPLE

torneys of the Department of Justice, has
returned from Porto Rico. where he was
sent by Attorney General Griggs as the
legal adviser of the American commission
which arranged the departure of the Span
ish troops. Mr.. Russell was In Porto Rico
two months and availed himself of every
opportunity to study the island and people.
He was asked by a representative Of The
Star for his views and gave the following
interesting statement:
Exaggerated Reports of Trouble.
When entered the harbor of San
Juan some two-thirds of the island was in
the firm possession of the Spaniards, well
disciplined, we'll fed, well fortified and sup
piled with vast quantities Of provisions
which they sold while were there. When
we came out on the Newark. the white
smoke of Morro's guns signified a salute
by General Brooke to Admiral Schley. l
had then just returned from trip to Ponce
and elsewhere, and If disorder and incendiar-
ism prevailed, as some people down there
as well as here have been saying, l got
closer to them than talk with a lieuten-
ant at Coamo, who believed he was warm
on the trail of a redoubtable bandit named
Figueroa / told him if 1 saw anything of
the gentleman 1 would let him know that
the lieutenant desired to see him. Another
officer told me at San Juan of some ban
dts he had killed not far from there. but
word: and that while a little arson has
been committed. and some insignificant dep
relations, the quiet of the people generally
is actually astonishing, all things consid-
cred. They have not been through decades
of more or less open insurrection and frc-
ton with the authorities like the people 1
saw in Cuba last winter, and are naturally
peaceable.
Most of them are enthusiastic about the
new era opening for them, and the more
educated are beginning to understand pretty
well that we are not anarchists red re-
publicans, but conservative nation, with
laws that have guns behind them. / met
and talked with lawyers. physicians. mer-
chants, bankers, and. in fact, with all
classes of people. and discovered that the
differences between them and us is about
one per cent and the resemblance about
rinety-nine. OF course, the differences,
especially if you do not speak their Ian
guage, are much more striking, and are
likely TO lead to very erroneous opinions.
| think most of the Spaniards will remain.
Some were very uneasy, and this brought
them into close relations with the Amer
lean authorities. who were assuring them
of protection. and will, of course, protect
them They are shrewd business men, and
one friend of mine among them, when
asked about the possible competition of
business men from the states, remarked
very confidently that the Spaniard in bust-
ress knows thing or two himself All
they ask. he says, is safety. They will take
care of the competition.
Intelligence of the People.
THE people of San Juan make a much
more favorable impression that those of
interior towns That is the capital and
naturally attracts people of means and
talent. The ladies there dress practically
as ours do, and some Of them-as many
as in other cities of the size-are pretty and
cultivated. The heads of the government
now there will compare very favorably in
appearance, culture and ability with those
of of states of equal population.
Several of them are large, handsome men,
who would attract attention in most
senblages. OF course, there is illiteracy.
but, elsewhere. it is not diffused through
the population and has very little effect
except to make peasant or laboring class,
which naturally leaves the control of i'm
portant affairs to those fitted for them.
The clergy has been going through a
weeding-out process since it was realized
tand it was long after we arrived that
such a thing could be at all believed poSSi-
ble) that the Spaniards were really going
and the Americans would be masters. Many
have already gone back to Spain; many
will remain and l imagine those who do
will be the best of the lot according to
our notions. Some rich ones also may re-
main.
1T became my duty to visit the acting
bishop in his handsome palace, and he
looked very much If he thought | had
come to request him to evacuate the pal
ace and perhaps turn over to me his func-
however, and had several long talks about
the new situation of the church in Porto
Rico. / explained to him what was in
evitable. and he finally concluded that it
might be great deal worse. His notions
OF North Americans, as we called, had
been evidently not much clearer than those
attributed to his excelency of Manila
Nevertheless he is a highly educated and
intelligent Jesuit. He began to talk to me
after awhile in Latin, but not knowing
how long my Latin would hold out 1 beg
gsd him to try some other tongue. 1t was
not worth while admitting, so far away
from home, that / was not in the daily
habit of conversing in that language.
Picturesque and Fertile Country.
"As for the country itself, nothing more
| picturesque and fertile can easily be i'm
agined. The middle region of Cuba is as
fertile-perhaps more so-but far less pic
turesque. The so-called mountain ranges
seem to range all over the island. In an
| eighty -fve-mle drive to Ponce and short
| one toward Adjuntas and some near San
Juan l saw nothing but mountains. In
the northern half of the island these are
| cultivated to the very tops; somewhat less
| often so in the southern part. Sugar and
coffee are the principal export crops; but
| large fruit and vegetable export to the
states will doubtless spring up. The
| oranges are very sweet and fine, and ba-
| nanas grow almost everywhere. Coffee
| grows on the hills under the trees as
tnouSn d mere WllQ unOerSrOWth.
| The heavy OK wagons creaking over the
| roads near Ponce indicated that commerce
| was already rapidly reviving, notwithstand-
Ing the unsettled state of the government
| and particularly the currency Sugar cane
was growing in luxuriant, well-cared- for
| fields, and the people attending each to his
| own livelihood with the industry of which
| human nature in constant perspira ton is
| capable. In San Juan l saw very few idle
people. The women, with large and grow
| ing families. were especially Industrious
| In the country at am. [ saw men and
| women and children on the way to begin
| their days work. In fact, l think it is
rather remarkable. judging their feelings
| by my own. how the people could do as
much labor as L saw going on.
The Climate of the Island
''Of course. L was caught in a rain while
crossing the island. But the rainy season,
| like most things about Porto Rico is not
what people here suppose. In San Juan,
| on little island almost a peninsula an
| occasional shower, that was rather refresh
it,s, ,lt1