Evening star., 1898-10-05
Prospects for Men Of Small Means in
Porto Rico.
PROFIT IN COFFEE PLANTATIONS
Americans on the Island Looking
Over the Field.
EXAMINING LAND TITLES

SCfhcient tincture oe suspicion by Ameri-
cans during the present interre gnum, when
1t has become somewhat questionable with
some as to what officers have authority to
administer an oath or what courts are
possessed of competent Jurisdiction to re-
celve and file records. to place considera-
| Die limit upon transactions in realities. So
lar as the military power now governing
the flsland goes, there has been no dis
turtance of the legal status cf affairs; ON
the contrary. definite instructions were giv-
en- by Gen. Miles for the recognition of the
existing regularly established authorities.
Capital Is. however. we all know. pro-
verbally timid and does not brook uncsr-
tainties, so until the island is fully and
hnally transferred to the ownership of the
United States. 1t is likely that the markets
will remain sluggish. Notwithstanding all
TINS, assurances are given by reliable Porto
Ricars that all titles are clear and defensi-
Die and perfect abstracts can be obtained.
There are now in the province of Ponce
prcbably 300 Americans. who have come
| mere to look up the prospects for invest
ments and the business chances, and pos
Slbly there are as many more in other parts
of the island. These represent every ele-
n.ent of professional. commercial and in
dustrial life, and it is safe to say that they
are shrewd lot and that such investiga-
tons as they make will be searching and
conclusive. My own information leads me-
to one fixed conclusion, and that may be
thus stated: Porto Rico offers promise to
but limited number of men with small
capital. 1t is lot like our western states
and territories. country with extensive
arzaS of unoccupied or unclaimed lands
Every acre is owned by somebody, and
possession can only be acquired by pur-
chase. Inasmuch as it is pretty we'll un-
derstood that the Americans having con-
QLered the island will now want to occupy
1t and that we are people not only pos
sessed of wealth. but somewhat literally
inclined to pIrt with it. prices have not
only advanced materially since the signing
of the protocol. but there is every prospect
for them to still mount upward.
a Chicago real estate man who has been
for some eehs looking into the situation
puts it thus:
MY impressions when I left Chicago
We're that Porto Rico would offer some fine
openings for n.en CT small means who LACK
seek information with that proposition
chiefly in view. You know that the man in
the United States who has only few
thousands i2 lost sight of in this age Of
Gated departne ent stores, and my thought
was that here was a country to which he
might come, srd, with his limited meaEs
begin life again under more hopeful coc,n-
ticns. I find' he continued, further. that
inc coffee, sugar and tobacco plantations
are. in tn, main. of large extent, and when
owners are willing to part with hem at
all, which is ir. rare cases the amount nee
essary to purchase reaches sums running
from sJ0.0D upward. Fruit farming is IN
certain and reliable data upon whicn to
base estimates ere difficult. if not impossi-
bic. to obtain. After investigating these I
turned my attention to Carrying and othar
minor industries. but t1ere are some ui,fa
Ncfaple circumstances surrounding these
n,ore or less insurmountable and I am
convinced that Porto Rico except in 4 very
limited sense, is rot i poor mans coun-
try
| desire here. however to repeat and en-
Stffa ,r
elsewhere as to some lines of business here
mere are openings for good, wel-conduct-
ed American hotels. restaurants. barber
shops, iaundries, tailor shops hack and cx
press lines, livery stables. etc, and when
the building era begins, which will be next
year. there will be work for every sort of
mechanic l speak of the building era be-
cause under any set of circumstances if is
bound to come. The agricultural lands
and. in fact. the whole island is sure to
pass into the hands of Americans: their
Superior methods and commercial sagacitv
Will enable them to gradually absorb the
hold1nSS OF race so ill-ftted to competc
Win them as the Porto Ricans intelligent
and shrewd though they are as measured
from the standpoint of comparison with the
othef native peoples of the Antilles
Profits of Coffee Growing.
With due respect to the conclusions of
the chicago man above quoted | want to
give it as my opinion that if buyers come
tracts may be had at justifable fipures.
iahda which may be planted in coffee and
made TO yield rich returns in five years
burihS the unproductive growing period
toin. vegetables and some fruits may be
cultivated and sold that should paw the
!lVins expenses. Coffee growing in Porto
f1co is about the most profitable industry
today lii the world. 1t would paw and does
pay, under ordinarily favorable conditions
~ per cent Oh the investment year in and
year out. This equals the returns from the
wool industry in the palmy days of the
northwest. My Information is that tha
iitIris lit for coffee culture may be increas-
ed 30 per cent on the island and in this l
See a ray of promise for a limited number
OF small capitalists who have been frozen
out of most things at home There arc a
few other things that in the hands of our
energetic and resourceful people it seems
to me should afford the means for some
small investors to establish themselves
with profitable returns.
Where the bounties Of nature arc co law
lsh!y bestowed as in Porto Rico there must
De variety of new things within the reach
OF the American. Among these are maca-
roni and chocolate factories, spice and dive
plants. fruit packing establishments, etc.
fhere are. certainly good openings for
oreweries. The people are very fond of
beer and 1T Is brought all the way from the
United States and Germany at very large
expense. 1t Is served with ice broken and
put into the glass. a process which. of
| course hastens it dsasreeshly at once
The class of cattle here, while they pre-
sent n good appearance to the eye are in
ferior as to beef and milk yielding qualities.
So far dairying has been unsuccessful by
reason of the poverty of the milk, but why
1t would not pay to bring in better stock
both for the block and for butter making
am unable to see. Superior grades of
poultry might also be imported. They sell
for a good price. and eggs bring 20 cents a
dozen much of the year. 1t must be under
stood that the old ruts have been persist
entity followed here for centuries but the
people appear to be quick to see and an
preciate better things when they are point
ed out to them.
The Chief Town in the Future.
What is to become the chief town of the
| Island seems to be mooted question San
Juan has superior harbor. but the health
and climatic conditions are less favorable
than on this side. Ponce. while it's harbor
facilities are not the best Is well located
as an outlet for ths productive sections.
and the climate of the region Is saIubrious
As for the harbor, this may be made secure
by the erection of a breakwater work
II at will. no doubt. be taken I'D by the gov
errment at an early time. AS an indicator
| OF what Is going on. 1t may be stated that
there are seven bids before the council of
Ponce for street railroad franchise be-
| tween the city and the rort. a stretch of
two and half miles. The bid offers st0,ES,
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