Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-08-11

According TO Porto hIcln HoN III
New York the latest estimates of the
population of the island put it at about
90 coo, Of whom 1900 are peninsulares
or natives Of Spain. and from 12,coo &c
Il coo foreigners, mostly FIenchmen,
Italians, Germans, English, and Amer1-
cans, thernationaiities being very little
represented The native population Is
composed OF two thirds whites. descend
ants Of Spaniar1s and people Of other
European countries. and one-third ne
groes and nulattoes. OF people Of mixed
blood
The mode Of life is very similar TO
that Of European countries except for
some slight differences due 70 the hot
climate. Fashions for men ard wo-
men alike are introduced from Spain,
especially from Paris and London The
weli-to-do in the principal towns dress
just like people in European countries,
men wearing woOlen clothes all the year
round The young women dress very
elaborately, and ali wear hats, the span
ish mantilla being worn only by elderly
women. In the small towns men dress
after the fashion of the cities, but wear
linen fabrics, as woolen clothes are very
uncomfortable. are considered a luxury,
and are worn on holy days and Sundays
only. Laborers and farm hands do not
wear coats or shoes They do not ca-e
to do SO. if they did they could not af-
ford to, as their wages are very small.
Life at San Juan and the other princi
pal towns is very monotonous, the only
amusements being retreta or concert by
the military bands twice week and
theatrical performances three or four
evenings a week, natinees being given
very seldom. The theatres are owned
by the cities and rented by European
companies travelling through the island
1T 50 1nuch an evening.
The principal towns of the island are
San Juan, the capital, on the north
coast, with 81 $50 inhabitants; Ponce,
Oh the south coast, with Il, 800 lnhabl-
tants; MayagueZ, on the west coast,
with 90, 500 Inhabitants; Aguadilla, on
the same coast, but more to the north,
with II, 600; Arecibo, on the north coast,
NlIH o., SbU @hA~CyN
and Faiardo, all -eaports. Other I'M
portant inland towns are San German,
Yauco and Gauyama
The population of San Juan is that of
the town and its suburbs, but that of
the other towns named includes all the
inhabitants of the districts, that IS to
say, the country around the town. San
Juan, built ON a small island connected
with the main land with the San Anto-
MO bridge, is quite beautiful city,
with straight bat narrow streets and
many fine buildings. Ii has several
public institutions and colleges, several
churches and seven small parks, among
them the PlaZuela de Santiago, with a
very good statute of Columbus. The city
is lighted by gas supplied by an English
company and by electricity supplied by
a local corporation. There are eleven
newspapers of all kinds. principal one
being La Correspondence, daily pollt-
ical paper, with a circulation of about
1000 copies, which is equal to that of
the other papers combined. There is
local telephone company, but no water
except that of the cisterns. A reservoir
was projected and the plan was appro-
we'd by the Government some fifty years
ago, but owing to the manana system 1t
has not been finished yet.
The history of the Spanish admins
tration in the island is one Of cruelty
and corruption The Spanish began by
exter1ninating the native Indian popu-
| lation, which some historians place at
SOC, 000 in less than century. Every
branch of the administration of the is
| land is conducted under a system OF
! corruption, the law is constantly violat-
ed by the Spaniards and the natives are
derived of their rights. At the
elections the Spanish or Conservative
party always wins, Notwithstanding the
fact that it is large minority.
The liberty of the press is unknown.
Articles printed i'll the Madrid or other
| Spanish papers attacking the Govern
ment cannot be reproduced by any
Porto Ricsn papers without the editors
| being punished, even If the article IN
question has not been considered ground
| for prosecution by the authorities IN
| Spain.
No more than nineteen persons are al
lowed to meet in any place on the island
| without special permission of the Coy
ernment, and representative or the
Mayor of the town mnst attend meet
| ings to see that nothing is done or said
against the integrity of the nation.
| Licenses are required for everything
even for dancing party.
These are some of the things which
caused the people at Ponce to cheer the
Americans who took possession of the
| town