Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-07-04
PORTO RICO EPITOMIZED.
PARACRAPHlc POINTS ABOUT AN
ISLAND NOW IN THE WORLDS EYE.

Porto Rico's area, $3.50 square miles.
1t is thirty-seven miles across and
107 miles in length.
A chain Of mountains traverses the
| island east and west.
Ell Yunque, 36SS feet high, can bo
seen sixty miles at sea.
There are 1900 streams. Forty
seven of these are navigable.
A railroad has been partially built
and fairly good telegraphic service is
maintained.
The roads are little more than cat
| tie tracks.
Population in 1887, SOTO
| Africans and mulattoes number less,
in proportion, than in any of the
neighboring islands.
! Exports in 1887 were valued at S10,-
1S1, ,231; imports, $40, ,006.
A variety of highland rice requiring
no flooding" is the staple food of the
laborers.
Sugar, coffee, tobacco, cotton, corn
and potatoes are the market crops.
Grazing is quite an industry, fresh
meat being shipped to st. Thomas.
Gold, iron, copper, coal and salt are
found
Slavery was abolished in 1878.
Ponce de Leon between 1909 and
1918 killed off the natives.
A plant growing there, the "orte-
gon," has purple flower yard long.
The mosquitoes are terrible pests.
Fevers and dysentery kill Off the
foreigners.
The hurricanes off the north coast
are the terror of sailors.
| San Juan, the capital, is town OF
1000.
/ Education is matter of little con-
.ern.
The "giboros" are the small land
nolders of mixed Spanish and Indian
stock.
For three centuries the island was q
penal colony.
Not until 1856 was any trace of
aborisines found by archmologists.
i Queer prehistoric monuments on
| the Rio Grande River have attracted
attention.
San Juan harbor is one of the best
in the West Indies.
San Juan was sacked by Drake in
1895 and by the Duke of Cumberland
three years later.
Baldwin Heinrich lost his life in an
unsuccessful attempt to take San Juan
in 1915.
! In 1878 the English failed in an at
tack on the forts, and again in 1897
they had to retire after three days
siege.
De Leon's palace, built in 1911,
is one of the curiosities Of the town.
Some of the islands near by send to
Porto Rico for water.
Visitors are ready to affirm that every
man on the island CANDLES.
Hospitality greets the traveller on
every hand, and tender of money
grieves the peasant.
/ Every man, no matter how poor,
owns horse and three or four game
cocks.
/ Warm clothing is found comfortable
at night.
The surf that breaks ON the north
coast is one of the strongest known.
! Houses in the towns have fiat roofs
to catch water and for recreative pur-
poses.
In the country the houses are built
This IS to avoid the dampness.
The siesta is a universal favoritc;
shopping and visiting being done only
at night.
Strange as it may seem, there are no
stenches noticeable in the towns, as in
other tropical climes.
The planter of any means will have
a town house, and there brings the
family at carnival time.
The trees are always green in Porto
Rico.
There are no snakes, no beasts OF
prey, no noxious birds nor insects to
terrorize the field laborer.
There is strange scarcity of birds
there; a few parrots and water fowls
seeming to cover the list.
Monkeys and rabbits are unknown
I on the island. Enormous rats, how
ever, abound and devastate the crops.
! Longevity among the natives is of
common occurrence, death at 100 years
lf age not being rare.
San Juan seems to be the "Mecca"
I adyenturers and fugitives from JUS
4 tice.
To be white man in the islands is
10 have certain stamp of nobility.
4 ''Xivaro" is how the small planter
gs known. He loves his sweetheart,
lis game cock, his cigar, his guitar,
! B hammock and his horse. He is
| quick TO anger and quick to forgive.
! He is not fond of work.
Men and women ride horseback
| aAie. Wicker baskets with handles
alt hung ON either side of the horses
| sH ulders. This carries provisions.
Bt k of the baskets. but in front of
thu shoulders, the rider sits and swings
his feet.
The traveller on horseback never
feels dressed up unless he carries
y 81 let-handled sword a yard and a
! quarter long.
st Johns Day is annually the oc-