The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-30
SOME POINTS FROM PONCE.
interesting Items Gathered by Mr.
H n. Lemcke in Porto Rico.

interesting Items Gathered by MIR.
II. d. Lemcke in Porto Rico.
Mr. H. B. Lemcke of the Portion Rican
nail service is now at Ponce, one of the
principal towns of the island, where he
has been directed to remain pending fur
tber orders. He is to be located eventual
Nv at San Juan. Ponce is about eighty
one miles from San Juan.
In letters to friends here Mr.. Lemcke
expresses the greater liking for Ponce, al
though il is not so clean town as San
man The natives he has found smart
and quick and eager to seize every oppor-
tunity 10 make money. Prices of supplies
and curios were quite reasonable until the
troops took possession. Then they adj
v-anced especially for curiosities, the de-
mand for them being greater than the
Mr. Lemcke does not find the food, as
prepared by the natives, exactly what his
nalate is accustomed TO. Everything seems
to be cooked in garlic and cocoanut or
. .s,five oil. He is paying 50 a day for board,
Porto Rican money, which, at the rate of
exchange set by Gen. Miles, is S1.50 of our
money The regular market rate of eX-
Chqnge though, is $1.75 Porto Rican money
for 81 of Uncle Sans. Many Americans
have already invade the island, looking
for business openings. Some of them were
devoid of nieteenth century advantages.
An ice plant is in operation there, and
tbe city is lighted by electricity. The
rate for ice, though, is higher than that
in Savannah in the palmy days of the ice
combine Three to cents a pound IS
charged for it, although the output OF
The plant is reputed to be 500 tons day.
From what MIR. Lemcke has seen he has
concluded that if a man in the United
States wants to emigrate to Porto Rico
he had better carry some money with MN
to the island. The trades do not pay we'll
THE native workmen labor cheaply and
do their work quite well. First-class Amer
lean carpenters are getting but So day.
The stores have no show windows and
not much enterprise, and he thinks that
the man who opens up store that VIII
meet the requirements of the people and
with a better display of the goods Will
do WELL Among the other interesting
facts cleaned by Mr.. Lemcke are these:
Panama straw hats sell from S. to S.,
American money. They are fine, can be
washed, rolled up and carried in the pocket
without injury. In the States they would
bring $40 or more. The better class OF ma
tives wear light clothes, with tight-itting
Jackets buttoned up to the neck. A suit
of clothes can be had made to order for
s. 10 80 American money. Shoes are also
cheap French patterns made to order ut
s. to 81. Washing is 70 cents dozen,
regardless OF the character OF the pieces
of clothing. The washing is done entire
ly by hand, and is not surpassed by the
very best in this country. Milk sells for
so cents a gallon, unwatered, the COW be-
ing MIXED in the presence of the buyer as
guarantee of purity. This would be
about 30 cents a gallon in American money.
A Boston house has opened up bank
at Ponce. An effort was made to freeze
them out by getting an option on all de-
sirable or suitable offices. but the Ameri-
cans got an office in the custom house
and put out their single there. Cigars
that would retail here for so cents or more
sell for 10 cents, and whisky retailing in
this country at $l.75 only commands 76
cents at Ponce