The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-08-04

word came yesterday that Gen. Miles
has hoisted the American flag at
Guanica, on the southern coast, thus
making 9 beginning toward the occu-
patton Of this Island which seems more
likely to become permanent posses
sion Of the United States than either
Cuba or the PHILIPPINES. With this
IN prospecting doubt, your readers will
be interested in some particulars in re-
gard to the inhabitants, climate, soil
and products. The data and general
make up of this letter are largely
drawn from an article on "Porto Rico
and the Capture of San Juan" by Col.
W. Winthrop, U. S. A., in the Outlook,
for July 16, 1898.
Porto Rico was discovered by Co.
lumbus on his second voyage, on the
10Th of November, 1893. Tradition
places his landing point at Aguadilla
on the west coast. Ponce de Leon,
one OF the associates of Columbus, was
SO highly pleased with the scenery
and the prospect of gaining wealth
from the venture, that he, with some
companions, assumed possession of
the Island.
San Juan, then called San Juan
Bautislu de Porto Rico, was founded
in 1911.
Admiral Drake with British fleet
enclosed the harbor of San Juan in
1886, and ransacked and burned the
town, and some of the Spanish vessels,
but was obliged to retire.
The Moro castle surrendered to an
attack of the Earl of Cumberland in
1898, but he was obliged to forego the
capture of San Juan on account of an
epidemic among his forces. We find
further that San Juan. was besieged
by the Dutch Gen. Heinrich in 1925,
by an English squadron in 1878. and
again in 1903, and by Sir Rolph Al
bercromby with 10000 men in 1896,
and in each case the Spaniards re
pulsed the enemy. It appears that
thus far every attempt to wrest the
Island from Spain has proved a failure!
How will they manage the invasion of
Uncle Sam in 1893?
For Spanish colony internal dis
orders and instructions in Porto Rico
have been of infrequent occurrence and
have been suppressed with little diff
Guilty.
The surface of the Island is billy
and broken. There is mountain
range, from east to west toward the
southern coast, from which a great
many spurs put off to the north, af-
fording many wooded ravines and
watercourses. The mountain ranges
and spurs are all susceptible of cult
walton and with the low lands to the
north afford larger area for cultiva-
ton, and a greater variety of products
than the more level lands of Cuba.
The country is healthy one for a
tropical climate; running streams and
the absence of stagnant water, no
doubt contribute to purify the atmos-
phere. The mountain valleys enjoy a
delightful climate which has been
likened to perpetual spring. The an
nual rainfall at San Juan is about
seventy inches, though on the southern
coast there is much less rain-at times,
none at all for several months.
On the northern coast the climate is
least heathful, especially for foreign
ers. The hurricanes in some years
prove very destructive. "This dread
full scourge" writes Colonel Flinter,
switch often visits the West Indies,
may be considered as great draw
back on the planter, and is great de-
duction from the value of West Indian
property"
Porto Rico is eminently an agricul-
tural island. It is farmed with soil
of unusual fertility, with an abundance
of water keeps productive. The hills
and valleys are luxuriant with verdure;
the mountains even being cultivable
at any height. Good timber is abun-
dant; the royal palm being the most
useful, not on account of it's wood
only, but it's fruit for food and leaves
for thatching for cabins of the poorer
classes. The mahogany tree is valua-
BILE for export, and the plaintain and
the banana furnish an abundance of
food. The coffee plant yields lead
ing article of commerce and grows al
most spontaneously and tobacco yields