Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-09-08
PORTO RICO IN A NUTSHELL.

Porto Rico, the beautiful island
which Gen. Miles has taken under
the American flag, has an area of
$3.50 square miles. 1t is lot miles
in length and 81 miles across. It has
a good telegraph line and a railroad
only partially completed.
/ The population, which is not made
up of so many negroes and mulat-
! toes as that of the neighboring is
+ lands, is about 100000. Almost all
/ of the inhabitants are Roman Cath
! olics.
1t is a mountainous island, and
! C ntains AZ navigable streams. The
! roads are merely paths beaten down
! by cattle.
Exports in 1887 were valued at
! SO, ISL, 291; imports, 1O,19S,OO6.
Gold copper salt coal and iron
! abound.
The poorer classes live almost en-
tirely on a variety Of highland rice,
! which is easily cultivated, as it re-
quires No flooding.
One of the principal industries is
grazing. st. Thomas is the market
for fresh meat.
Corn, tobacco, sugar C flee, cotton
and potatoes constitute the principal
crops.
There are no snakes, no beasts of
prey, no noxious birds nor insects in
the island.
The trees and grass are always
green.
Rats are the great foe Of the crops.
The natives often live to be one
hundred years old.
The most beautiful flower on the
island is the ortegon, which has pur-
pie blossoms a yard long.
Hurricanes are frequent on the
north coast and very destructive.
Mosquitoes are the pest of the is
land.
Spanish is the language spoken,
and education is but little esteemed
Every man, no matter how poor,
owns horse and three or four
gamecOcks.
The small planter is called
''Xivaro." He is the proud possessor
Of a sweetheart, a cameo ok, horse
a hammock, a guitar and large sup
ply of t. bacco. He is quick tempered
but not revengeful, and he Is pro-
verbally lazy.
Hospitality is the rule Of the
island. The peasants are astonished
and hurt when Offered money by
travellers. San Juan Harbor is one
of the best in the West Indies, and is
said to be the third most strongly
fortified town in the world, Halifax
being the strongest and Cartagena,
Spain, the second.
Ponce de Leon, between 1909 and
1918 killed off the natives.
The De Leon palace built in 1911,
is of great interest to tourists.
The climate is warm but pleasant.
At night thick clothing is found com
Portable.
All visiting and shipping are done
after SHUTDOWN.
Slavery was abolished in 1873.
The women are rather small and
delicately formed Many of them
are pretty and they are all given 60
filtration.
Men and women ride horseback
alike. Wicker baskets to carry
clothes CT provisions, are hung on
either side of the horses shoulders.
Back Of these baskets the rider sits
1t is the custom of travellers OH
horseback to carry basket handled
sword a yard and quarter long,
more as an ornament than as a means
! CT defense.
! The observance Of birthdays is an,
island fashion that is followed by
every one.
A governor, appointed by the
crown manages affairs. His palace
is at San Juan, the capital, town
that has $4,000 inhabitants.
Upon the Rio Grande are prehis-
toric monuments that have attracted
the attention Of archaeologists.
Following the Spanish custom, men
are imprisoned for debt
! In the towns houses are built with
fiat roofs, both to catch water and
to afford the family a small roof
garden.
All planters have town houses
:, where they bring their families dur
, ing the carnival season.
San Juan is filled with adventures,
gamblers, spectators and fugitives
from justice.