The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-30

in length. The area of Puerto Rico il
about 5000 square miles, with a popula-
ton of 100000, of which nearly one-half
are black or colored, and 100000 cannot
read or write. The city of Ponce is the
largest, with population of about 49,
600, and an export trade of vast extent.
1t is the chief sugar-shipping port,
though it has no good harbor, and liex
nearly three miles from the sea. 1t is
rather fine city, with a pretty plaza
and grand cathedral, and its houses,
like those of San Juan, are all built of
stone.
Other harbors are: On the east coast,
Fajardo and Humacao; on the north,
besides San Juan, Arrecibo; on the
west, Aguadillo and Mayaguez, at the
former of which Columbus watered his
caravels in 1893.
Columbus landed at the northwestern
corner of the island, bringing his ships
into the harbor still called Aquadillo.
The spring here, where he and his sail
ors obtained fresh water, still bubbles
forth. During his stay of a few days
Columbus captured a beautiful Indian
girl and called her Catalina. Little did
he dream that near those same waters,
4O0years later, Yankee warship would
capture Spanish vessel bearing this
same name. Catalina was not particu-
larly fascinated with the Spaniards
and jumped overheard, swimming two
miles TO an island in the Caribbean sea.
She was never heard of since. Puerto
Rico was not again visited by white
men until 1903, when Ponce de Leon,
Spanish governor of Santo Domingo,
was attracted there by reports of it's
rich soil and great mineral wealth. He
landed with his soldiers, and it is said
that the native chief showed him some
rivers with golden sands. Ponce de
Leon was charmed, and Immediately set
about to conquer the island He told
the natives that he and his soldiers
were immortal and they generally be-
lieved him until two of the tribe, tritie
skeptical, held Spaniard's head under
water and saw that he died. After this
they effected great uprising and mas
sacred all the Spaniards they could lay
hands upon. A bloody war continued,
but seeing the Spanish dead continually
replaced, the savages came to believe
that the new soldiers were in reality
the old ones returned from the other
world. The Spaniards conquered by
aid not only of such deceits but of their
customary cruelty, and imported fierce
bloodhounds to hunt down the poor In
dams. AS late as this century wild de-
scendahts of these dogs lived in the for
ests of Puerto Rico, where they SUBJ
sisted upon the land crabs which at
certain seasons move down the noun
tain sides in tremendous armies to de-
post their young in the sea. The
Puerto Ricans were eventually con-
quered and reduced to slavery.
San Juan was for three centuries a
convict station. After the death of
Ponce de Leon the island was used for
no other purpose until 1915, when Spain
awakened to the fact that her beauti-
full island possession had been unappre-
ciated and neglected. Meanwhile the
aborigines had been practically exter-
minated, and San Juan had been cap
tured by the English in 1898, by the
Dutch in 1918 and by the English again
in 1742. Even these progressive nations
had failed to appreciate what Uncle
Sam will shortly put to good use.