The times., 1898-07-17

sums for every railroad and telegraph
privilege, the means of travel and com
municauon are far from good. With the
exception of a broad highway from San
Juan, across the island TO Ponce. a dis
tanee of ninety miles, the roads are little
better than COW trails. The projected
railway lines are numerous and several
are in course Of construction. one of $40
miles length, around the island. A cable
line forms connection with Cuba. Mexico.
Panama and the South American conti-
nent and another with ST. Thomas, and
Jamaica and the rest of the world.
No census has been taken for twelve
years. Then the population numbered S4,-
90S. of whom $50 267 were white 7775l ne
groes and 2iS. go half-caste OF the Il
600 foreign residents, $500 were Spaniards.
The capital city. San Juan Bautista.
was founded by Ponce de Leon in 1910.
Il Is situated on the little island of Nor
70, connected with the mainland by a
| bridge. Here are about q 900 people. The
houses are OF stone, usually one story
high. and have roof gardens, from which
fine sea views may be enjoyed. Almost
every house has . garden in its patio, or
court. The other cities of Importance
on the island are Arecibo. Aguadilla,
Mayaguez San Germay and Ponce.
There are no statistics available later
than those of 1896, when the imports
amounted in value to slS.9i5, 793. and the
exports to 81. .295. So. From the United
States Porto Rico imports petroleum.
glassware irOnware. chemicals. textiles.
paper lumber. barrels. machinery. car
riages. dried and salted meats. butter.
grease, Goldfish, -four. coal, fruits. vermi-
celH and cheese. The trade with this
country last year was of the value of
about 81, 100000 each for imports and ex-
ports.
Porto Rico is governed like all the other
Spanish colonies, having a captain gener-
al and council appointed at Madrid.
The revenues of Spain from the island are
81. OOO.O 600 year. chiefly from customs du-
ties and all sorts Of taxes.
In 1895 San Juan was sacked by an
English feet under Drake and three
years later it was laid in waste by the
Duke OF Cumberland after three days
fghiing. In 1920 the natives began a con-
fict for Independence There were sew
eral short guerrilla wars before 1868. all
Of which soon ended with the death of
the leaders. The most formidable insur-
Yectlon was that of the year mentioned,
when Cuba began her ten years struggle.
II required only two months for the Span
ish regulars 10 suppress the outbreak.
Two of the leaders who were condemned
to death are still living. DR.. j. J. Henna,
in New York, and DR.. Betances, in Paris.
DlA AAAF hdZ BGAOlt llsNA were 10 DE hilieb
/ the news of Isabellas overthrow was re-
ceived and all political prisoners were
! pardoned.
The Ladrones and CaroIines.
The Ladrones. as Magellan named them,
or the Mariana Islands, are in longitude
$50 east, and latitude IS north, about 500
miles due north Of the Carolines, LOO
miles from Manila and 1900 miles from
I Honolulu. Only five of the group are in
! habited, the principal town, with about
5000 people, being Agana. the capital of
! Guahau. 1t is fortified in a way and has
a fine harbor. The natives, of whom
! there were 900 males and half dozen fe-
males, at the last census twelve years
/ ago, are descended from rowing band of
| Greeks, and in support of this theory it
is mentioned that many of their words
are pure Hellenic. When Magellan dis
! covered the islands, form of republican
| government was in vogue 1t was liberal
! IN the extreme, the few offenders against
the unwritten laws of the land being
! tried In the open air by the entire male
! population.
me Carolines are extremely fertile.
and land is so plentiful on the hundreds
| OF islands comprising the group that
one may take all he cares to cultivate.
1here are one or two partly fortified
towns, and the population of the archi-
pelago is about 10000. while the area in
! square miles is 10000. The natives are
OF the Malay type. and are ineluned TO be
Industrious, though they have SO far
had little opportunity to work at a
profit on account of the mismanagement
of the Spaniards. who have encouraged
them to drink. Twice a week on MANY
OF the islands there is a public debauch
led by the chiefs and participated in by
men, women and even children. 1t is
no uncommon sight TO see numbers OF
the latter reeling toward their homes
after one of these drinking bouts. The
only missionaries in the archipelago are
Americans. The Germans now practically
control business there.