St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-11-05

sicily would have sufficed to conquer
tne Russian empire from the Vistula to
tne Ural, and it is probable that the
opaniards regret the loss OF Puerto
Rico more than that Of Cuba and the
philippine islands taken together.
OF all her colonies, writes +. L. Os-
Wald IN the Cincinnati Enquirer, Puer-
70 Rico alone continued to repay the
expenses of administration with
steacliy increasing surplus, which in
1875 amounted to nearly 81 1000, 900,
though neither the mineral nor agri-
cultural resources were ever more
than half developed. In the course OF
the last 80 years the exports of coffee
slowly rose from 10000 600 to 260. .00O,-
OUo pounds, those of sugar from 49,
100000 to POS, 900, 600, and only the
trade IL dye stuffs decreased, owing
70 the exhaustion Of the best logwood
forests and the neglect of cochineal
plantations that.could no longer COM
pete with the improvement of aniline
dyes. The area of the orange gardens
could be increased 1000 per cent, and
American mining methods applied to
the auriferous ledges of the Sierras
might again justify the islands name
In it's original significance.
During the first quarter Of the six
feenth century the valley Of the Sierra
Grande was studded with gold wash
ers' camps and the harbor of San Juan
was par excellence. el puerto rico. the
rich port, of the Spanish American
colonies.
But for emigrants from the United
States the chief attraction of the pref
ty island is, after all, the Incompatible
climate of its mountain plateaux. The
backbone range of the island, the Sier-
ra Grande, runs from Penas Negras on
the east coast to Cape San Francisco
in the extreme northwest, distance
- of just about so miles; but parallel to
that ridge and some Is miles nearer 70
the north shore exten is rampant of
foothills variously known as FL Cerro,
or Las Alturas (the heights), and SO
easily accessible from the harbor
towns that the little saddle mules ac-
complish the ascent with only two or
three midway rests.
And while the midland Sierra cul-
inmates in jagged crest, the Cerro is
table-land range, nearly ten miles
broad Mt some points and with an aver
age Of at least six miles.
In geological ages preceding the
catastophe that burst out the gates
of the gulf stream, the Antilles prob
ably formed the east coast Of our con-
tinent. and she arrangement of the
West Indian Sierras curiously re-
peats itself in the parallel ranges
of our southern Alleghanies. The
main chain of the Appalachians.
too, terminates in narrow cliffs.
while the Chillhowees and Walden's
Ridge (the foothill range of the
Cumberlands), are so broad that the
level of the plateau could accommo-
date cities as large and fat as Chicago
and Berlin.
The elevation, both of the Dixie and
West Indian fablcland hills, averages
500 feet above tidewater, and the
charms of their prospect points are
about evenly matched, oceans views
from the Cerro and grander high
land panoramas from the cliffs
Of the Chillhowees. The Puerto
Rico Sierras (south of the Cerro)
rarely rise above an altitude Of
5000 feet, and their eliminating point,
ET-c11bre de San Miguel, is 1000 feet
lower than Mitchell's peak.
But 1t remains true that fine land
scape without water is fine room
without mirror, and the remarkable
absence of lakes modifies the scenic
attractions of our Alleghenies from
Pennsylvania to northern Alabama.
Their largest highland tarns are mere
fishponds, few hundred yards across,
and hidden in the ferns and alder
brakes OF the foothill valleys, while
the guides Of San Juan will point out
cliffs where ramblers on the plateau
Of the Cerro can get glimpses of the
two great seas-the Atlantic on the
north, and the Caribbean glittering
through gaps Of the midland noun
tains. On the north slope Of the Cerro
there are villas that enjoy a seaward
prospect not easy to rival. Ocean
steamers to Vera Cruz and Havana
draw their smoke trail along the dis
tnnt horizon, the coast waters are
speckled with the sails of fishing
kmacks, and the rush of the Atlantic
breakers sends up its spray high above
the cliffs OF the rocky promontories.
Northwest storms, sweeping down
from Iceland and Spitzbergen, en-
counter no obstacle until their free
sweep Of 5000 miles is broken by the
bulward OF the Antilles, Of which
Puerto Rico forms the eastern out
post.
On the Cumberland plateau the In
dian summer of the south ends about
the middle OF November and two
weeks later snowstorms force Swarms
of winged refugees to continue their
southwark fight; but on the Alburas
Of Puerto Rico the end OF the sum-
mer rains heralds the beginning of a
SIX months season of the most pleas
ant weather enjoyed by any country
Of our latter-day world. From noon
tc three p. m. the neighborhood OF the
ennator now and then asserts itself
nlainly enough to make the breeze
ward side of . building preferable;
but the nights are always cool and the
mornings and evenings as genial Is
anywhere in the Grecian archipelago.
Rains during the long halycon
period OF the tropics are very rare,
and snowstorms so nearly unknown
.hat the creoles have only . dim
tradition about . March morning at
the beginning Of this century when
the peak Of San Miguel glittered white
ike q summit Of the Mexican Cordileras.
An icy nortasso had effected the prod
lry ID the small hours of the night.
but hy nine a. m. the sun had dispelled
The clouds and before noon the peak
resumed its usual appearance. As
,ecn from the heights Of the Cerro.
The midland Sierra towers blush
xreen. wooded to the very crest, with
! granite cli6 protruding barren here
md there, and single giants OF the
,alm tribe rising like fiagstaffs over
he outline Of the summit forests.
oaks. myrtles and pines there mingle
l.~llA~ AwnrwreenR At the