The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-30
PORTO RICO CONDITIONS
OPPRESSED NATIVES WOULD VEL
COME INVADING AMERICANS.
They Believe the Time Is Near When
They Can Demand Better Gov
ernment-IsIand's Fertility.
New York Evening Sun.


1t has often been pointed out that one of
the first things to be done in case of war
between the United States and Spain would
be the immediate seizure of Porto Rico by
the army and navy of the United States
and that the island should be retained as
guarantee of the sum which Spain will have
to pay to the United States as indemnity
for both the expenses of the war and the
damages caused to citizens of this country
as result of the Cuban insurrection.
If the seizure of Porto Rico should actual
ly be effected, the natives of that island,
who are as inimical to Spain as the Cubans
themselves, expect that their country will
in no case be turned back to Spain without
giving them chance to decide freely
whether they wish to remain Spanish or to
become Independent or to be annexed to the
United States.
Small though the island is, the natives
think that it is surely worthy of some con-
sideraton. 1t would make splendid State.
The island lies between 1850 and 1880 north
latitude, and between 65 :S5 and 67:10 west
longitude. 1t forms part Of the Antillian
Archipelago, which extends from the Gulf
of Maracaybo almost east and west to the
Island of Trinidad, where it inclines to the
north, describing a curve to the northwest.
Porto Rico forms an irregular parallelo-
gram los miles long and 81 broad, with an
area of 1850 square miles. The coast line
is 270 miles From east to west 1t is trav-
ersed by range Of mountains beginning at
the head of San Juan bay, in the northeast,
and terminating at Cape Rincon, in the
west. The highest point is Ell Yunque, $500
feet above the sea level and situated in the
Sierre de Luquillo, near the northeastern
corner.
There are more than 1890 rivers and
streams in Porto Rico. the more important
Of which are Rio Grandei BaySa anon, Fis and
Guajataca which flow to the north coast;
the Culebrines, Anasco, GuanaJibo ana
Mayaguaz, to the west; the Portuguese,
Jacaguas Guamani and Guayanes, to the
south, and the Humacao, Naguabo ana
Fajardo, to the east. None of these rivers
is naVigable. There are also eight lagoons,
and drinkable water is found in abundance
all over the island.
The principal ports are San Juan de Puerto
Rico. on the north; Fajardo and Ensenada
Honda, on the east: Jobo and Guanica- the
best in the island, on the south, and Puerto
Real, in the west. Besides there are some
roadsteads and anchorages, such as HUI
macao on the east, Ponce on the SOUTH
Mayaguez on the west and Arecibo on the
north.
The climate is salubrious, and like all
tropical countries, has two seasons-the
rainy and the dry. The mean temperature
in summer is thirty degrees c. There is
current from the gulf on the coasts running
from east to west, and another which flows
to the east in opposite direction
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
The general appearance of Porto Rico is
beautiful, owing to it's fertility and the ex-
uberance of it's vegetation. It's principal
products are sugar, coffee, tobacco. cocoa,
cotton, rice, maize, yams, plantains,
oranges, cocoanuts and other tropical fruits
Besides, 1t produces beautiful woods, medic
inal plants, roots useful for tanning and
dyeing. On the lowland pastures large herds
of cattle are raised. The breed of horses is
highly priced the world over. There is an
abundance of birds, both domesticated and
wild; and fish. bivalves and sponges abound
in the water of the coasts.
There are mines of iron, gold, copper,
ZINC, rock crystal, coal and salt-but only
the last are worked. The quarries produce
white stone, marble and granite. Thermal
mineral springs abound.
The island is divided into seven depart
ments, which comprise seventy towns.
They are: