The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-22
PONCE D LEoWs WHITE HOUSE.
interesting Relic of Four Centuries in
SAN Juan.

Perhaps the most interesting object in
the capital of our new possession is La
Casa Blanca (ssthe White House'), which
Juan Ponce de Leon built for himself SO
years ago, and where he lived during his
long term as governor of the Island. 1t
stands in a narrow. roughly paved street,
about half way between tie Castillo del
and although in its unsightly old age it
looks little like the one -time abode of so
great potentate, nobody can mistake it
ON account of the double line of splendid
palms in front. Trees are few in Porto
Rico's capital, there being no others ex.
cept inside the walls of the Marina-and
these are fine enough to form a conspicu-
Gus landmark anywhere. The water side
is guarded 5y very ancient and pictur-
esqua wall, with queer little openings on
top for crossbow men to shoot through,
and within the wall is charming garden
full of pepper and cinnamon trees, with
passion vines running riot around a
messy fountain in the center. The Casa
Blanca is anything but white" house
today, but gray with the flight of time,
notified with lichens and stained by the
storms of centuries The passing feet of
many generations have worn deep hollows
in its stone stairways, and the dim rooms
with their heavily barred easements,
Shiny walls and sunken floors, have the
odor of grave mold in them. One has an
uncanny feeling of spooks fitting ahead
up the ancient staircase and lurking in
shadow corners, and expects at any
m;nuts to meet ghostly knight in
armor.
The view from the upper windows is
unsurpassed. Immediately below, on the
seward side, is the great gray wall of
the line of defense, with its massive bat
Elements Anticipated cannon and little
sentry turrsts, hanging like orloie nests
over the waves beyond, the sparkl1n
waters of the bay, and on either hand the
palm-fringed coast OF the mainland,
sweeping to the east and west, With green
hills crowding down to the water edge.
Tier above tier rise the hills in close
ranks to tho clouds that veil magn1ncent
Unque-the Indian name OF the loftlest
mountain The central range, whlch
forms the backbone of Porto h1oo, aver
ages only about 1900 feet in height, bu6
there are several peaks, each something
over 4lUuU I6eG. between bneSS ILLS iio
some of the richest lands on the globe
capable of producing astonishing crops
four times year. These are uplands and
lowlands, pasture lands, sandy bottoms
and loamy bottoms. but no fever breed.
ing swa:pps and marshes, such as are
found in Cuba. There are districts which
grow as fine tobacco as the celebrated
Vuelta A bajo of the sister island coffee
lands better than those of Guatemala,
Honduras or Brazil and sugar lands
which yield greater crops than any other
spot on earth Chemists have never been
able to discover what there is in the soil
of this particular island to make it better
for sugar than others of the West Indies.
but the fact remains, dem nstrated over
and over again, that quintal of Porto
Rico cane yields from two to twelve per
cent more sugar than can be obtained
from similar quantity grown IN Cuba,
Jamaica or Santa Domingo. Perhaps 1t Is
because this island is SO exceptionally
we'll watered without being marshy,
seventeen rivers running to the sea on
this north shore alone, all of them
navipable several miles above their
mouths