The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-24
TOWN LIFE IN PORTO RICO.
CHARACTERISTICS or THE ISLAND
THAT is TO BE OURS.
The People FIocIS-The Cities-Evi-
dences of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and other InstitutiOns-Agreea
Information

VI lne oVV,VOo lnnaMtautS or Porto RICO
100000 live in cities. The industries of the
island are almost entirely agricultural.
But there are few farming localities of
the United States corresponding in di-
mansions to this island which can show
such a collection of cities and towns.
Porto Rleos area is about equal 10 that
of three average counties In Illinois, Mis-
souri,, Kansas or any other Western State.
Yet this territory, less than 100 miles in
length and one-third that in width, has
three cities of from 10000 to 10000 popula-
ton, a dozen about 5000 and fifteen or
twenty towns of 1000 and over. A charac-
teristic of the Porto Ricans is to live In
towns, villages and In plantation COM
munities rather than in scattered and
isolated farmhouses.
Much has been printed about San Juan
de Porto Rico. People of the United
States are fairly familiar, by description,
with the Morro the massive walls, the
narrow city, built along a strip of sand
running parallel to the mainland, and Sc
parated from it by the bay. The capital
of this new territory of the United States
no longer seems foreign. With the other
cities and towns there is less acquaintance.
From consular sources the department of
state has come into possession of inter
esting data about the more important
population centers besides San Juan.
Ponce ranks as the second city of the
island. According to the dispatches, Gen.
Miles has made the immediate vicinity
his landing place and base of operations.
Ponce by the data furnished from the de-
DaFtmput of state is situated on The south
coast Of the island of Porto Rico, on a
plain about two miles from the seaboard.
1t Is regularly built, the central part al
most exclusively of brick houses and the
suburbs of wood. II is the residence of
the military commander, and the seat of
an official chamber of commerce. There
is an appellate criminal court, besides
other courts; two churches-one Protest
ant, said to be the only one In the Spanish
West Indies-two hospitals besides the
military hospitals a home of refuge for
the old and poor, perfectly equipped fire
department., bank, a theatre, three first
class hotels and gas works. The city has
an ice machine and there are 115 vehicles
for public conveyance The Inhabitants,
who number about 10000 are principally
occupied in mercantile pursuits, but car
penters, bricklayers, joiners, tailors, shoe
makers and BARRIERS find good employment.
The department of Ponce counts about
40 900 inhabitants. The chief occupations
of the people are the cultivation of sugar,
cocoa, tobacco and oranges and the breed
ing of cattle. Commercially, Ponce is the
second city of importance on the island.
A fine road leads to the port playa,
where all the import and export trade is
transacted. Playa has about 5000 inhab-
itants, and here are situated the custom
house, the Office of the Captain of the port
and all the consular offices. The port is
spacious, and will hold vessels of twenty
five feet draft. The climate, on account of
the sea breezes during the day and the
land breezes at night, Is not oppressive,
though warm; and as water for all pur-
poses. including the fire department, is
amply supplied by an aqueduct, il may be
said that the city of Ponce is perhaps the
healthiest place in the whole island
In the same class with San Juan and
Ponce ranks Mayaguez, easier for the
American tongue than the spelling might
indicate. Ponce is pronounced In two
syllables If spelled from hearing an
American child would probably make it
"Ponsy." This is the Cuban and West
Indian pronunciation generally and viii
probably be accepted as the American.
But the pure Spaniard with due regard
for the frequent ''th," will continue to say
"Pon-thay" long after the red and yellow
flag has gone down. Mayaguez is COM
monty "May-ah-guez," without particular
accent on any syllable. MAyaguez, Ponce
and San Juan are three coast points of a
triangle embracing the greater part of the
island. Ponce is a halfway point on the
south coast. San Juan prevents the
formation of a right-angled triangle by
being on the north coast considerably
east of the middle line. Mayaguez faces
what is generally known as the mona
Passage" the narrow entrance to the
Caribbean between Porto Rico and San
Domingo. According to the memoranda
of the department of state, there is little
to be said of the industries of Mayaguez
except that there are three manufactures
of chocolate, which is for local consump-
ton. Sugar coffee, oranges pineapples
and cocoanuts are exported largely-all,
except coffee principally to the United
States. OF sugar the muscovado. goes 10
the United States and the centrifugal TO
Spain. MayagueZ is the second port for
coffee the average annual export being
10000 hundred-weights. The quality is of
the best, ranging in price with Java and
other first-rate brands. The lower grades
are sent to Cuba. About $1,000 bags of
flour are imported into this port every
year from the United States, out of the
900 bags that are consumed in the
whole island. The population is nearly
10000, the majority white. The climate Is
excellent, the temperature never exceed
ing 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The city is con
nected by tram with the neighboring town
of Aguadilla, and a railroad is being con-
structed to Lares, one of the large interior
towns.
After Mayaguez comes a class of cities
or large towns, of which Aguadllla is a
fair sample, "Ah-wah-de-ya," as Amer
leans will learn in time to call 1t, is the
principal town and the port of Aguadilla
district, in the northwest portion of the
island, and has 5000 inhabitants. Indus
tries In the vicinity consist of the cultiva-
ton of sugar cane, coffee, tobacco and
cocoanuts and the distilation Of rum from
molasses. In the town are three establish
ments for preparing coffee. The climate is
hot but healthy: there IS hardly ever yell
low fever.
Arecibo is a town of from 5000 to 1000
population. 1t is situated on the north
coast of Porto Rico, facing the Atlantic
Ocean, and some fifty miles distant by rail
from San Juan. II is similar to all Spanish
towns. with a plaza surrounded by the
church and other public buildings in the
center, and streets running from it ia
right angles forming regular squares.
The buildings are constructed Of wood and