Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-11-08

quired by purchase. 1naemuch as it 10
pretty we'll understood that the Ameri.
cans. having conquered the island, will
now want to OCCUPY it and that we are
paople not only possessed Of wealth,
but somewhat literally inclined to part
with il, prices have not only advanced
materially since the signing Of the pro-
toool, but there IL every prospect for
them TO still mount upward.
AspkIoag0T real estate man who has
been for some weeks looki' 3 into the
situation puts IL thus: IT,.
MY impressions when left Chicago
were that Porto Rico would offer some
fine openings for men Of small means
who lack opportunities a: home, and I
came here to seek information with that
proposition chiefly in view. You know
that the man in the United States who
has only q few thousands is lost sight
Of in this age Of pools and trusts and com.
bines and syudioated department stores,
and my thought was that here was .
country to which he might come, and,
with his limited means, begin life again
under more hopeful conditions find, {"
he continued, further, "that the coffee,
sugar and tobacco plantations are, in
the main, Of large extent, and when
owners are willing to part with them at
all, which is in rare cases, the amount
necessary to purchase reaches sums run.
ming from $50. 900 upward. Fruit farm.
ing is uncertain and reliable data upon
which to base estimates are difficult, II
not impossible, to obtain. After investi'
eating these I turned my attention to
dairying and other minor industries,
but there are some unfavorable circum.
stances surrounding these more or less
insurmountable. and I am convinced
that Porto Rico, except in very limit.
cd sense, IL not poor mans country"
I desire here. however; to repeat and
emphasize certain statements Of mine
made elsewhere 90 to some lines Of bust.
neas here. There are openings for good,
we'll conducted American hotels, res.
taurants. barber shops, laundries, tailor
shops. hack and express Lines, livery
stables eto, and when the building era
begins, which will be next year, there
will bework for every sort Of mechanic.
! speak Of the building era because IN.
der any ut Of circumstance It IL bound
TO come The agricultural lands and,
IN fact, the whole island are sure to pass
into the hands Of Americans Their %.
perior msthods and commercial sagaoity
will enable them to gradually absorb
tho holdings Of . race 20 Ill fitted to
compete with them ~ the Porto Rioans,
Intelligent and shrewd though they are
90 measured from the standpoint Of
comparison with the other native PEG
pies Of the AntilleA -
With due respect to the conclusions
Of tho Chicago man shove quoted !
want to give II az my opinion that IL
buyers come early enough, unimproved
lands in small tracts may b bad o.
tusti1able Agures-lands which may b
planted in coffee and made 10 yield rich
returns in i've years. During the I'M
productive growing period corn, vege-
tables and some fruits may be cultivat.
I'd and sold that should pay the living
sxpensea Coffee growing In Porto
Rico 10 about the most profitable indus.
Try today in the world. It would pav
and does pay under ordinarily favor.
able conditions 80 PER cent On tho In.
vestment year in and year out This
equals the returns from the wool in
dustrS In the palmy days Of tho north.
west. Ny information 10 that the lands
dt for coffee culture may 10 increased
80 pr cent % the island, and in ,thisl
80 Z ny Of promise for = limited mum.
bsr q small capitalists who have been
hosen out of most things q home.
Theirs ars . few other thizSs that II