The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-16
Porto Rico, Our
Future Possession

among the most beautiful of the Latin
y The Spanish ~aristocracy OF the
island are the descendants of the origi-
nal military officers who occupied II
curing the centuries when Ii was a
convict station. Casa Blanca. h old
est structure of the city. Is the origi-
nal white castle built and occupied by
onc de Leon, and 1t was here a he
planned his famous voyage to the coast
or Florida, having been told that over
near that peninsula was to be found a
spring of perpetual life. In the old Do
minican church DE Icons ashes still
rest in a leaden case, bound with rib
bon and sealed with wax.
Travellers in Porto Rico may still see
scattered over the island certain caves
once occupied by the aborigines found
there by Columbus when he landed in
1893, during his secon voyage. Little
is known concerning these Indians, ex-
cept what can be deduced from relics
found on the island. a collection of
which is installed in the national mu-
scum, Washington. Most elaborate
among the specimens are carved stone
collars, shaped like horse collars, one
believed to ave been made by each
Indian that he might wear II after his
death to weigh his body down to the
earth and keep 1t from the evil spirits
anxious t0 carry 1t away.
lallQCu a. III
corner of the island. bringing his ships
into the harbor, still called Aquadillo.
The spring here, where he n his SAIL
ors obtained fresh water, still bubbles
forth. Porto Rico vas not again visit
ed by white men until 1903. when Ponce
de Leon, Spanish governor of San Do
mingo, was attracted there by reports
OF its rich soil and great mineral
wealth. He landed with his soldiers,
and ii Is said that the native CHIEF
showed hin some rivers with golden
and Ponce de Leon was charmed
and Immediately set about to conquer
the slam He told the natives that
he and his soldiers were immortal. and
they generally believed him, until two
of the tribe, a trifie skeptical, held a
Spaniard's head under water and saw
hat he died. After this they effected
a great uprising and massacred all the
Spaniards they could lay hands upon.
A bloody war continued, but. seeing
the Spanish dead continually replaced,
the savages began to believe that the
new soldiers were in reality the old
ones returned from the other world.
The Spaniards conquered by aid not
only of such d~eceits. but of their Gus
tomary cruelty, imported blood
rounds to hun down the poor Indians.
AS late as this century wild descend
ants of these dogs lived i'm the forests
of Porto Rico. where they subsisted
upon the lane crabs which at certain
seasons move down the mountain sides
in tremendous armies to deposit their
young in the sea. The Porto Ricans
were eventually conquered and reduced
to slavery.
San Juan was for three centuries a
convict station. After the death of
Ponce de Leon the island was used for
no other purpose until 1916. when Spain
awakened to the fact that her beauti-
full island possession had been unappre-
ciated and neglected. Meanwhile. the
aborigines had been practically ex-
terminated and a a had been
captured by the English in 1898. by the
Dutch in 1915 N by the English again
in 1742. Even these progressive nations
had failed to appreciate what Uncle
Sam will shortly put to good use.
The remnant of Indian blood became
intermixed with the Spanish. The gil
baros, day laborers, who live on small
farms, result from these intermar-
riages. over 40 per cent of the entire
population are negroes, descendants of
the large holdings of slaves employed
on the old estates. Slaves were first
imported in 1915, when the first Span
ish colonists were encouraged to popu-
late the island. The laws of the col
ony governing the slaves prescribed
their food. clothing. discipline and
hours of labor. Owners were required
to instruct them in the elements OF
Christianity and to hav them baptized
in the Catholic church within a year
after their Importation. 1t was not I'M
til 1873 that Spain followed u ex-
ample, set 10 years before, n abol-
ished slavery in Porto Rico.
But in Porto Rico. as in Cuba, and
as in the Philippines. the people began
to realize that Spanish taxation was
preventing the legitimate development
of their industries Chicago Chronicle.