The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-03
Facts About Porto Rico.

density of population and general pros
perity it takes the first place. 1t is one
of the few countries in tropical Amer
lea where the whites outnumber the
other races. The best harbor in the
island is Guancia, the most western port
on the south coast, where 1900 of our
troops landed on Monday evening. The
largest city is Ponce, which may already
be in the possession of our forces.
Yellow fever never scourges Parto Rico
as 1t does parts Of Cuba, and although
most Of it is low-lying, and may be said
to be very billy rather than mountain
Gus, it is one of the most heatlthful of
tropical islands.
Though the harbor of Guanica, where
island, it is not visited by much ship
ping. The district Immediately around
it is low and swampy, and, unless i'm
provements have been made within the
past two or three years, the roads are
not equal in quality to the main roads
marked on the map. Guanica is the
outlet for the produce of South German.
Sabana Grande, and to some extent OF
Yauco, which is on the railroad. Porto
Rican "rebels" have been particularly
numerous in the western and south
western districts, and many thousands
of people there will welcome the day of
General Miles coming as the greatest
in their lives.
The largest city and the commercial
capital of the island is Ponce, which
lies three miles north of the port of
Ponce, on a rich plain surrounded by
gardens and plantations. There are
hot springs in the neighborhood, which
are highly appreciated by invalids.
Along the playa or beach in front of
the port are extensive depots, in which
the produce of the interior, forwarded
stored for shipment. AT the last
enumeration Ponce had a population of
81 $40, while San Juan, the capital on
the north coast, had only % ,4l4 inhabi.
tants. Ponce has number of fine
buildings, among which are the Town
Hall, the theater, two churches, the
Charity and the Womens' asylums, the
barracks, the Cuban House, and the
market. The road between the city
and the seaside is beautiful prone
made.
The main highway of central Porto
Rico runs from Ponce to San Juan in a
northeasterly course through Juana
Diaz, Coamo, and Aibonito, where it
goes almost eastward to Cayey, there to
take winding course to the north as
far as Caguas, where it turns west to
Aguas Buenas, and then goes decidedly
north to San Juan through Guaynabo
and Rio Pledras, making in all dis
lance OF about eighty-fve miles. The
distance from Ponce to San Juan in a
straight line is only forty-five miles.
The eastern part of the island is less
densely peopled than the western, and
as the east coast is on the windward
side and offers less protection for ship
ping it is not so conveniently situated
for trade. Here all the larger towns of
the east lie inland, or at least some dis
lance from the coast. These towns are
in the billy region amid rich coffee and
extensive grazing lands.
The harbor of San Juan, the capital,
is deep enough to admit large vessels,
but its channel communicating with
the sea is winding and difficult and can
be navigated safely only with the aid Of
pilot.
One of the leading seaports of the
island is Aguadilla on the west coast,
which has the advantage of spacious
bay sheltered from the trade winds.
Here are shipped the sugar and coffee
of the northwest part of the island,
There are seven or eight ports of lesser
Importance.
Over 100000 people live in Porto
Rico, and about two-thirds of them are
white. Cuba is thirteen times larger
than Porto Rico, and its population was
not double that of the smaller island
even before Weyler exterminated a
third of the native Cubans. Besides
Ponce and San Juan, the largest towns
on the island are Arecibo go, 900 in
habitants), Utuado (31 ,00O, Mayaguez
(2S, 0O0), San German 100000, Yauco
(25,OOW Juana Diaz (2l ,000), and there
about ten other towns with popula-
ton of $4,000 or over.
In the past fifty years about half the
population has gravitated to and around
the towns, particularly those of the sea-
board. They live in comfortable houses
and many of them have the means TO
purchase all the wares of the civilized
world. Porto Rico abounds in sugar,
coffee, tobacco, honey and wax, which
have enriched the island, and many of
the people are well-to-do. A very large
part of the islands trade has been car
ried on with the United States, whose
corn, flour, salt meat, feb and lumber
are imported in return for sugar, mo-
lasses and coffee. The natives have
little taste for sea faring and most of
their foreign trade is carried in foreign
bottoms.
Porto Rico is rich in natural bles-
sings, and for tropical region is very
healthful. For some inscrutable rea-
son Spain has given the inhabitants far
better treatment than she has the ma
tives of Cuba. She has dealt with the
island as though it were Spanish
province instead of merely colony to
be bled by Spanish officials for the en-
richment of themselves and the mother
country. In fact, the island has been
politically province of Spain for over
twenty years. Spain has had little to
do directly with internal improvements
in the island, but she has 30 far kept
her heavy hand off the people that there
was opportunity for the spirit of enter