The herald., 1898-05-25
RESOURCES or PORTO RICO


Porto Rico is an island oblong in shape
10S miles long, 81 miles broad, embracing
S4OO square miles.
Its surface is quite regular except for a
mountain chain running through its center
from east to west.
Forty of the 1900 rivers and streams are
navigable for commercial purposes.
So good is the water of the brooks and
lakes that there is quite an industry in
its shipment for sale in the other West In.
dia islands.
The climate is agreeable and healthy
the average summer temperature being
30 degrees centigrade. The highest tenn
perature during the year is S4 degrees
Fahrenheit, the lowest so degrees.
There are two seasons-rainy and dry.
The former is the only one dangerous to
careless foreigners.
The resources of the island are net devel-
oped to one-third of their capacity, owing
to lack of capital and other causes. A
little American capital and free trade with
the United States would make the island
a perfect Klondike for investors.
The crops consist of tobacco, sugar. CO.
Goa, coffee, cotton, rice, maize, bananas
all of which can be raised in four times
the amount required for home consump-
ton. The island is twice as fertile as its
English neighbor. Jamaica.
Gold, iron, copper, zinc and coal mines
are known to exist but have net been de.
veloped.
Extensive sponge fields are scarcely
touched for want of capital. and the same
is true of valuable quarries Of whitesrone,
granite and marble.
More than half the population is white.
The foreigners on the ISLAM number less
than COCO, and while the balance are &C
tually Spanish subjects, only 35,90) Of these
are spaniards by birth.
Like Cinnamon, ths lower classes live
almost exclusively Or rice.
The peasant knows of no such thing as
Tipping" for attention shown to visitors.
He greets the traveller with as hearty a
hand and as familiar an air as II he were
a near relative.
Nearly all business is suspended for three
hours in the middle of the day.
City houses have low, wide piazzas run
ming around the four sides and are sur
rounded with large lawns.
Country houses are perched ten feet In
the air by means of piles, in order that the
air beneath the houses may keep the rooms
cool.
Porto Ricans seldom leave their island on
visits, the country people spending all
their lives on the plantations, except for
three big city celebrations every year, at
Christmas, Carnival day and st. John
day.
The social lines are very strictly drawn,
the aristocracy being composed exclusively
of the captain general, government off,
Gals, military officers and clergy, all of
which are European Spaniards.
The wealthy planters are never allowed
to enter this set, and even the common
soldiers of the army-who are always sent
out from the mother country--look upon
native Porto Ricans as inferior beings.
The owners of small plantations are
called "Giboros," and are of different de-
grees Of mixture of Indian and Spaniard.
There are no common schools in Porto
Rico. About 100000 Of rs people can neither
read nor write their own names.
OF the 100000 people who are classed as
educated" fully 10000 can only read.
The Spanish officials have their children
educated in Spain, while the well-to-do
Porto Ricans send their daughters to be ed
ucated at converts on the island.
The sons Of the well-to-do Porto Ricans
are even worse educated" than the daugh-
tiers. Much Of what education they re-
ceive is from their own parentsses