The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-13
PORTO RICO.
Father Sherman Describes
His Trip Through the Island

| Washington, Jan. 12-Assistant Secre-
tary Meiklejohn made public today
Rev. Thomas Ewing Sherman's inter
esting and instructive report to Gen
Brooke of his recent trip through the
| island of Porto Rico.
| FIR. Sherman, who is a son of Gen
w. 7. Sherman, left San Juan, October
10, and visited Arecibo, Ctuado and
| Lares, and thence proceeded south to
AdJuntaS, alone and unarmed, and
without witnessing any disorder. Sub
sequently FIR Sherman visited Coamo
| Albonlto, Cayey, CaguaS Aguas
| BuenaS, Juncos and Humacao
All Of these towns he found in perfect
peace and full of the sense
of security. Late in December
FIR. Sherman says, he visited the
towns of Vieques, Fajardo and Caro-
| INA, with the same result
As far as his observation went, FIR,
Sherman says that he found the people
OF Porto Rico gentle, docile and kindly
and that the Spaniards living there
rejoice with their Porto Rican friends
IN the change of sovereignty.
The disorderly elements is a small
fraction in the teeming population of
the island. Some timidity is expressed
this is largely due to the paternal sys-
tenn to which they have become ac-
customed. He says that a liberal pub
! TIC outlay on the roads would add i'm
mensely to the commerce and security
of the island
Fr. Sherman says it is common talk
that the disorders of the past few
months have been caused by bands
composed of prisoners released by
nd nf
dlers discharged and remaining on
the island. Having, he says, ridden
about the island alone, and, as a rule,
unarmed, for the past three months,
having visited many priests and al
caldes and prominent merchants he
is strongly impressed by the fact that
profound respect is felt for American
authority and utmost confidence in the
courage of any and all of our men.
Err. Sherman says that the state of
religion on the island is very unsatis-
factory. Though in every town of any
size there is found a large and hand
some edifice, the services are very
poorly attended. All the inhabitants
of the island, with few executions. are
nominally at least Roman Catholics.
Very few Of the men are more than
catholic in name. They are baptised,
married and buried by the priests; that
is the extent of their Catholicism.
With regard to education, FIR. Sher-
man says he is not prepared to make
anything like a full report There are
many schools, both in town and in
country. Those in the country are
poorly and irregularly attended. The
children are bright and quick, develop
earlier than ours, and many are capa-
Die OF learning to read and write much
sooner than the American children.
The prompt sending of teachers of
the lower grades, acquainted with both
English and Spanish, would, he thinks.
be the best step to facilitate a change
in the system of education, and to en-
able the rising generation to become
Americanized.
Fir. Sherman says the system of bur
lal in Porto Rico has been barbarous.
In places corpses are thrown into shall
low graves, sometimes without box or
casket. The cemeteries are too small
and frequently crowded.
The state of morality can be inferred
from the fact that the number of lille
Ultimate children exceeds that Of the
legitimate. Concubinage is said to be
common, and is not sufficiently dis
countenanced, either legally or socially.
The eradication of this great evil pre-
sents one of the most difficult problems
in Porto Rico, owing to the mixture
of races there.