The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-05-11
WINTER RESORT.
Gen. Robert P. Kennedy. of the insular
Commission, Makes Report.
Not One Fourth of the Island IL Under Gull
tivation Opportunities for stock Rails
ing 10 Superior to Almost Any Part
of the United states.

WASHINGTON, may o.-OwlnX 10 tne
large number of inquiries that have
been received by the members of the
insular commission since their recent
return from Porto Rico. Gen. Robert
p. Kennedy has prepared statement
as to resources and conditions in Porto
Rico which he thinks will cover the
points upon which the greatest inter
est has been manifested.
Concerning the people themselves
Gen. Kennedy says:
There can scarcely be found upon
the globe a more hospitable and warm
hearted people than those of Porto
Rico. They are in full sympathy with
American institutions. There is a
great deal of poverty in the island. as
it is understood in the United States.
That is the people live in flimsily con-
structed huts, have few clothes and
still less of ready money, but owing to
the bounty of nature around them
they can live with little work and few
worldly goods and still not suffer from
either cold or hunger. The stories of
starvation upon the island are fabrica-
tions.
While the richer classes live we'll in
beautifully appointed homes and have
been for the most part educated
abroad SO that they speak English, the
per cent. of illiteracy among the poorer
classes is very high. reaching 80 per
cent, but this is largely due to the
fact that there are no schools worth
or indeed one might say in the whole
island.
AS to agricultural opportunities,
should say that not one-fourth of the
lands in the islands are now under cul-
tivation, and thousands of acres yet
remain to be given over to husbandry.
Lands are held at good price owing
to the promise of an influx Of people
from the United States. Still there is
opportunity for many thousands Of
persons who really wish to engage in
agricu lture on the islands
That there are great opportunities
in Porto Rico IS unquestionable. To
young men desiring to seek permanent
homes and who have good stock Of
energy and enterprise. Porto Rico Of
fers great inducements. But 1 would
discourage the simple adventurer, who
expects to reap a quick and unearned
reward
Sugar and coffee both require large
outlay in lands, material and improve
ments. The promise of both of these,
however, is unequaled anywhere else
in the world. An old coffee planter
from Java, who has just bought a
plantation, assured me that the
climate and conditi ons were as favor
able as he had ever seen. Tropical
fruits of all sorts grow readily and are
of the finest quality. I know of no
place which offers greater induce
ments than does Porto Rico to Florida
orange growers who are seeking To-
cation outside the frost belt.
The opportunities for stock raising,
it appears to me, are superior to those
in almost any part of the United States
and this without disparagementt to our
own cattle country.
The climate of the island, in my ex-
| perience, and from what I can
| gather of it from records
official and otherwise, is all that
| could be desired 1t is warm in sum-
mer and cool in winter, and even the
densely populated city Of San Juan is
a remarkably healthy place. look
forward to the time not far distant
when Porto Rico will be not only the
garden spot of the United States, but
one Of the most popular winter resorts.