The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-09

(CopyTight. is8 by Frank q. Cafpensee)
San Juan. PORTO RICO. June =. 1850.
NcLE SANS West Ipd.an garden
7" patch. How shall describe IL?
II il different from anything that
has been published concerning II.
II has mere curious features than
any part OF the South American
continent where ! have been travelling for
the past year, and . richer soil than al
most any part OF the worit.
came TO Porto Rico on the government
transpore Mcpherson. and have already
crossed the Island from one side TO the
other. making many excursions through
the interior. The island Ia revelation to
ne. ] have never wen . country in which
nature has done 20 much 10 make . pleas
ant home for man.
Porto Rico q n combination OF the beau
t1es of the tropics and temperate zone 1t
n the new Switzerland of Uncle Sans Dr.
minion. IL lacks perhaps the grandeur OF
the Alps or the Rockies. but IL quiet semi-
tropical beauties more than make up for
lack Of SHOWS and gigantic rocks. Some
times m going over II / am reminded OF
Japan. and again am carried hack to the
mountains Of Korea or the hills Of China.
There are silver streams. with matched
huts c.fnging TO the sizes OF the hills.
down which they run. there are regions
which equal the Blue Ridge mountains In
Their soft. haxy beauty. and other parts In
which were IL not for the bananas. the
cocoanut palms. the bread fruit trees and
other tropical wonders you might imagine
yourself at home in some OF the most
beautiful OF our rolling lands.
A Kite Tall View Of Porto Rico.
Before describe my tour Of the island
let me give you = bird's-eye view OF 1t.
Suppose we could attach ourselves for tho
purpose TO the tai Of one Of our weather
bureau kites which. believe, mount high
er than any other kites made by man. and
ny over f. We should see a great recian-
guIar body OF blue land rising. as Il were,
out OF some OF the quistest waters OF the
globe.
Porto Rico IL about .too miles from New
York on the boundary between the Atlantic
ocean ans the Caribbean sea.
II lies between the Islands OF Santo Do
minso and St Thomas II n 20 bear the
latter Island that you can steam there in
about xix hours, and so far east OF Cuba
that 1t takes our best transports two days
10 20 from Ponce. on the south. to the city
Of Santiago.
Porto Rico, as we see * from our kite.
In mass of rolling hills With the excep-
ton Of Light green fringe bordering the
coast IL Is all hille and valleys And such
hills and such valleys. The hills slope up
In PAGES like walls and the valleys are
gigantic capital VS.. with mountain streams
dashing through them. Everything Ia COW
cred with green. the dark shades OF the
mountains largely composed OF coffee. to-
hacco and bananas. while the sickiy green
Of the coastal plains comes from the sugar
plantations.
In looking at the island you see that the
hills rise higher In the center. II Ii e.
vided by a mountain chain. which runs
through II from west 10 east. branching
out near the end In two spurs This ridge
looks Just like a pi,chfork with two great
tines and long handle. The joint OF the
fork is about sixty miles from the western
eEi o. the island and each OF the tines Is
about forty miles long Not far from
where they join one green mountain rises