The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-04
BOOM DAYS IN PORTO RICO.
CAPITAL ALREADY SEEING RICH
OPPORTUNITIES.

Winter Resorts on North and South Coast,
How Gen. Roy Stone Found n Channe
Into Jobos Bny-Tunnel Through Noun
tains-To Water Once Fertile Plain
While others have been lamcntng that there
4, was no use in trying TO do anything toward tn,
development Of Porto Rico until Congress should
untanglc the snarl involved In the islands transi
| ton stage, certain far-seeing capitalists have
been quietly saving wood New York Boston.
Philadelphia and Chicago syndiCatcs have ac-
quired property and privileges which at no distant
day will produce big profits They have advanced
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars In enterprises
which, when contaminated. will represent millions
OF invested capital Their agents are still in
vestgating and gathering in good things
The identity Of the capitalists back Of these
enterprises has been ieao,isly guarded Among
those who In q vague way have known what
was going on there has been a persistent rumor
that Vanderbilt money was supporting at least
one Of tho big undertakings on the south side
OF the island. William H. Corwine was asked
about this yesterday lie probably knows as
much about Porto Rico and what IL going on
there az any man in New York As representa-
tive Of the Merchants Association, he went 10
tho island and made thorough study " the
conditions prevailing there and Of the CONNER
the form Of report. which the Merchants Asso-
Station caused to he printed In pamphlet form.
You must excuse me" said Mr. Corwinc from
wmen,lonlng names associated with these Porto
Vsn n b%inI'e mdn have understood that
VIII not be more specific than that"
NO matter whose II is the money Is there and
the enterprises are going ahead They involve
the construction Of at least three splendid winter
resort hotels, the retaining by irrigation Of a
large tract Of what once was the most valuable
sugar land on the island. the operation by water
power OF trolley lines and electric lg hting plants
The construction Of tunnel through the noun.
Jams which will carry an aqueduct and railroad
line as we'll; fhc opening Of a hitherto almost un.
known harbor which probably will be by far
,he finest on the entire coast and the extensive
development OF sugar. tobacco and coffee planta.
aS9s
opening Of the new harbor Porto de JObos tho
spanish called IT, Port America it will be named
When Gen Miles invaded Porto Rico he planned
iihrec landings on the south side OF the island
he nSed upon Guanica one of them Ponce
another mother end place still further 70 the east as
lne thiru Now there was legend that the wide
and almost land locked bay Of Porto dc ,Jobos
was accessible TO vessels Of the deepest draft II
0no only knew the tortuous channel among the
Islands at its narrow entrance Gen Miles was
80 interested in this story that he sent the Cincin.
nav 70 invsstiga ate After cropping about the
heLoor IN all directions the Cincinnati returned
anu reported that the story about the deep channel
was yarn-that there was not water enough
over any OF the bars 10 admit anything much
bigger that a catboat So the scheme OF LANDING,
az Jobos was abandoned and the troops went
a. Arroyo afew miles to theeast where there
Gen. Roy Stone. however. was still much inter.
es,ed n the legend OF the trance Jobos arbor
ting tour Of his own, Near The hsrbor entrance
he tell in with an old Porto Rcan fisherman m
an se e9 Senoi ssid the shermAn there is such
IL y you will come with me in my boat"
Into tho ash well Of the boat Gen. Stone put
fot sounding. Thus equipped he and the fisher
man found a channel with an average depth Of
into Jobos Bay. between, 1--WE and six miles long
and from mile to a mile and half wide with |
water enough to float a navy; The channel. |
HTound and back q IBIS haS 65 nS' synaGae
p p New York and Philadelphia capitalists has
ZEN miles to the west Of Jobos there stretches a
fertile plain. II is about five miles wide and |
pakes to the foot hills q the mountains called tie
Spanish. with charsctenstc, faulty, stripped the
grew upon them. Before this was done there |
was alyeys abundant rain on the plain Now il |
Ss pu nss sTsr s sTmSGs is an pgosSby
looC0 or 1000 acres OF this land, 10 frcshcn IL |
bar.sS ,S9oues so II. .h1s pgrPE" tunnel win
'ap always 10 be counted upon in the mountains
sill be carried by an aqueduct to the lowlands
ndSmuCIl as the trolley fodd-d part of the scheme
q development--whch is 10 be built from San
Iuan through the Cayugas tobacco region To-
GUYANA and the south shore will have 10 pierce
10 accommodate it,
In the foot hills Of the Sierra Ceyey Immediately
,otel will be built The site is superb and The |
Inmate delightful during the winter, when the |
ranges between 20 and SIS degrees |
above zero and the trade winds set the sea dancing
md flashing with white caps The trnde winds |
coming from the northeast strike the mountains |
nto oddies which send them sweeping in on this |
part OF the southern coast In long curves from the
southeast They are as inevitable as the rising |
A Philadelphia syndicate has leased for a long
term the sulphur baths at Coamo and the hotel |
was once the West Indian Monte Carlo. Il is |
high up In the mountains east Of Ponce, II was |
,hants Of Cuba and other islands All The gambling
sames Of the Mediterranean, principally were in |
nll blast; summer was the harvest time for those
turing the rainy season The site Of the old hotel
bull, nearly one ,T hundred years ago sexceedngly
he hoieland bringing i up TO modern standards
The old stone bn,htubs used by the Spnninrds
are SenS ,em MOVIE and better ones substituted
plan. will light the house and grounds
1S as viii Hn bot "n WINTER Ses s5 hp j. planned
2 4 the east , Of San Juan There is cia twenty
bathing IN better than that on tile coast Of New
Jersey because there is no undcrtow The north.
.ast trade winds strike here with full force The |
lshing il superb. and the breeze Is SO steady
hat an international yacht race could W. sailed
very day in the year, New Workers are back
II the plan 70 build hotel on this site but the
enterprise has not az yet taken definite form
A syndicate from Chicago holds the water.
,ower privilege IN the hill country a few miles
% the southwest Of San Juan. The River Hay.
anon and the north branch Of the Rio De Ia Plata
lave numerous small tributaries which come
caring down the mountain SIDES over descents
ilmost aS steep az a toboegan slide, The power
hey are capable OF supplying is practically un.
United The Chicago company proposes 10 |
urnish electric light and trolley power Tor San
Juan and all the country for miles around
These are a few OF the enterprises already iln.
Ter way in Porto Rico There are many others
II contemplation and only waiting To see The ,pgit
with which Congress takes hold OF the problems
Incident TO fixing the status Of the island-its
arm its currency and its relation 10 the Union
I is not improbable that many who have gone
ahead have done so from knowledge of the earn.
;stncss with which President Mckinley and his
rabinet desire 70 see definite and speedy settle
ncnt OF the Vital questions affecting this the
he least Troublesome and by no means least
'aluablo OF the nations new possessions After
resent MCKINLEY there ~ no member Of the Cabi,
let more Jealous in this matter than Secretary
loot both he and the President have full nfoi-
nation OF the state OF affairs on the island