Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-08-10
Porto Rico.
Baseball Is popular.

sores.
Porto Rico.
Baseball Is popular.
Roads are being built.
Engineers are in demand.
Hammocks are the usual beds.
Coffee sells for five cents a pound.
Ten oranges can be bought for one
cent.
There are no venomous reptiles on the
island.
The hotels are distinctly bad, the stores
the same.
Every traveller says the islands great,
est need is schools.
Spain was the islands market. That
has been taken away.
The coffee crop is three times as val
liable as the sugar crop.
There is general satisfaction with the
American administration Of affairs.
With plenty Of native hardwood not a
stick of furniture is made in the country.
The thermometer rarely reaches above
SO degrees, even in summer. The nights
are always comfortable.
So far as transportation is concerned,
the present facilities are inadequate, and
will have to be improved IL trade Is to
expand.
Practically all timber for building is
imported. In fact, there are no mills.
With plenty Of material for paper, Irvine.
sacking, ETC., with lots of water power,
practically. not factory can be found.
Cuba.
Few of the ruined plantations have
been restored.
Owners of plantations in Cuba refuse
to employ Spanish laborers.
Only one plantation in the entire prov
ince of Havana is in operation.
There is talk of erecting an Office build
ing in Havana on American lines.
The more intelligent residents are anx-
ious for annexation to the United States.
Natives near Santiago do a land-ofice
business selling relics from the battle
fields.
Skilled labor is scarce. Cuban carpen-
tiers, plumbers and masons are not skill
ed.
Not one out Of ten natives can read
and write, and they have no ambition
beyond mere existence.
Bill posting is a new industry, and Ha-
yana Is now well plastered with insight
ly advertisements.
Life and property in Havana and San
tiago are now said to be as safe as in
any city in the world.
Brigandage Is scattered and the ban
dts are renegade Spanish soldiers for
the most part-not Cubans.
The natives are said to lack leaders Of
national Importance, although there are
many chiefs of factions.
The school system has been practically
annihilated, chiefly because the teachers
have received no pay for two years.
Complaint is made of the railroad tar
ifs. Seven cents mile is the passen-
ger rate, and freights are correspond
ingly high. -
Retail stores confne themselves strict
" to one class Of goods, and returning
travellers say there is a splendid chance
for department store.
Hawaii.
There are no labor unions.
Royalty sentiment has died out com.
pletely.
Taxation is on a basis of per cent Of
cash value.
1t is estimated that SOS, OOO, 900 is in.
vested in sugar.
Land worth IS an acre three years ago
now sells for $50.
Native markets are poor, and nearly
everything eatable has to be imported.
Many new plantations are being CAPT.
talized for amounts varying from $1,000
600 to S3,000,0O0.
The natives.still feast on taro, raw fish,
and poi, and are still the careless, lazy
people they have always been. );
Skilled labor Is in good demand, but
unskilled labor is a drug, the supply Of
japanese and Chinese being large.
At the time Of its discovery by Captain
Cook, the population of the islands was
about twice as great as Ii Is to-day.
There are just as many physicians,
dentists and lawyers In Honolulu. as
there are in any city Of the same size in
the United States. ,
Since annexation there has been A
mania for business consolidation In Eon-
olulu, and even the barber shops and
candy stores have formed trusts with a
view to discouraging outsiders from offer
ing competition.
Alaska.
One hundred native girls attend the
school Mt Holy Crvss Mission. 9As
Men working claims at Cape Nome
are said to be taking out 500 a day..
The Treadwell mine earns from ST.
100000 to $3,000.000 year clear profit.
Rich finds of gold have been mode near
Cape Nome. $50 miles north OF st. Nil
chaers. ft mid
All along the Koyukuk river boats are
stranded. having been overtaken by Ice
before reaching the promised land.
A large majority of disappointed pros
pectors are chopping wood for the steam
ship companies to earn their passage