The times., 1899-09-03

Certainly Exist i'm the Interior.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, Sept. 2.-The
provisions and clothing and money sent by
generous people of the United States for
the aid of the sufferers of the hurricane
are arriving every few days in Porto Rico.
Reports are being received at San Juan and
from the interior of the island, showing
that much good is being done. The first
to make his report to the chief board of
charities was Corporal David G. Brose,
from Hato Grande. He stated that he had
fed some 237 people for five days, and says
that ne could hardly get from his depot
to his house, on account of the crowds that
pressed around him to shower thanks upon
him, and to tell him how much tney loved
and appreciated the Americans, who were
SO generous and kind TO them in their suf-
ferings. From Yauco the postmaster a Mr.
smith, writes that the people are suffer-
ing greatly, and that the relief which is
now coming is very opportune He says
that he has seen some fifty families sleep
ing literally in the streets, without other
covering than that of the heavens. The
houses of these people have been destroyed
and it will require some time for them to
in fauco are seeking work, and only in
! few cases have they refused work, and
| when so II was because il was necessary
to leave their families-leave them with
| out covering, without home, and without
/ focd-and to go to work in some other
/ part OF the island In their declining to
! go away TO work under such circumstances
| he much admires them.
Away from the military road the tele-
| graph wires are still down. and little is
known OF the true condition of affairs
| Every effort is being made TO distribute
| the food and other supplies especially the
medicines, in a judicious manner. Aid is
! given TO the laborers in every way. and
/ in such manner as to aid the proprietors
! as well. The owners of plantations which
have been destroyed, are really greater
! sufferers than the laborers themselves for
| they have lost large and expensive build
ings and quantities of machinery, which
will require much money TO replace, and
naturally, they will lose their income for
this, and perhaps another year.
The peasants, on the other hand, have
lost as a rule mere shacks, which can
quickly be put together. People seem filled
| with the desire to quickly replace the island
| IN state of productiyeness and be again
| self-supporting.
Col. John Van R. Hoff, Surgeon United
States Army, is the president of the board
| OF charities of San Juan He is a great
organizer, and before the Mcpherson, load
ed with supplies, had arrived, he had or
ganized his distributing depots. all over
| the island which were in turn to arrange
for transportation of the supplies 10 he
! interior. He has devised methods and
| forms and systems of acquisitions and re-
| ports, by which he is kept informed cr the
needs of the people, which are very great
| All abIe-h bodied men are required TO
uHrly -r1A IL ic
| the planters or business men, they are
| given work and made to work by the off
GERS and on-commissioned officers in
| charge of these relief depots. With all these
! forms, and with all the care and time that
must be given TO make the scheme work
well, still large number of persons, God
| only knows how many are in entire dis
| tress. There are undoubtedly hundreds of
dead and dying in the mountains, far away
| from the centres of population, away from
! all roads; these, however, win be reached
in time. But many will have died from
want and exposure.
We cannot expect too much of the uned-
ucated peasants, a class that was lately
freed from four hundred years of Spanish
! tyranny to come under the protection of
the American flag, and 10 enjoy a freedom
| which they do not understand and cannot
/ appreciate. While there are many Porto
Ricans of education and great many mer-
| chants who are cosmopolitan in their
| thoughts and actions, still there are large
| class OF peasants, called peones, who are
! not and will not be anything else for many
years but peones, who have TO be treated
/ like children. They must be cared for and
protected as such, and il is the duty of
! those in charge of the Government TO look
/ after and protect them, even in spite of
themselves They frequently are most fool
ish about the strikes that they organize.
| They literally live from day TO day. The
! average wage is so cents gold, and they
are very dear frequently at that price. They
| are almost always imposed upon by their
| noIitical leaders. They are told the most
| wonderful lies, and they stupidly believe
them Their great redeeming point is their
| love for their children.
Over a thousand letters from alcaldes
and ayuntamientos town counciis) have
| been received by General Davis, telling OF
| the great distress that has overtaken them,
| always saying that everything has been to-
| tally lost or destroyed and that the people
| are dying and always asking for assistance
| or money. They do not state in figures the
| amounts desired, but two millions and
half of money has actually been asked for.
| Upon a moments thought 1t can be readily
| seen that there is no such amount OF money
| to be given them or that could be given
them. Their stories are continually exag-
| gerated and would do credit to the corre-
| spondents of the yellow press. This, how
| ever, does not apply to all Some of the
| reports are much more intelligent and re-
late the exact facts, which are quite dis
| tressing enough. True charity would be to
aid these people to aid themselves. If half
of the men philanthropically inclined were
to place many millions of dollars here in
the island by Ioaning money on mort
cages at low rates of interest, the bonds
say to run from ten TO any number of
years, a great deal of good could be done,
and the good would be done for the island
and for all those people.
The coffee business Of this island con-
tains many interesting features. While
there are many grades of coffee here, still
it is recognized that a great deal OF it is
very fine. The old production of coffee in
Brazil has had the effect of lowering the
price of coffee all over the world, and nat
urally the price of the coffee here is af-
| fected in the same way. A great deal of
care is required not only in the gathering,
but in the cleaning, washing, and polishing
of the coffee. The coffee exported from
Mayaguez and Ponce, which includes that
| grown in the western and southwestern
portions of the island, is generally care
fully prepared for the market, while most
of that from the country surrounding San
Juan is not prepared with such great care.