The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-08
A TROP|c GARDEN SPOT
A Great Future in Store for
Porto Rico.
RESOURCES ARE IMMENSE
Thousands of Acres of Agricultural Land
Not Yet Developed Sugar and
Coffse-Oranges Will Be
Great Staple.

Washington, May lowing to the
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 a statement
as to the resources and conditions in
Porto Rico, which he thinks will cover
the points upon which the greatest in
terest has been manifested.
Concerning the people themselves
General Kennedy says:
There can scarcely be found on the
globe 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
1t is understood in the United States.
That is, the people live in fiimsily con-
structed huts, have few clothes and
st1ll less of ready money, but owing to
lne 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
starvations upon the island are base
less fabrications.
while the richer classes live we'll
in beautifully appointed homes and
have been, for the most part educated
abroad, so that they can speak English
the percentage of iliiteracy 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 the name outside of the largest
towns, or, indeed, one might say, in
the whole island.
AS to agricultural opportunities I
should say that not one-fourth of the
land is under cultivation and thousands
of acres yet remain to be given over to
husbandry. Lands are held at good
prices owing to the promise of an in
fuX of people from the United States.
Still there is opportunity for many
thousands of persons who really wish
to engage in agriculture in the island.
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 offers great
| inducements. But I would discourage
| the simple adventurer who expects to
| reap a quick reward.
| Sugar and coffee both require large
outlay in lands and improvements. 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 conditions We're
as favorable as he had ever seen. Trop-
ical fruits of all sorts grow readily and
( are of the finest quality. 1 know of no
place which offers greater inducements
/ than does Porto Rico to Florida orange
| growers who are looking fora location.
The opportunities for stock are superior
to those in almost any part of the Unit
ed States, and this without disparage-
ment to our own country. The climate
of the island, in my experience and from
what / can gather from records, Off
cial and otherwise is all that could be
desired. 1t is warm in summer and cool
in winter, and even the densely popu-
| lated city of San Juan is remarkably
healthy place. I look forward to the
time not far distant when Porto Rico
will be not only the tropic garden spot
of the United States, but one of the
most popular winter resorts"