The evening times., 1899-01-14
RICH COFFEE LANDS
IN FAIR PORTO RICO
Prosperous Plantations in the
Island Domain.
Opportunities for American Capital
and Enterprise.
of the Country Described
by Recent VIsitor-orcrcomihS
Spanish and Native Hatred.

Assistant Secretary of War Meiklejohn
has made public an abstract of report
made a short time since by W, Korda,
gentleman well known in the United States,
to Gen Brooke. The report refers TO
recent visit made by Mr.. Korda through
some of the cane and coffee districts OF
Porto Rico and contains much OF CONNER
cial interest.
Mr.. Korda was commissioned to make
the trip by the Association of Agricultur-
lists and Manufacturers of Porto Rico for
the purpose of ascertaining the state OF
affairs in the coffee regions, and in behalf
of the association, TO inform the United
States Government, in case it was deemed
advisable or necessary, of the general con-
dition of the country. Mr.. Korda was ac-
companied in his trip by Mr.. Eugene Kelly.
of the firm of Eugene Kelly & Co, of New
York.
| The itinerary made by Mr. Korda was
through the vast and rich coffee districts
! of GALES and Jayuya. He says that after
trayersing the luXurant cane fields of the
Valley of Manati. they began TO climb on
| horseback the hills of Ciales, Cialtos, and
| Cacaes and were soon in the very midst of
/ the COHeE region. 1lSTe Is, says MI.
Korda, no more fertile and productive land
| in Porto Rico than that which he here
| found. Every foot of IT, he says, gives
| forth some fruit or profit.
! The ground which is rot covered by
| coffee or cocoa trees produces p,antains,
| bananas. tobacco, corn, peas. sweet pota-
toes etc. and that which is uncultiNated
| is used for pasturing the beasts CT bur-
| den which carry those products to tn
| coasts market. Pure running water il
met with everywhere. In places it run.
with great rapidity and serves not on Il
irrigate, but also TO drive the machinery
in cleansing, drying and polishing tht
coffee before il is ready for shipment.
The coffee crop then being gathered
was abundant and promised To reacl
l5.00o,0 600 pounds. Coffee production, Mr.
Korda says. will be much increased, a.
there are today many new trees aboIt tC
bear fruit The coffee industry is man
! aged in this portion Of the island will
some considerable skill and success b!
the Vivens Brothers, Lorenzo Joy AM
Lucas Amadeo whose plantations ar,
without doubt among the most importan
in Porto Rico. These gentlemen ar
Spaniards.
Notwithstanding that MIR. Korda wa
travelling in part of the island which ru
NOR had made the scene OF constant mur
der, arson and pillage, he was unable afte
four days of investigation to obtain III
|, slightest confirmation of these reports
On the contrary. on every hand were to b
found signs of peace and prosperity.
is Mir Korda says, true that among som
OF the Spanish planters fear was expresse
as TO what they We're told was occurring
l in other parts Of the island. Taking cOun
2 sci Of their fears they had written I
their friends in the town. asking for pro
lection. Many of the startling rumor
] prevalent of late. Mr. Korda thinks, hav
: no ether foundation than what can b
traced TO this origin.
' Mr. Korda further says that the Span
e ish element remaining in Porto Rico an
/ which has owed its past prosperity to ia
| yor from its own government. detests an
2 hates the American military governmer
now existing in the island. The nativ
i mulatto population which is quite larg,
p and whose hopes and dreams of plund5
are unTealized, are united with the Span
ish element in this hatred. These elt
ments have combined. says Dir. kord;
with the hope of obtaining some other kin
= of government more conducive TO the
desires. As far as possible. they obstru'
ana discredit the present administration
!, affairs in Porto Rico. On the other han,
there is a strcng Spanish element that
4 clearly in favor OF the just and equab
2 administration of the United States in POI
2 10 RiCan affairs.