The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-27

imported stock, Durhams and Herefords being not
uncommon. few weeks ago several cows were
given to the soldiers of Company l. of the Eleventh
infantry. They proved to be very good producing
rich milk and fine
NO LAND FOR SALE
have made inquiries as to prices of land here
but am told there is none for sale. The island Is
owned by a few people who we'll satisfied with
their condition Among the largest owners are the
sugar planters, of whom make as high as 5 OO0
bags OF sugar year. Their plantations are scat
tered the Iowlands There is but little good
timber Oh Yieques most of it having been cut OF
The climate is said excellent There is no sick
ness whatever. and such epdemics as attack Porto
Rico do not to come here.
At present the only Americans on the Island Of
CRABS are the postmaster. a Philadelphia named
Lancaster. the soldiers and the signal service men,
VINO heiogEaph messages from this city the main.
land. The distance is not far and the heIiogranb
works quite as we'll the telegraph and all orders
can be sent by the flashes of the sun upon mirrors
from one point to the other.
There quite a number of Professionals In yio
CUES and among them blind preacher who lived
fer a long time in South Carolina He is a negro
who went from South Carolina to St Thomas and
then came here. He has been a resident of Vieaues
for many years.
TIE DEAD MANS CHEST
Next to Vieques, the two most valuable of Uncle
Sans new islands about Porto Rico are Mona island
and The GAIA de Muertos, "Chest of the Dead"
L will treat of the Dead Mans Chest first
The GAIA de Muertos lies south of Porto Rico n
was at one time hospital island to which incurahles
were transported to die and from this fact came It's
name. 1t lies about four miles from Ponce If 70
about mile long and half a mile wide You can see
1t from the Ponce harbor for rises abruptly from
the sea and has light house upon it. It has soma
good pasture lands, but this is small part of ,ts
value
The treasures of the Dead Mans Chest are in
the phosPhates which are found in its caves and In
the soil little back from the shore. In one OF the
caves am told there probably more than 100000
tons of valuable phosphates They are of two kinds
One is a pure lime phosphate and the other a nlos-
phate much like South Carolina rock They arc
earth phosphates which have been enriched bv the
manure of the millions of birds and bats which live
in the caves.
This island Is owned by a Porto Rican who
had concession from the Spanish government for
working the phosphate, and this has 1 am told been
confirmed by our government. The property is said
to be valuable, its claiming that the ol,os-
pilates after paying all expenses of mining and
shipment to Hamburg. will net 81 a ton there, ana
that there is demand for all that can be exported
THE ISLAND OF MONA
| something of the Island of Mona in roin0
about the western end Of Porto Rico to Ponce Our
government transports land first San Juan and
thence steam around the eastern end of Porto Rico
through the Mona passage This is the name of q
bread channel in the ocean flowing between Porto
Rico and Santo Domingo. 1t is one of the highways
oil travel but is not frequented much as some of
the other channels into the Caribbean sea-
Mona island lies just west of the city of Nav
aguez. 1t is OF volcanic origin with coasts rising per-
pendieuiarly p great height above sea level Some