Evening star., 1899-03-02
LIFE IN PORTO RICO
Population and Area of the Capital
City.
CLIMATIC and OTHER CONDITIONS
AngIo-Saxon Form of Government
an Unknown Quantity.
GENERAL HENRY'S RULE

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico. February 10, 1S9a.
San Juan, the Spanish for St John, the
capital of Porto Rico, was founded by
Ponce de Leon, the celebrated Spanish ex-
plorer who wasted his years in seeking an
imaginary fountain said to endow with
perpetual youth whomsoever should drink
of its waters. The city was named ST.
John after John the Baptist, of biblical
fame
Much might be written concerning the
early history of this city and island, and
there is almost an unlimited field for the
novelist and romancer in the stories of the
sieges and early history of this island, dur
ing the period when England and Spain
were fighting for the mastery of the sea.
The climate of Porto Rico has been ma
ligned in the most reckless manner, and
that perhaps because those who wrote of
the climatic conditions were content to
judge from the death statistics or because
there may have been reasons to conceal
the real cause of disease. The sickness of
San Juan, and, l believe. of the entire ISL
and, is in no manner due to the climate,
but is entirely the result of the nauseating
filth and immortality of her people,
San Juan, a city said to contain 2c,000
people, embraces only 500 by 1000 yards
in improved area. An American can hard
ly persuade himself that 20.00O people can
i've eat, drink, sleep and transact all of
their business on an area no larger than
that occupied by dozen squares in an
American city, and that with no building
more than two stories high, and many only
one story.
The streets of San Juan are well paved
with a vitriied brick. imported, as l am
informed from Holland. and are, under
American rule. kept fairly clean. There
are no alleys in the scheme Of San Juan.
unless the term "calle" should signify al
ley" instead of street, and in that event
there would be no streets. The term
"calle," however should mean alley if
1t is to be governed by width, inasmuch as
the average Spanish calle is not more than
fifteen feet from building line to building
line. The entire area of the improved pOr-
ton of the city. excepting the area of the
''calles," is under roof. There are no yards
whatsoever, either front or back, to a
Spanish house.
The houses are all very long. with a few
open courts or air enthusiastically two-une
about onc-fOurth of the distance back from
the front, and the other about three
fourths of the distance back from the
front The stairs of the second story
are usually wound around shoot through
the first court or air shaft. and the cistern
is usually opened into the second court or
air shaft. The second story is in most
cases occupied by Spaniard Of more or
less noble birth influential standing. and
is bright, clean and cOmmodous. The first
STORY however, uSualIA contains dpout d
dozen rooms and is the home of as many
families ! have never entered a Spanish
residence without 1t being forciby suggested
to me that a Spanard. more than any other.
rises above his troubles. This is true in Il
strictly literal sense and not metaphorical-
ly, At no time can the Spaniard living on
the second floor avoid seeing the awful
crimes of the vicious and the ignorant COM
nitted on the floor just beneath him. He
rearS his family in a home wherein are ex-
posed TO the naked view the most open acts
Of immortality. and his sons. daughters and
wife and their friends, when going in and
out of their own house. pass the doors and
greet and salute women who in America are
beneath the ban of society and men who
are as vicious as the sultan of hades.
In the first stories of Spanish houses are
found men and women in DromiscuOus
grouns without regard for age. sex. color
or kinshir 2 few Of them clothed, the ma
ioritv half clothed in filthy rags and the
children without any clothing whatsoever.