Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-02-11
ANOTHER LETTER
From Mr.. E. w. VanMetre About
Our New Possessions.

4
DEAR HERALD: After a lapse OF
several weeks will try and let my
friends in dear old Berkeley know
that l am still in the land of the liv
ing, although living is very hard
down here, as the fleas make life mis-
cradle and the cooking is on the bum
We try here to imagine all the good
things that you had in the States dur
ing the holidays and you should see
the expression on the faces of the few
Americans here.
Well, will continue my trip from
Santiago to this place. Leaving San
tiago November IS. Thanksgiving
Day, we proceeded on our way to
Ponce, Porto Rico. the most modern
town on this island. and being on the
Southern coast is very warm. The
| town is built after the fashion of San
tiago. but the people are more intelli
gent and the land more fertile.
Here you see great cane fields and
the peculiar way of planting. They
ridge the rows by hand and with hoe,
they not having any plows, and would
not know how to use them if they did
have. They cut the stalks of cane in
pieces of two feet each and lay them
in the burrows, drawing some earth
over them with the hoe. After plant
ing cane field it is good for about
four years and then has to be reset.
For the first three years they make
sugar from the cane, and the fourth
year the cane being old and rank they
make rum of it, which as the native
says after being drunk by the people
makes them Qoco) or crazy.
The First Kentucky was encamped
in that town apd made you feel better
and made better American out of
you.
Leaving Ponce on the evening OF
the 29th we arrived at San Juan where
Sampson pad his target shooting and
dropped some of those immense 49,
inch shells on the Piazza, and did not
explode. San Juan is town of 49,
900 people. The people are intelli-
gent but lazy. only the very poor
working, the Spaniards believing it
is better 10 starve than work. The
poor people live miserable existence.
! was in one house where there lived
800 people, five and six families in
one room. the children all naked or
clothed in scant raiment.
| am glad to say Gen. Henry has
improved the condition of these par
ticular people, and have been told
by the Porto Ricans who speak lit
tie English that they would cry if
Gen. Henry should be called away.
The people take very kindly to the
ways Vi lhC AihSilSduob thNy nav"
more faith in them and reverence the
flag.
One instance there was to be flag
raising in the town of Cedria and the
Porto Ricans were carrying the flag
past the store of Spanish merchant
to the Alcalda Office where the flag
was to be raised, when the merchant
threw pail of dirty water on it. The
bearers of the flag at once proceeded
to wreak vengeance on the merchant
and ran him out of town. 1t is said
the only reason for keeping troops
here is to protect the Spanish mer-
chants from the native Porto Ricans,
they having really been kept in bond
age by them.
After spending five days in San
Juan familiarizing myself with the
mail service, was ordered to the town
of Cayey to take charge of the postal
affairs there. This town is located in
the great tobacco district of the island
and has $1,000 people mostly engaged
in the cultivation of tobacco. The
! town is /, 300 feet above sea level and
on the celebrated military road which
cost the Spanish government SIS, 900,
600 to build and is marvel of civil
engineering. The customs of the peo-
pie are similar to those of San Juan
and Ponce. Here you see the coffee
growing in its native beauty and no
piazza or yard is not complete without
1t. Cotton is also grown here. Oranges
can be bought FIVE for one cent in
Spanish money or ten for one cent
American coin. Cigars which the
smokers in Martiusburp nav ( cents