The record-union., 1899-11-02
Nature Shows How Much She Can
Do for the Fertile Island.
Effects Of the Recent Destructive HurrI.
cane Are Fast Disappearing.

the More LuxuT1onCly AFTER the
Flood and Grass Higher Than
Mans Head Where Recently
Was but Deposit Of Sand.
Correspondence of the Associated Press)
PONCE porto Rico), Oct. 25.-While
commerce and commercial enterprises
of every kind are waiting for the
United States to give to Porto Rico a
market in place of the one taken from
her more than a year ago, nature seems
to be trying to show how much she can
do for this fertile little island, and 1t
is indeed surprising to behold the
changes she has wrought in the past
two months. Large trees that were
practically stripped of leaves and smal
branches are now as verdant and yield
almost as abundant shade as before
the terrible hurricane of August otn-
Young sugar cane that was broken
down and flooded has Strengthened up
of it's own accord and is growing all
the more luxuriantly on account of the
deposit of mud and soil from the mount
aims which was washed down upon IT.
1t is true the older cane was ruined.
but cane that was mature and about
ready to cut was replanted in natures
own way. Whole fields of such cane
| were leveled to the ground and more
or less soil was laid over them. Wher-
ever a joint of cane touched the soil on
was covered by it, several new cane
stocks put forth and a large bunch OF
roots reached from the same joint down
into the soil. Thus practically all the
mature cane was turned into seed cane.
and such fields were abundantly seeded.
OF course the planter loses the time
while the new crop grows, but he IS
saved the labor of clearing and pre-
pairing the fields and repianting the
cane.
| Grass grows with great rapidity, and
to-day there is grass higher than
mans head where two months ago was
deposit of mud. Grass is never cut
and cured here, as in the United States.
but is fed green to the horses and cat
tie all the year round. 1t is cut by
the natives and tied in sheaves, and Is
thus sold daily to owners ofaeattse End
horses who do not possess pasturage.
But nowhere is the rapidity of veg
etable growth shown more clearly than
in the banana palms. The storm broke
them all off close to the ground, and
yet long green shoots put forth at once
from the center of the old palms, and
to-day they are almost as large and
perfectly formed as ever, but it will be
some months yet before there will be
any fruit.
The change in postage between the
United States and Porto Rico from for
| eign to domestic rates was welcomed
by every one with much rejoicing. 1t
makes the island seem much nearer to
the new mother country, and already
the quantity of mail matter has nearly
doubled. But there is much displeas-
ure expressed here, especially by the
resident Americans, at the action of the
: postal authorities in withdrawing the
efficient mail clerks sent here by the
United States and putting in their
places Porto Ricans who are inexperi-
enced and incompetent, but who work
for less than half the salary received
by the Americans.
| Another complaint is of the irregu-.
larity and uncertainty of the overland
mails Although there is much to con-
tend with in the way of bad roads.
still intelligent supervision of the pres
ent working force and some common
sense changes would, it is claimed,
more than double the efficacy of the
postal service.
Spanish law still prevails, but it Is
modified and otherwise changed by ar
bitrary military orders, and everything
! is in a great state of confusion and
uncertainty. The native courts, under
| a sv,s~
| ing to Spanish ideas, which very fire.
quently differ very materially from the
American conception of Justice The
methods of taxation are such as have
not been known in most countries since
| the middle ages. The landowners
strive to unload the taxation on the
merchants, and all sorts of unjust and
discriminating taxes are placed on busi-
ness and on private enterprise.
| And yet, in spite of these conditions,
and, it is claimed, the lack of proper
recognition by Congress- much progress
| is being made in Americanizing the ISL
and. But the fact must not be over
/ looked that the Porto Ricans are losing
the kindly feeling they had for Ameri-
cans, and, it is asserted, unless Con-
gress acts and acts promptly, it will
/ take years 10 overcome the evil aC-
complished by a few months delay.
| Numerous schools of various kinds
have been opened or are now in process
of organization; q battalion of native
Porto Ricans has been formed and is
doing efficient military service, partic-
ularly in guarding the jails; revocable
franchise for a large and modern pier
at San Juan has been granted and work
/ on it has been begun; land has been
purchased and work will soon be COM
menced on a large pier in the harbor
of Ponce, and a large and modern
naval station is being located at San
Juan. Civil Engineer Lieutenant
Charles w. Parks of the United States
navy has been in San Juan for some
months, drawing up plans and making
estimates for the harbor improvements
and the naval station. The most likely
location for the naval station is the one
recommended by Engineer Menocal
some months ago, and includes some
forty acres to the west of town. to-
gether with Isla Grand The old arsenal
comprises about four and one-half
acres, covered with buildings, lying
south of town, near the Playa Marina