Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-19
under the care of the Sisters of Charity,

under the care of the Sisters OF Charity,
and one or two small orphanages.
There is need of more generous proviS-
ions for orphans. Mothers of tllegitimate
children very rarely abandon them, but
when these unfortunate women die, the
children are often cast on the street, and
live like animals. The people are very kind
and helpful to those in distress. 1t is the
custom when child is left without natural
protectors for the relatives or neighbors
to provide for it. One will give shelter, an
other food another clothing, another edu-
cation thus dividing the burden. Among
the poorest of the poor the commissioner
found a system of mutual helpfulness.
When poor woman falls sick and her
income stops, neighboring women care for
her out of their own slender resources. The
poor commonly have a strong prejudice
against the hospitals, and VIII not go to them
unless helpless. They say those who go in
sick come out dead. They differ in their
statements about the town doctors Many
said they would not visit the sick poor
without pay: others that they would. DR..
Stahl of Vayamon says that scarcely one
in hundred of the poor who die has the
attendance of a physician. The Tricoehe
Hospital in Ponce, established by a pri-
Vate benefaction, is one of the best in the
island. 1t is kept clean and in good order
by the Sisters of Charity.
The prisons, of which there is one in
each judicial district, with a penitentiary,
SO called, for the whole island, in San Juan,
besides ordinary jails, are almost without
exception worthy of condemnation. They
are generally crowded, damp, pervaded 10y
foul smells. dangerous to health, according
to native physicians. With the exception
of separation Of sexes, no division what
ever is attempted. Young and old, the first
offender and the old criminal are herded to-
gether, the man accused and awaiting trial
with those serving long sentences. The
care of the penitentiary at San Juan was
sandss-.>isss.l the nsular aovernraeSt The
cost of maintaining the district prisons is
borne by the municipalities within the dis
trict. Many of the prisoners in the peni-
tertiary were kept In chains Gen. Henry
abolished this form of punishment, and put
the district prisons under the care of the
province. Much has been. done under the
military government to remedy abuses and
improve the sanitary conditions, but the
whole system needs to be reorganizei ac-
cording to modern psychological methods.
Crime. particularly of the graver kinds, is
not excessive
The public school system is antiquated
In March. 1899, there were 26,5SS registered
scholars In all kinds of schools, less than
one-fifth Of the school population.
Bad Social Conditions.
The statistics of births in 1897, elsewhere
given, show that about 81 per cent were Of
legitimate and 4S per cent Of illegitimate
children The births are by no means, owing
to a defective law, fully reported; but COM
p}ete returns would not probably make the
showing better. Half or more of the chill
dren born are illegitimate, and it follows
that large proportion of parents are liv-
ing In conjugal relations without marriage.
This does not mean that the people are i'm
moral or that the sexes are promiscuous in
their relations. The social evil Is said to
be quite extensive; but marriage is not
Stunned, with rare exceptions, for immoral
purposes Various reasons are given for
neglecting the sacrament or ceremony. By
some 1t Is aScribed to q want of education,
by others to the desire to be free from the
obligations which marriage imposes, but by
most informants to obstacles which the
poor could not surmount :
Railroads and Communication.
Porto Rico had cheap and fairly effec-
tive telegraph and postal system, both I'M
der government direction. but its roads.
with few exceptions, were bad, and its
railroads incomplete and not altogether
satisfactory. There exists on paper plan
for a railroad system all the way around
the island, but the gaps are much longer
than the lines. From San Juan, the French
line, so far as completed, extends along the
northern shore westward to Camuy, q dis
lance of sixty-two miles: then there is a
break from Camuy to Aguadtlla of twenty
five miles; the line begins again at Aqua
dilla and goes to Hormigueros thirty
four miles; from Hormigueros to Yauco is
another break of twenty-one miles; the
ty-tWo miles, making total for the French
company of lis miles, with breaks of forty
six miles,. in the route from San Juan to
Ponce-164 miles.
Juan, about 140 miles, the railroad is yet
unbuilt, excepting about fourteen miles, by
the French company. from San Juan to Car
DINA. There are three other short lines
Of railroad, one extending from Catano, |
opposite San Juan, to Bayamon, 4.35 miles;
another from San Juan to Rio Piedra, |
seven miles, and another from Anasco, on |
the west coast. to Alto Sano, eleven miles, |
with an extension in view to Lares. The |
total for all lines is 154 miles. The rail- |
roads are all narrow gauge.
he do Of tho tSlo v,6 to
tained by the inSular and in part by the |
municipal governments. The carreteras or |
highways, are under the control of the bu- |
reau of public works. department of the |
interior. Those which connect the towns !
of two or more municipal districts are in
this class. The military road, SO called be- |
tween San Juan and Ponce. crossing eight |
municipal districts, 1913 kiiometers in length, |
Is the finest in the island 1t is smooth |
macadamized road, divided into sections, |
with a house in each for the roadmaster. 1t |
cost, on the average. $4,000 per mile to |
construct, and requires S15, 900 or more an /
nually to keep it in condition. There are /
good. substantial bridges. except in the |
Ponce district. A branch road from Cayey |
to Guayama is of the same excellent char |
acter. Other roads are in poor condition.
! Commerce and Industry.
The policy which has governed in Porto |
Rico hitherto seems to have been to put |
all its energy into the production Of sugar.
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