The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-13

visit to Puerto Rico, and have many
interesting experiences to relate. The
views of Colonel Boies naturally carry
much weight, because of his interest
in public affairs, charitable and MILL
tary organizations, etc, and his INTEL
ligent investigation Of existing condt-
tions. He is most enthusiastic over the
splendid showing of our government
in the island and declares that too
much cannot be said in praise of the
marvellous results already accomplish
ed The sanitary work alone merits
great commendation. The streets are
cleaner than our own, and are swept
every day. Extensive improvements
are being made in many directions,
thus giving employment to the natives
and relieving their dire necessity.
In speaking of the tariff bill just
passed, Colonel Boies said: 1T is an
absolute necessity. All sugar, coffee
and tobacco has been bought by the
trusts already, and the payment was
| made and long ago it has gone back
into the hands of the Spaniards and the
| priests to whom the entire property
on the island is mortgaged. The tariff
over which such a howl is made by
some people in this country comes out
of the trusts, and it is the trusts that
| made the great objection to the addi-
| tional pittance charged. 1t VIII necd
three and one-half millions to run the
| local government and complete the
municipal and public works. 1t is an
absolute necessity that some of this
| money must be secured by the tariff,
as it is impossible to raise it by inter-
| nal taxation.
IN AFFECT POVERTY.
"The people are in the most alb
ject poverty. There are 100000 Of
them, and from $4,000 to 10000 only
can read or write. and are property
holders. The rest are in Il condition
of the deepest squalor. l saw one
Spanish nobleman's house of two stor-
les and little rooms, Sx10 feet in size,
| in each of which families numbering
| from ten to twelve persons resided.
| There were thirteen such families in
the one house. which rather beats the
| record of certain districts in this VIC
unity"
| Colonel Boies, while not assuming
that the United States has bought a
gold brick in the case of Puerto Rico,
does consider that the redemption of
the Puerto Rican peso is a clear swim
die. He had a peso which at first
sight looks like an American dollar.
1t is very light however, and the
value is just fortyfive cents. Our
government is redeemng it for sixty
cents. The peso bears a graceful pret-
ty profile of the boy King of Spain,
with the legend, ALFONSO XIII, p. C.
G. d. D." Whatever this section of
the alphabet may mean, followed by
"Rey c. De Espana 1896"
Colonel Boies says that the impov-
erished condition of the natives is past
description. They were left crushed
and helpless under Spain's bondage
then the war arose with it's horrors
not 30 great as Cuba's, but terrible
enough, and last August along came
a tornado which simply devastated tho
island, which not only destroyed tho
crops Of tubacco and sugar cane with
the mills, but utterly wiped off the
earth the sole means of support of tbs
poor native, the bananas which KEEP
life in their miserable bodies. Their.
is now no fruit on the island. although
a Florida planter has just brought e
quantity Of young orange trees which
c will soon be bearing. The results d
the tornado We're most disastrous fol
it destroyed the machinery and crop!
: of the planters, thus cutting off th'
chance of employment for the laborers
, whose sufferings nave been therefore
o more extreme.
= GOOD SCHOOLS
Colonel Boies was particularly inter
a estod in the progress of civilization
I under our government III the way o
!, education. lie found the schools %
" San Juan in a fine condition and oddl
enough under the supervision of Car
c bondale man, G.. b. Benedict who /
J. dong excellent work. There are TWEEN
y ty-rine schools in that city, with 10
g pupils on the waiting list for whOr
. there are now no places.
y Colonel Huff, a surgeon Of the Uni
ted States army, is in charge of tn
k board of charities and corrections. I'm
It der mis- directions 500 tons of food
e week is being distributed to the poo
u and starving natives.
T. , "The penitentiary of San Juan" sal
: the colonel "is a model institution, an
70 could well be initiated in it's entir
methods by any in the United States
m 1t was the first thing built by the gov
n ernment after our occupation of tn
'e town. / counted twenty-five occupa
T. tlons which employ the time of tn
~ 800 prisoners. They make everythin
o they wear and much to SELL They al
4 the same type as those seen in tn
m Eastern penitentiary. but they seel
more tractable. They do all the stree
cleaning, under guard, of course, an
in their white garb look not unlike I'll
"a white Wings" of New York. SiXt
9 of them constitute "a squad of cleaner
n "The Spaniards have left us or
splendid memorial" he continued, IAN
that Is the great military road sixty
eight miles long, the finest thorough
fare / ever saw in any country. 1t
= kept in perfect condition, every tw
~ miles there being an adobe house
which lives a supervisor, whose duty
is to look after his section. 1t is II
intention of the government TO tai
~ these dwellings for school houses.
= feature which struck us during OF
drives was the presence of beautif
little stone arched bridges, with rio
carvings on the balustrades. TT
er horses gallop up and down hill tir
lessly over this magnificent drive.
SOLDIERS GOOD QUARTERS.
"rhe United States army has bett
p" quarters than ever the soldiers saw
their lives. Imagine handsome stol
barracks all around the court hou
". square. opening into a court In Il
centre, and from the porticos cor
Il manding exquisite Views over the sea
When questioned as to his views
the future of the Puerto Ricans, O.