davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

In the path OF the storm In going from
the port. or playa, of Ponce to that city
i saw 200 foot steel wagon bridge which
had been swept by the flood from its
abutments and carried into a field more
than It's entire length away. The bed OF
this bridge was 20 feet from that OF tho
stream IL spunncd and was strongly an
chored 10 it's abutments yet the river
came down with the hurricane and car
ried IL away like a cork The other day
when / saw that stream / might have
walked across IL dryshod on the stepping
stones that protruded above the water.
But was going TO say that the hurri-
cane terrible IA IL was occurred so long
ago that there has been time for the put
ting IN and harvesting OF several crops
I'm this region. where the maturing OF
fruits and vegetables is merely "A matter
OF weeks and not OF months. If the people
are sunering now from the lack OF food.
II Is entirely their own fault. They have
only TO scratch the earth a little with
sharpened stick. drop i'm seed or a tuber.
and nature does the rest. Literally at
some seasons they have only TO lie be-
meath tree and open their mouths tor
the ripe fruits to fall into them. And
yet, notwithstanding the time that has
elapsed since the hurricane. there are
thousands who prefer TO exist on charity
rather than do little work i'm their gar
dens. They might have had even bananas
and plantains in full fruitage if they had
attended TO them within a month after
the hurricane. for bananas and plantains
Will grow almost spontaneously from he
shoots OF the old plants and require but
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

has been so different from the engage
ments at other points during the cam
paign. The Boer did not have his be-
loved rocks and kopjes to stand behind.
and so his attempts at sniping We're not
so successful.
Last autumn,Swh war was expected.
but before the Beers had invaded Brit
ish territory. Colonel Baden Powell. the
most active young officer who ever wore
khaki, began TO fortify this spot In the
wilderness. The inhabitants of Mafe-
king. as a rule, laughed at the colonel,
who went on gathering his arms, laying
his mines, digging his trenches. train
ing his men and preparing for the foe
which no one really expected BY Mo-
vember the Beers had in position their
famous big Ben. a quick firing krupp
IL FOUNDER. a Hotchkiss, a Maxim
Nordenfeldt and few other field guns
splitting away at Mafeking from dawn
till dusk. There had been 400 British
Bechuanaland police in the barracks
outside the town before the siege be-
gan, and these Baden-Powell made the
core of his little army Of defense. Near
ly all citizens volunteered for service.
The first thing Baden-Powell had to do
was TO sweep the town clear of traitors
and spies. This was no easy task. The
spies were finally expelled, however.
and some 40 Fenians taken prisoner
and locked up. Then he set about
marking out the line of his exterior de-
| fense works. This included railway
| that ran good way round the town.
| up and down which hustled an armored
train, forever snarling and splitting out
at the Boer lines like frightened cat
| Then came the honeycombing of the
| town. Every one started burrowihg
like jack rabbits. Holes were dug from
one end of the place to the other. Mafe-
king was studded with bombproof cell
| lars, all ordered by Baden-P Powell. the
brain of that beleaguered collection OF
human moles. The result was that
when first Cronje and later Snyman
began pouring their shells into the place
the expected death and destruction did
not take place. In fact, there was s0me-
thing almost comical in the method OF
procedure. outpost forts had been sta
toned beyond the limits of the town
proper in every quarter. These were
held by small forces of volunteer sharp
shooters. with a field gun or two. Tele-
phone wires were stretched from these
outposts to the colonels headquarters
in the center Of Mafeking. At these
outposts men with long telescopes stood
all day long and watched the big guns
of the Beers away off on the dim hcri-
zon. Whenever they saw that big
Ben" was about 60 send i'm shell there
was the tinkle of telephone bell, and
the information was at headquarters In
six seconds. In Mafeking itself they
had big alarm bell. and when that
bell rang people did not expose them
selves unnecessarily. So when 1t was
known at headquarters that a shell was
on it's way To the town the bell was
rung, and everybody scampered, rushed,
tumbled under cover.
The freak effects of some OF the shells
were interesting. In Riesle's hotel two
newspaper correspondents were playing
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

reports Of those with whom | have con-
versed and who claimed TO b. well aware
OF the facts. our government Is steadily
pauperizing the island by the issuing OF
free rations Ii Is pointed out that so
many thousand or million rations are dali
ly or weekly issued in the country dis
tricts and this fact the alarmists say.
proves that the population is starving.
But the people are not starving and. in
fact. are very far from 1t. The issuing OF
the rations signifies nothing. Suppose, for
instance. 1),OO0 tons of free food were TO
be issued in the poorest part OF any great
American city, or I'm populous center Of
the country for that matter. is there any
doubt that there would be thousands OF
people ready TO accept this gift? And is
IL likely that they would feel inclined 10
work much while they were being fed ior
nothing? Human nature is about the
same In Porto Rico ms it is in the States
and, moreover. the natural Incidence of
people born and bred in a tropical climate
rs increased by the charity of a paternal
government.
General Davis recognizes this evil In tho
wholesale distribution of supplies for
nothing, and he proposes us a remedy the
employment Of the poorest people i'm great
public works, as the building Of roads
etc I'm fact, thousands have beer SO en-
ployed. but the bulk of them having do
veloped liking tor the pap OF charity re-
Voiteu AT the suggestion Of going TO work
AT wage approNimating their old rate of
compensation and struck" The govern
ment contractors Increased their wages
and they struck again and at last ac>
counts were still striking. over Ak the
east end OF the island. where the lahorers
on the sugar estates had never received
more than so cents day in their lives be-
fore the advent of the Americans. n band
or them struck against a proposed wage
of 81 day demanding $3.50 IL is quite
likely that they Will keep on demanding
an increase until all their supplies are ex-
hausted and then go TO work at the old
rate OF SO cents a day perfectly conteEted.
AS for starvation. that Is altogether out
of the question. TO prove this let me ask.
for example. what would be the condition
OF New England were IL I'm the enjoyment
OF climate that bestowed perpetual sum-
NOR and I'm which fruits and vegetables OF
all sorts grew all the time. seedtime and
harvest following fast each upon the 9TH
ers heels?
Anything In the world will grow here,
and there Is not a week i'm tho year when
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09
TYPICAL SCENES IN PORTO RICO.

subsistence and pocketing the difference.
can prove my assertions by reference TO
official reports.
No indeed. it Is not the people" who
are making this clamor for higher wages
and lower tariff, for free tobacco, sugar
etc and the franchise. Not one I'm 100 OF
them knows what the franchise Is, or
cares Not one in Loco can read or write
or knows whether the queen OF Spain "r
President Mckinley rules Porto Rico. In
fact The majority DO not cure. SO long as
they ere permitted &c Oo as they like. 20
wear their native costume of rags and rib
bons. 10 lie I'm a hammock ana take a si-
csta at midday. to celebrate sundays aud
feast days the moro the merrieD by
"bailes' or dances. drinking and cock
fighting. There was time when the
ricncr classes made much OF tho bull
fsht. but they submitted TO It's banish-
ment with good grace. so long as they
were permitted TO retain their cockights.
For here the fighting cock and not the
bald eagle Is the national bird. If We
could prove that the eagle would whip the
lighting cock. we should win their ever
lasting support but so long as there is
any doubt they stick by the chantcleer.
And this leads me TO remark that In no
way has the liberty OF the Porto Ric1n
been interferod with. This Ia one of the
worldly wise rules laid down by General
henry ana Followed rcigiously bv GEN.
eral Davis. his great successor. when
arrived at san Juan the carnival was I'm
iuIl blast and l could not detect bit ct
difference between it's celebration then
ana eight years ago. Endless ribbons of
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09
BY FREDERICK A. ODER,
Author of Porto Rico apd Its Resources"

fectly safe place OF residence for Amer
leans az well as natives. Regarding the
condition OF Porto Rico. under American
rule. he admitted. with the frankness OF
an old soldier accustomed 10 speak the
truth regardless OF consequences, that
there was still much TO be desired. The
natives, as we know, received our soldiers
with open arms, whatever their motive
may have been. IL may have been from
real love for the Americans or from de-
sire for change. for certainly their condi-
tion could not have been worse than the
Spaniards made II. They were oppressed
by foreign rulers, staggering beneath the
burden OF every species OF taxation, and
had no voice In the management of af-
fairs
And yet badly off as they were, II Is
the opinion OF General Davis that their
condition then was better than IL IL now,
for he says; Instead of proving a bless
ing 10 the Inhabitants as they had so
fondly anticipated annexation 10 the
United States has thus far brought them
only additional woe. and unless immediate
remedial measures are taken by this gov
ernment the distress and discomfort now
prevailing will spread and the difficulty OF
regenerating the island will increase.
With prosperity, with means of procuring
the necessities OF life. no difficulty will
be experienced In maintaining order and
in educating the people In the American
metnouS OF administration. But To leave
them I'm destltution and TO fail to provide
means by which they can lift themselves
from the poverty encompassing them Will
breed discomfort and make them intracta-
BILE TO American rule"
by remedial measures" OF course. the
general means, first. such legislation on
the tariff question as shall settle it for at
least a definite term OF wears. in my va
rious trips conversed with all classes OF
people. from the 'gibaro." or poor farm
er, of the mountains 10 the rich 'hacen-
dado.' or sugar estate owner. OF the coast
valleys, and the universal cry was: "Givc
NJ anything. anything but this uncertain
~. We viii be satisfied with a Is per cent
tariff or even % per cent but what we
want. OF course. is perfect freedom OF
trade-not free trade necessarily but
freedom OF. trade" Mark the difference
The discomfort is not 30 apparent. at
least on the surface. as seems evident from
General Davis remarks. lie. OF course. as
commander i'm chief OF the American
forces. receiving daily reports from all
quarters of the island. may be cognizant
OF moro disturbances and more suffering
than the mere traveller According to the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

liking tho restraint of clothes. but the
simple truth Is that their parents cannot
afford TO dress them. In the interior of
the island nearly all the children run
about i'm state of nature so long as they
do not 20 to school-up TO certain age
And as their compilations harmonize well
with the earth tints they are more In
keeping with their surrounding than II
clothed.
The huts OF these country poor are made
with a thatch of palm leaves or the
In broad strips and is known as 'yagua. ="
here derive much that Is useful In their
domestic economy. as the women use the
spathe for "a washtub as well as for
wrapping material OF different sorts. The
two species OF palm. the royal and the
cocoa. furnish the poor farmer with all
his building material and for tho furnish
Ing of IL he looks TO the calnhash which
supplies him with water vessels dishes,
spoons and with utensils OF nearly every
description needed I'm his simple mode OF
life.
These common classes do not ask for
much while living and they dou't expect
much when they die. TO meet funeral
procession on the highroad T. common
experience. and then one sees how poor
and mean are It's accessories. Even the
coffin which the "mcurnCrs' carry so
Jauntily on their shoulders o. borrowed
for tho occasion. and when they set TO the
grave the corpse is dumped In without
mucl, ceremony and left apparently with
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

some dozens or more OF nutritious fruits
or vegetables are not ripenng. Compare.
then. these two regions cimnticolly and
con- rast the north. with IT'S rigorous win
ters and short summers. with lhe per-
petual summer land OF Porto Rico. And
there are all sorts OF climates here, too,
for one can have a radically different ELI
mate at any time by riding from the coast
a few miles mountainward as well US
change I'm vegetation.
IL Is tho boast OF the better class here
that Americans shall never buy their
lands at less than double their value.
since even the poorest people are not
forced TO sell. as they can live on baEa-
mas entirely IL need be. One OF these said
this to me. remarlxing that his fellow citi-
zens were entirely Independent OF the
Americans. as their subsistence practical
ly grew wild and that they didn't need
our charity. But when asked him about
those pitful appeals for help that came
waited toward the States last year ana
about the shiploads Of provisions that we
sent them he was silent. No indeed. they
did not send any provision back; they
devoured them all and then held out their
hands for more.
Now, Is Il not rather pitiful for any one
TO say that the people OF Porto Rico are
still suffering from the effects of last Au-
gusts hurricane when more than six
months have passed since II occurred
death in that hurricane. and the evidences
of its havoc are seen yet on every side ia
the ruined huts. the wrecked buildings OF
sugar estates and the demolished houses
and overturned trees along the roads m
the country districts. III there was any
thing left of consequence not destroyed or
injured, 1t was merely because ii was not
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

httle regret | was told that the custor-~
OF renting the graves had been forbidden,
but when In Ponce l saw some sections
diFging out an old grave. from which
tGey lhrcw up all the bones OF human
skeleton. They could see no improperly
IN II. for. as they said. the rental OF that
particular grave had been paid for only
I'VE years, the time had expired and the
tenanfs bones were now going into the
pit In the corner of tho wall along with
thousands of others.
Having. as II were. pursued these Porto
klcans from the cradle Co the grave, 1
VIII now drop the subject only pausing
to remark upon the really sympathetic
quality of these simple minded people,
who are readily aroused To either anger
or mirth. who take life easily and meet
death without fear. They constitute prob
ably four-ffths of the population and are
the masses whom the future politician
viii mold as the baker knoads his bread.
But the salvation OF tho island lies In
the children who are being educated IN
the primary schools and who are rapidly
becoming Americanized. Like the Indi-
ans OF the States. the present generation
OF adults will be- slow TO assimilate new
ideas and adopt new methods. but the
children will eventually accomplish all
that is hoped for ana prove the regencra-
ton OF the island. All children OF the
Spanish race are precocious and make
great progress up TO a certain age. espe-
cially as linguists. 1 was astonished TO
note the progress the pupils OF all the
schools visited had made i'm the learning
or English. the youngest OF them readily
taking difficult words TO write on their
states from dictation and rarely making
mistake. There r. already small army
or enthusiastic teachers In the field and
they VIII eventually accomplish more than
the army of soldiers toward the uplifting
OF Porto Rico
The sympathetic nature of the people
TO which l have alluded. is shown to good
advantage I'm the joyful celebration OF
our legal holidays, and they have fairly
reveled in the new holidays. such as
Washingtons birthday. which lately went
OFT with great eclat. and particularly the
Fourth OF July. which they call "el Cua-
tro de Hoolio." Some of the soldiers de-
clare that this fervid enthusiasm is dis
played not because they love Washington
and the Fourth so much as the addition OF
another feast day to the calendar which
already contains about 200. every one of
which Is holiday and consequently de-
voted TO gambling and cockfighting. BE
this as IL may IL cannot be denied that
the average Porto Rican is both a gam
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

ST~HERE has recently been great
deal OF discussion as to whether or
not the island OF Porto Rico should
have free trade and civil government.
As n persons opinion Is liable 20 per-
sonal bias. depending upon his social
and political affiliations, perhaps the
best thing can do is to give an account
OF what l have seen and heard during
my recent trip over and around the is
land, leaving my readers To make their
own deductions. In the first place,
may mention that / was here 20 years
ago, in the year $780, and again eight
years ago, on my latter visit as a Chi
cago exposition commissioner. Thus
having seen the island when under
Spanish rule and having met the ruling
people. such as the captain general, all
calde, commandante. etc. shall have
good basis OF comparison as between
the past and the present Porto Rico.
IL may seem a trivial matter per-
haps, but the first thing that struck me
at my entrance for the third time into
the beautiful harbor OF San Juan was
the absolute freedom accorded arrivals
here as contrasted with the incessant
watch kept over one during the old re-
AS tNc great Ndlitu city Oh san
Juan loomed before me the first time.
with the glorious MORO Castle. histor-
ic and impressive, / was. OF course.
seized with desire TO photograph the
picturesque scene and pitched my cam
era for snap shot after we had crossed
the bar and sailed into the landlockei
harbor. had no sooner done So howev-
cr than my arm was gripped by "A sallow,
smoke dried Spaniard. who growled
threateningIy and pointed significantly to
one of the MORO dungeons. intmatiuP
that " persisted in my scheme | would
promptly be incarcerated. This man WAS
a customs Official, who had come aboard
with the pilot As he also threatened 10
confiscate my apparatus. I hastened 20
hide II In my stateroom, where II lay dur
Ing the time We were on-the coast.
That was 20 years ago. and conditions
were exactly the same when I made my
second visit I'm 1897, for before I could take
any photographs whatever, even I'm the
country. far from the fortifcations OF
which the Spaniards were so Jealous 1
had 10 procure permit from the alcalde
II was given me with alacrity. TO be sure,
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-09

bier and a lover OF sport by instinct and
he cannot see for the life of him why the
government should seek TO suppress his
pastimes.
/ have devoted most OF my space to
these people Of the lower class because
they constitute the bulk of the population,
and II is mainly about them that the sto-
ries are circulated In the States respecting
starvation and penury. Yes, they are
poor, but as I trust l have shown, II
they starve II Is their own fault. At the
same time they are not lazy. only inn
provident and shiftless, without any in
centive to labor except the pressure of
poverty. If one gains "a dollar he viii ex-
pend 10 cents or so for food. the smallest
amount necessary for bare existence,
and the remainder he will sauander.
The sum total OF Porto Ricos present
troubles may be expressed in one word
uncertainty! The soil is so fertile and
fruitful in some districts, as i'm the tobac-
co region of Cayey, being cultivated to the
very mountain tops. that the island cannot
fail of its future destiny which is To be
one of the garden spots OF the world.
1t never attained TO the limit of it's pro-
duction under Spanish rule because all ci-
forts toward development were checked
and choked, but under the fostering care
OF wise American methods the future of
this beautiful island will be fun Of prom
Use.
The problems and yexations that now
arise are of a temporary character merely
and will disappear in the process OF time.
as people and country are Ieavened with
the civilizing ideas OF the great country 10
which they are annexed. II should DC
borne I'm mind that the island is undergo
ing a formative process: that experiment
tation Is necessarily the order of the day,
and that 10 may even take a generation
Of time 10 accomplish the eradication OF
evils that have been growing for centi-
rics.
The wonder Is that we have succeeded
so well when Il is known that the Latin
race. TO which these people belong. ami
the Anglo-SaNon TO which we in the main
belong. will no more mix than oil with
water But despite the radical racial dif-
ferences and the friction occasioned IL IL
alleged by political expediencies the Porto
Ricans are impressed with our honesty
our integrity Of purpose and good inten-
tions and i'm the main VIII cling TO tho
United states rather than revert to Spain
again or De set adrift. They have the
good sense 90 appreciate the fact that Il
nation that gives them wateryyorks, elec-
highways. not TO mention good govern,
mcnt. freedom from oppression, protec
ton from internal and external enemies
and the blessings OF education will even
tually work out their material salvation
and get them on the road TO unexampled
prosperity.
SAN JUAN. Porto Rico
Copyright. 1900. by +. A. ober.l