Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-04-12

clplipe is very much in evidence. The
men seemed glad to see and be able
: 20 talk with some people from home
as they expressed it. They were very
much elated at the time of our visit
over the rumor that they were to be
sent back to the states, although at
the same time they expressed some re-
greet at having to leave after having
become accustomed and more or less
attached to the place and its sur
roundings.
Ponce, the largest place on the
island. is situated in the center of
the southern coast. The town itself is
three miles inland and the landing is
made at Port Ponce, or Ell Playa. This
city is by far the most cosmopolitan
of any we visited and more Americans
are to be found here than in all the
rest of the island-this refers to civ
ilians and not the military. Here you
find the metropolitan idea developed
to a greater degree than anywhere
elsa good American hotel run by
an American. good schools, the opera,
an excellent fire department and near
ly everything that constitutes an up
to-date town. We were entertained at
the Casino club, of which great many
of the Americans in Ponce are men,
bers, and received a most cordial well
come from both these and the native
members as well and it must be said
of these latter that they are hospit-
able, entertaining, refined and jealous
in their efforts to establish a mutual
relationship with Los Americanos.'
"The next evening we attended a
promenade concert given by the Ponce
native band in the plaza. We nat
urally expected to hear the strains of
some dreamy Spanish waltz but were
doomed to disappointment for our
ears were greeted with the opening
strains of Georgia Campmeeting. The
closing piece was The Star Spangled
Banner and every man present re-
moved his hat during the playing OF
it. This custom was established by
the American troops and the natives
have taken it up and it certainly is
one excellent method of instilling
Americanism into their hitherto I'M
patriotic selves, unpatriotic because
they felt that they had no country.
Ponce has many stores that it
may be proud of and the ladies in the
party were loud in their praises of the
line of wares carried by certain of the
dry goods houses and not a few pur-
chases were made of lace goods, native
linen, fans of native manufacture and
straw hats, all of which were of ex-
cellent quality and very reasonable in
price. This fact goes to show that the
products of the island are not limited
to sugar, coffee and tobacco.
"Fajardo ON the east coast Is beau
tifully situated. Possessing a very
excellent harbor and being surrounded
by attractive scenery it appeals to the
traveller at once. 1t is by far the
cleanliest place we visited and its peo-
pie have thrifty appearance. There
being no wharf we were forced to
make landing through the surf and
be carried ashore on the backs of the
native boatmen. A member of the
party received baptism of salt water
but considered it a part of the exper-
fence and seemed none the worse for
it as a very few minutes in the tropc
sun was sufficient to dry their cloth
ing. A great deal of shell work is
done here and some of it is very hand
some-chains, brooches, stickpins and
other articles are made from kind of
shell peculiar to the Porto Rican coast
at this point. Other varieties are also
found here, small and large, and of all
the colors OF the rainbow. To the
south of Fajardo lie great sugar plan
tations and for miles along the coast
one cap see nothing but sugar cane
Sugar being one of the principle pro-
ducts of the island, a great number of
sugar plantations are met with, but
strange thing in regard to the raising
of these principal products is that you
find whole communities devoted to the
raising Of one of them without re-
gard to any of the rest. OF course the
fiat lands along the coast are better
adapted to sugar raising than some of
| the IuOIt ulOuuJdluOuS CUuHLTy VI Iue
interior of the island. A planter may
have on his property some fine side
hill land where tobacco or coffee would
flourish and yet he let's it stand idle and
is satisfied with his three crops of
sugar cane a year.
From Fajardo through about 40
miles of the rouhest sea we had yet ex-
perienced brought us to San Juan
again. We were to make the trip
across the island via the great military
road from here to Ponce.
Six o'clock the next morning found
us ready to start and our little party
presented quite a unique appearance
as we drove through the narrow
streets in single file. The trip was
made in two seated rigs drawn by
team of little native horses and before
its completion we were thoroughly
convinced that although small and
light these little animals are gifted
with great staying qualities. The
wagons are quite comfortable although
somewhat clumsy and Anticipated.
! THE first ten miles we drove through