The hatchet. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1883-19??, 1900-06-10
PORTO RICO AS TT rs
RANDOM JoTTlNes OF AN AMERl-
CAN TRAVELLER.

The Spanish Language.
hive seen nothing prettier on the
whole island than the road from no
picdras TO San Juan. 1t Is lined WIN
n wide variety of handsome troplcoi
trees. fronting picturesque cottages
Flower gardens are plentiful, and oc'
casionally one is laid out win soine
skill and taste. These evidences OF cul-
tire are indeed rare and no American
con visit the island without a Feeling |
of disappointment at the lack oil out
ward as well rs inward home attract
ions.
san Juan. Ponce, Mayaguez, Aqua |
dilla and Arecibo are all seaports ana
are really the only places Of much con
seouence on the island. Arecipo Is
some fifty miles west from san Juan |
The Journey may be made by ran III.
though II is about as bad railroad
rs | ever saw. The train conductors
however, were always conslderate
enough to delay the cars four or hVe
minutes at the various stations III OF
der TO give me such time as l needed
to explore them or to buy a drink OF
cocoanut milk from the perlpateuc
wonder. Arecibo has some extremely
picturesque environs. Five or SIX mlles
east of the town is vertical rock that
rises some $50 feet. About half way 10
its summit Is an entrance when leauS
into n grottO that has NUMBER Oh
caverns. arches, stalactites and other
curiosities. IL may be added that this
with the hot sulphur springs about
five miles from Coamo on the military
road in the southern part of the ISL
and. are really worth n visit from ev-
cry American tourist. The hotel ac-
commodations mt the springs are the
best that can be found on the island'
Aguadilla. at the extreme northwest
ern portion of the island, Is extremely
picturesque, and Mayaguez has to my
mind better opportunities for invest
ment than either San Juan or Ponce.
Chance for investment.
But what chance does Porto Rico
offer TO settlers or investors? The an
swerlng of this question is beset with
difficulties because facts there are elu-
sive as will-o'-wisps and as slippery
cells. This may account for the fine
Imagination and def diction shown in
SO much that has been written about
the island To depend upon the native
for information is to become Devil
dered by elaborate contradiction. The
truthseeker will be told for instance,
that the rainy season begins and ENDS
at periods varying according TO the
number of natives he cOnsults. Super
fetal candor will assure him that So
cial life is stream of unpolluted IN
nocence and that its bestiality can be
Darallelled only by the worst days OF
imperial Rome; that life and property
are fairly secure, and that vilialny
and outlawry stalk broadcast over the
land. 1t is reported that before the
Standards evacuated San Juan they
released several hundreds of the worst
types of criminals-murderers ana
brigands-from the island prison, send
ing them out broadcast through the
country to resume their vacations OF
murder and rapine. Whilst this report
is confirmed by our own soldiers, l
have Travelled all over the island alone,
night and day, without mOlestation,
or witnessing any crime tagrant OF
otherwise.
Thus when ! turn to the prospects
for labor and for capital. to the chanc
es for the incoming investor and the
worker. soon learn to he guided only
hu nhGaIWn fiOn
though not until it had cost me some
thing in time and Spanish pesos. Fol
illustration, il has been reported witt
good deal of sincerity that there are
good placer gold mines up in the noun
aims back of Rio Grande; that the wo
men make six or seven dollars weel
banning il out from the beds of the
streams Soldiers at Caguas told mt
they had seen the dust In possession
of their comrades at FajardO, bu
when | arrived at that town the gol(
had somehow flown back to Caguas
But vet the claim was still that there
was plenty Of gold in the mountains
"Mucho oro," said the native; "plent!
of gold dust" said the American sol
ulcI. a lWtnll ulliC J'NihN NN'NA
a careful sitting of the story, and
much more exhaustive sitting OF TIT
sand in the beds of the creeks, dem
onstrated to my mind that there I
only here and there a gold color Il
the locality. Possibly we may yet hea
of rich Porto Rican gold mine CON
panies, however, cash capital one uni
and ciphers ad lib.
Coffee Culture.
But let us take less speculative ei
terprises-coffee raising, for example
Undeveloped coffee land can be Pun
chased for twenty dollars per acr'
provided a native does the buying
Americans will he charged twice tha
sum. -Four years of hard work are n
Guired before any return whateVe
can be secured. Unless already WOO
ed. trees must be planted to shade III
coffee shrub, and the curcoa ire
which brings n profit in itself, is be-
for this purpose, although the mol
quickly maturing banana will answe
1t is claimed that coffee can be grow
without shade, but am unable to fin
any thus produced under the hot 20
TO Rican sun. After the fourth yei