St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-07-25
PUERTO RICO TO A NEW YORKER.
A Business Mans Favorable Impress
ion of the Island and its PeOnLe.

BUSINESS Mans Favorable Impress
ion of the Island and its People.
From whatever point of view the citv
is seen it is like an elaborate stage pic
ture. The houses as well as the fortified
ton, Government buildings, &C., rise il
tiers one behind another and the embra
sures for the guns, the parapets, and the
Moorish towers here and there add tC
the effect. All the buildings are o
brightly painted stone or brick, with
marble tiled floors and stairs with iron
ratings. The interior partitions and
roots are also of masonary, so that the
town practically is incombustible and
needs no fire department. This applies
to the poorest quarters of the city as
well as to the best, and the only excep-
lions are few detached wooden houses
and the negroes huts at the south end.
Looking out from the city in any direc-
ton the same suggestion of stage seem
cry strikes one. The blue waters of the
ocean on the one side and the bay on the
other, with the wooded plains and the
hills and mountains rising in the dis
lance and the clear atmosphere bringing
everything apparently into such range
helghten the theatrical appearance. The
views in every direction are beautiful.
Walking through the city one is struck
with the smooth clean brick paved mar
row streets with their overhanging
piazzas, the arched entrances to the
buildings and the wel-stocked busy and
businesslke stores.
We read of the dirt and poverty of
Cuba, but nothing of the sort is appar-
emit here. The people of all sorts and
conditions look well, are dressed clearly
and brightly and there are no dirty chill
dren or ragged negroes in any quarter
such as we see in our own Southern
cities. In weeks walking through all
parts | have not seen a beggar or any
one who looked as if he did not have
enough to eat. Neither have l seen an
intoxicated person, though cafes and
American bars" are plentiful and native
FUN is cheap.
The American soldiers here are allowed
TO have almost every liberty. and are to
be met with everywhere and are in ap-
pearance, manner, and action a credit to
their country and to their officers. They
have very little to do, as the entire popu-
lation is peacable and friendly and salts
fed to be Americans" This feeling is
especially strong among the young men,
and the rising generation of both sexes
from appearances will be as enthusiastic
Yankees as our boys and girls in the
states. The fact that there are less than
two thousand United States troops on
the entire island, with close to a million
population, shows the friendliness of the
Puerto Ricans.
AS regards comfort in living of course,
1T is warm, but there is a refreshing
breeze from the ocean or the mountains
almost always, and with proper clothing
one can be comfortable. We have good
drinking water and there are four ice
factories and fifth is being built. Near
ly everything in the way of food sup.
plies that can be obtained in New York
is obtainable here, and many fruits, &C.,
in addition. The New Yorker feels the
need of American cookery. Though
there are some American" hotels here.
so called, grease and onions are still too
conspicuous. The beef and milk cattle
are of the best, fat and sleek as any
where, but American ways of killing and
dressing the beef would be a bigimprove-
ment. Fish are excellent and plenty.
There is no game worth speaking of, but
neither are there poisonous snakes or
insects, so we won't grumble at that. |
OF course we have summer vegeta bles,
beans, tomatoes, lettuce, &c., all the |
time, winter and summer.
With free trade and the general posi- |
ton of equality with the states that
Puerto Rico is entitled to as American |
territory, there will be an influx of
American capital and enterprise that
will, before many years make this one of
our states to be proud of. Labor is
cheap, industrious and abundant. Cap
tai and direction are what is needed.
Sugar, coffee, tobacco and oranges are
he crops to raise and the soil and the
workers are here. Money and intelli-
,ence are needed particularly in the de-
'elopment OF the tobacco and fruit in
lustry. There is a great future for both
If these crops here. Tobacco is good
low, but with improved handling and
urlng will equal almost any Havana.
Oranges and pineapples of the best va
iety flourish in all parts of the island,
md before long their production in large
Quantities for the states will be among
he American enterprises here. Sugar
nd coffee have first place with the Puer-
o Rican agriculturists and will pro.
ably always be their staple crops.