Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-17
PANAY'S RICH ISLE
ONE OF THE FINEST IN OUR EN-
TIRE POSSESSIONS.
is RICH IN AGRICULTURE
IloiIo, the Principal City, Center of
Considerable Commerce-People
Advanced in Many Arts-Large
Population Sustained in Limited
Area.

Washington, Oct. 10.-The latest re-
port on the Philippine islands COM
piled in the division of insular affairs
of the war department concerns the
island of Panay.
This island, the most northwestern
of the Visayan group, is eighty-five
miles southeast of the center of the
archipelago. On the north extends
the Tablazo de Capiz, or the INLAND
sea-" included between the Island of
| Tablas, Rombion, Sibuyan and Mas
bate; on the east Iloilo strait, which
separates it from Negros, nine miles
distant; on the south an arm of the
Sulu and on the west the Mindoro
seas
In population it is 100000 more than
| Maine; twice that of New Hampshire;
more than Vermont and Rhode Island
combined; within 100000 of Connect
cut; more than the two Dakotas;
twice that of Oregon; nearly twice
that Of Washington and almost as
great as Wyoming, New Mexico, Ari-
IONA, Utah, Nevada and Idaho to-
gether.
The inhabitants are Visayans. Sew
eral thousand wild Mundos and a few
Negritos dwell in the Businesses of
the mountains.
Three rivers form the drainage sys-
TEN of Panay. These are the Panay,
Jalaur and Aclan. Other streams less
important are the Salug, Ibaiay and
Sibalon The coast is we'll indented
with bays and harbors, fifteen of
which afford safe shelter for vessels
of all sizes engaged in the coastwise
or foreign commerce.
Within the limits of the three
provinces, and particularly Iloilo, are
many fine roads connecting the i'm
portant centers of trade and trails
communicating with the plantations
in the interior. Owing to the rugged
character of the mountains interven-
ing, traffic between the provinces of
the island is carried on entirely by
sea. There are 1872 towns, ranging in
populatio nfrom 1000 to 10000, and
t498 villages. The most important
town, though not the largest, is Iloilo,
the capital of the new province of
that name, a port Of entry, head
quarters of the United States military
department of the Visayas, and tel
egraph station. Vessels drawing If
teen feet can reach the city by the
river of that name at all times, and
have protection against all storms.
The two principal streets, which fol
low the course Of the river, have fine
public and private buildings.
Next 10 Manila, this city is the most
important commercially i'll the Philip
pines, both in exports and imports, the
former consisting of tobacco, rice,
coffee, hides and hemp, and the latter
of Australian coal and merchandise.
Of the dependent inslands, Guimaras
alone is one-sixth the size of the state
of Rhode Island, and produces rice,
hemp, cotton, corn and tobacco. 1t
also has important fishing interests.
The vegetable products of the island
are cotton, corn, chocolate, pepper,
coffee, tobacco, sugar cane, rice and
copra The last three are staples in
quality and quantity. The CONNER
cial movement in sugar and copra
through the port of Iloilo represented
1899, sugar, 1,197,700 piculs; copra
1921 piculs A picul represents
1879 American pounds. The maxi
mum shipment of sugar was, in 1892
2,571,9S9 piculs, or the enormous
output of 354, 1896, 4S2 American pounds
Of the grazing lands, which cover q