The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-19
MISSION WORK
IN PORTO rico
Bishop peterkin Delivers an Address
on the Subject,
DIFFICULTIES IN The WAY.
The People Arc Naturally Hostile TO the
American Code, and It Is Hard Tor Them
TO Understand Our Cnstoms-Rcview
of Church Work in San Juan.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY.

Eishon George w Peterhin. oil the dio-
cese of West Virginia, has just Ict..l .ieu
from a two-months. visit to Porto r'c".
The Journey was taken With q VIC" "
examining the field and OF lnauStrhliiiS
missionary work at San Jaun and other
available points. Bishop Pcterl1in deliv-
cred an address at st. James Eplscopi1l
Church Sunday morning on the educ;-
tjonal and religious conditions which OBJ
tain in Porto Rico.
In speaking o. needs ana prospects VI
this work he said that VIC must not 1oi-
get how that all through the past inc
country has been part of Spanish A1.!eri-
ca, or more particularly OF the West IL
dies and that means q great deal to those
who have read the lessons of history
The West India Islands were through
centuries the scene of unparalleled sor-
rows and expressions. Piracy, with ail
its attendant horrors, was rife. GREEDY
gold hunters from the Old World came
to the new in irresponsible bands ana
everywhere worked their Will IN the
story that sets forth the dongs of these
hardy and reckless Adventures, truth IS
often stranger than fiction. Through IL
long term of years. and by an unparal-
lelcd series of exploration, and OF teats OIL
arms. all these regions were visited bE
successive bands OF DARN: spirits. and.
as some one pontcdy puts it, fell Il
prey to civilization During all these
experiences the aboriginal population was
largely eNterminated, and 1T has been
succeeded up to the present day by Il
mixture in every conceivable degree, of
European. negro and Indian bUod-with
some, Of course, OF pure Spanish descent
these last estimated by the last census OF
Porto Rico to be about three per cent.
of the whole population, that is. less than
10000 out of 953000.
Porto Rico. at the time OF my visit,
might be described as a large and fertile
island though it could hardly be called
very prosperous. Spanish misruic had Il
much greater tendency to enrich a few
favored ones, otncalS and others. than
To life UP the great mass of the people.
DIFFICULTIES IN TIE WAY.
The administration we have put in
charge is actively and intc!ligcntiy eN-
eTtin. itself to change all that. but only
the thoushtless and Inexperienced can
expect SO great q. work to be done i'll {;
day, or III a year. The difficulties in the
way arc very great: chiefly because the
system OF laws under which the Porto
Rics,ns have been raised are hostile to al
most everything i'll the American code
and ais" because 1t is naturally hard for
them to understand and appreciate our
no wonder Il IN the process of assimila-
ton and development we should some
times make mistakes which NAV tend
still further TO conlplicate the problem
AS far as know. beyond the first efforts
OF the schools but little formal or Off
clal attempt has Yet been made to extend
the use of the English language. although
TO many 1t would appear as ii its Dreva-
fence was to be looked upon as one OF the
chief requisites For the assimilation and
development of the island The general
altitude OF the people has been described!
as drifting, and il win require a vast
deal OF energy ana patience 10 bring
them IN any wise to stem the 1id,. thai
mas been Tor centuries gearing them
along Out OF the 5S#'o population up
wards OF SU'-ttO may be described as aeri-
cultural, which, OF course means r1Ira1
ana scattered, and the general climatic
conditions. coupled with such economic
arrangements, as give to the laborer liz
tie hope of lettering his condition-sun-
posing he had the desire to do soha,a
neSotteh IN many Il kind of contentn,ent
WI 'he1r lot and Indifference to any
th!hg except existence under The most
primitive conditions
On the other hand, the visitor 70 Mi,
island must guard against being m;s,ad
DS sSmpathles and praiudices. which az.
Ie"HllS excited by what is to him alto
sethef strange or unusual! Tourists who
are unaccustomed TO the half-clad. caro-
less unconventional life of the tro7,io,l
! peasant, may easily mistake his mar.
smell OF house ana his semi-nuditv IN,
! an evidence of great want, ard so. will
! oiitdiieu ior pity, eSa2serate the evils o;
I, "a condition that at the best is far ron
| desirable
OF the population of a55;;. 600 ;,bo,,t g.
(, per cent. or So9CG0 are i!literate. Of III,
| people u per cent. or nearly Go. 900 arc
| ciaSscd as white and IS per cert. O,
| about 35o,eGD arc of colorcd OF, n,iyei
| clood--from two-thirds or thrce-ouarIer:
being mixtures of Spanish and india,
/! blood.
/ FOUND GREAT IbL1TERACY.
| The public schools are DOING :; goot
/; work The general management is wise
! and the teachers generally cana Bile an,
| enthusiastic The missionaries OF ot!le
!! churches, whom l found already at work
i, seem greatly encouraged by the rccep
ton they are receiving, not only in tn
cities where they are established. botI
III schools and chapels, bat in thos
towns and country neishboriloods wher
they go on preaching tours.
The great mass of the people seem t
have turned away from the Roman
! Church. not only with indifference. bu
! with an aggr;cved feeling. sometime
| almost of enmity. because it has no
done more for them during ali these year
of its unGisputea sway and wide opc
door OF opportunity.
The lcpisccpa! Church is as yet doin
out little work in Porto Rice, and tina
little is altogether among Enslsh-speak
ing Deople Tnat VIC have not Yet take
up the work among the Spanis1->feak
ing people Will not appear 50 strange