The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-04
QUITTING PORTO RICO
MANY DESIRABLE LABORERS GOING
TO PARKWAY HAWAII.
Expected to Stay There and Marry
Natives of the Islands
Crop Conditions.
,rrespondence of the Associated Press.

Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
PONCE, P. r., March 2S.-Another expe-
dition of Hawaiian-bound emigrants sailed
for New Orleans on the steamer California,
Captain Dyer. from Guanica, yesterday.
There were $50 in the party. The expedi-
ton was composed of the f-nest-appearing
lot of people yet to leave for Hawaii. Near
~ all the travellers comprised entire fami-
lies. The number of persons to a family
averaged about six, and there was one
family of eleven persons. OF the 200 Porto
Ricans who have gone TO Hawaii over 60
per cent. have been women. The party
which left on the California were fair speci-
mems of Porto Rico's labor class, and were
as sturdy as the general run of Porto
Ricans.
Before the first boatload of emigrants
was sent out to the ship about 1900 people
congregated on the beach. and two priests
celebrated mass in the open air. Two we'd
dings and two christenings were also per-
formed. While on their way to New Or
leans the emigrants. most of whom were
in rags when embarking. will be cheaply
but substantially clothed at the expense OF
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association.
and the entire party will be vaccinated.
Rations of Goldfish, beef, potatoes, rice.
beans. bread and coffee are served twice
daily.
The only reasonable objection advanced
so far to their emigration from Porto Rico
is that the stands best laborers are leav-
ing. The recruiting agents have orders to
enlist no Spaniards, and no pure black peo-
pie are taken, the idea being. presumably,
to have the men marry Hawaiian women
and thus lose their identity with Porto
Rico. In all events, after being transported
SO far, it is not likely that they will ever
return. 1t is considered that Porto Rice
is overpopulated, and the sooner this popu-
lation is thinned down the better of Porto
Rico will be. The numbers of Porto Ricans
who have lately so willingly emigraIed 10
Hawaii, there TO seek a livelihood under
unknown conditions, is regarded as con-
elusive proof that want and even starva-
ton do exist here.
The agents who have been endeavoring to
secure laborers TO work on McDonald's
railroad in Ecuador are having but little
success. They say they can employ 1900
men. Judging from the reports of the
treatment of Jamaican laborers there,
Ecuador is not a desirable country for emi-
grants. and the jamaican government has
prohibited further emigration. 1t is ex-
pected hat the Ecuador agents will send a
small shipload of emigrants to Ecuador
sore time in April. 1t has been suggested
that the authorities might examine and re-
port OH conditions cAlSllnk III EcuduOT. anu
especially among the laborers on the Quay
aquil-Quito railroad, before allowing Porto
Ricans TO emigrate thither.
over $50 men are now being embarked on
the steamer Porto Rico for the iron mines
near Santiago. Cuba. These laborers are
contracted to work for three months at a
81 a day.
Indications in this part of the island point
to an exceedingly large coffee and sugar
crop. The De Ford estate. near Guayamas,
probably the largest on the island, will
grind its first crop this year, and If this
comes up to expectations they will ship
nearly 81, 900 worth of sugar this spring.
A native planter near Guanica will soon
ship $40, 600 worth of sugar and other plant
ers have good crops in view.
Alphabetically Porto Rico has almost en-
tirely recovered from the effects of the
cyclone of nearly two years ago. The fruit
outlook is good, but owing to the time re-
quired for maturing fruits Will produce no
returns for two or three years. A year
ago there was hardly an acre of fruit
under cultivation In Porto Rico. Several
Floridans came here and settled and are
now waiting for their fruit trees to bios
portation must be carefully considered, and
fruit property must be near a port or on
one of the short railroads. Good fruit and
is worth from IS TO $40 an acre, according
to the location.
The shippers of New Orleans find Porto
Rico a good market for rice. The Cali
fornian, which arrived here last week from
New Orleans, brought 5000 packages If
rice. which were disposed OF very readily.
Rice. and Goldfish from Nova Scotia,
brought here in schocners, is the chief diet
Of the Porto Rican.
There are about fifty cases of smallpox i'm
Ponce. The disease is of such a mild form
that there nave been but few deaths, and
alarm, as the epidemic is well under con-
troll.