The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-08

Islands with the United STATES
Cost of Living in TeneriGe High.
Education of Natives Neglected.
BALTIMORE. July Solomon Berlin
ct. United States Consul to the Canary
Islands. arrived at Baltimore in the
steamer BeuerIee yesterday morning
I left New York in August two years
ago. said he. and I am home on a sixty
days leave Of absence [ left suddenly on
the tramp steamer BeIleriee because she /
was coming directly to Baltimore I had
90 bring some rare live animals and plants
with NE for the Smithsonian Institution
at Washington and it would not have
been so easy TO take them by way of En-
gland.
y brought some Ianzorotu pigeons,
which weigh about a pound and half
apiece and have long feathers on their
feet They can hardly fly at all Then 1
brought some birds that the Spanish call
GTajos. They Iaok like crows. with red
bills and feet but they are not crows.
They are sort Of cross between a crow
and q jay They are very tame With
these ! brought some palms, caCti. and
that sort of thing"
I know a lot about the Canary Islands
now" said Mr. BerIiner. and I have, had
nara WOEh LOOKING dEttT IRE interests u
the United States III those Spanish isl
ands- Teneriffe is the largest Of the seven
Canary Islands. As United States Consul
| my duties extend to all the islands. but
my consulate is in Santa Cruz de Tene-
rife. the capital of TeneTiffe. There are
about forty Americans in the city, which
has d population of 5000, and there are
| about 10000 people ii the Island OF TcEe-
rife. The population OF tie Canary Isl
ands is about @5o COO
What did you find tC do at Tenerife7'
was asked
| oh, I had plenty to do" was the cheer
| ful reply. My Office hours are from 9 a
+ III. to p m, but I made it a rule to work
! overtime, nights and Sundays, when there
| was anything special to require my at
tention. ! had TO see about goods shipped
! to American ports. I had to make weekly
| health reports I had 10 look after sick
| American sailors There was plenty to
! do"
What is the character Of the people,
The education of the natives has been
! neglected. but many foreigners are at
/ traCted to the islands. The climate there
| Is delightful There is one danger-tlie
/ Canary fever-wiich one IS liable TO catch
One symptom is Iassitude. I did not catch
it"
is there much trade between the Uni
ted States and the Canary Islands2"
Most of the trade between Tenerihe
and American ports IS by way of Porto
Rico and Cuba. There is d regular line Of
steamers running between Tenerifc and
Porto Rico The chief imports from the
! United States are coal. wheat -four. pc
trOIeum.- lard, tobacco. and cotton fab
RIGS. The chief exports to the United
States and Cuba, are almonds, cochineaL
split peas. drawn linen work. onion seed,
potatoes. and wine. The cost Of living in
Tenerife is high, considerably higher
than it was before the war, because labor
| in the islands has been at q, standstiIl ana
most Of the food products are imported
Within a year nineteen vessels laden with
American goods have unIoaded at Ten
eriffe. I believe that a direct line Of
steamers from New York to Teueriffe
would pay. The Grand Canary is a beau
tifuI island, and IS regarded as a health
/ resort for consumptiyes. It has a popu-
Iatioa Of 114.ooo Las PaImas, its capital
is a city of 40.009 people It's streets are
lighted by electricity and there are many
fine buildings there The streets are mar
row, like those in Santa Cruz de TeneT-
life, but there are electric tramways and
other means of travel. The country dis
tricts in the Canary Islands are pictuF-
esque, and the great Peak Of TeneTilfe Is
worth going q long way TO look at It's
sD0wcIad summit can be seen az a dis
lance Of many miles. and If a person
wants mountain climbing he can get all
ne wants Of it there"
Are you going to Washington to make
a report before you return 10 Teneriffe?''
! i probably shall 90 TO Washington To
make a report in a few days"
| Mr. BeTliner went TO New York from
| Pa F1d rEp
| Avenue Hotel, where he asked for the
waTmest room in the house. His resi-
dence in an equatorial climate has made
him sensitive 10 changes Of temperature.