The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1901-04-12
MUt AuDU| PUR|U RICO.
Abstract of Report of Representative
of the American Missionary
Association.
hIcHEs AND POVERTY SIDE BY SIDE.
Modern General Hospital Needed
The Work Being Done In the Line
OF Education-PIentyo of Room for
More-The Church Missions All
Doing Good work.

Boston, April 11.-Following is an
abstract of the report of Rev. L. 5.
Tead, of Somerville, Mass, who, with
Rev. A. +. Beard, of New York ,eNvent
to Porto Rico as representatives of
the American Missionary association
about six weeks ago.
I'm some of the towns where the
greatest poverty exists Spaniards live
who are worth all the way from $780,
600 to sl,o00,000, put they are not
touched by this condition of the poor,
nor are efforts made to alleviate dis
tress. Beggary is common, and in
some of the stores little baskets of
coppers on the shelf hold the amount
which the merchant intends to dis
pense that day.
General Hospital Needed.
"The need of the island is a general
hospital equipped with modern appli-
ances. A hospital could be built and
equipped at comparatively small ex-
pense. Miss DIR. Atkins. connected
with the Presbyterian mission of San
Juan, has rs to 40 calls day from
patients who reed hospital treatment,
many of whose lives are lost because
of the lack of il.
Education of the People.
The education of the people is re-
eeiving the careful consideration of
the authorities. DIR. Brumbaugh. the
commissioner of education is work
ing night and day on this pressing
problem. At present. 10000 children
are in the public schools, but 100000
remain as yet unprovided for There
are 500 teachers, IA bout ninety of whom
are from the United States. Both
Spanish and English are taught, and
the children are quick and eager to
learn. There is no high normal, in
dustrial school or college in the is
land, though Ma iardo has raised S2O.-
600 for the normal school. Sixteen
school inspectors are in the saddle
visiting the different sections of the
Island. and heir services are much
needed to keep the native teachers
to their tasks. which, sometimes. they
are disposed TO shirk.
Religion Not In the CurricuIum.
Religion is not allowed place on
the curriculum. There is a widespread
desire to learn English, and at Lares
the clerks in the stores meet Prof
scott in the night school that he has
opened to study the Language.
Work of the Missions.
"The Presbyterian mission. under
the wise generalship of Rev. DR.. John
NJ. Green; the Methodist mission. led
by Rev. DIR. Drees; the Baptist and
Episcopal missions, conducted re-
spectively by Rev. Doctors Mccormick
and Van Buren,, are doing excellent
service in educational and evangelistic
lines. The Sunday and weekday serv-
ices are crowded with curious and in
terested listeners.
Have Two Excellent schools.
The Congregationalists, through
the American Missionary association.
have two excellent schools at San
Iurce and Lares, and are doing as
thorough work in education as is
done by any schools on the island.
There rs distinct and emphatic call
for large central boarding school
of the higher grade with normal
and industrial departments.
The Outlook Emcouraginx.
'rhe outlook for industrial. educa-
tional and religious quickening is en-
eouraging. Daring the past two years
great advarces have been made. The
people, in spite of the present disturb
hnces are eNpectant of changes for
the better. The hope of that fair land
is in the children. BY their ready as
sanitation OF American ideas they
constitute the groundwork of a new
civil and moral order. That such re-
generation is TO come is the confident
expectation of those who know Porto
Rico best