The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18
Little Doubt that This New Possess
sion VIII Prove to BE a Pay
ing Investment.
HIGHLY ENCOURAGING VIEW
WHAT HON. CHARLES I'll. ALLEN,
FIRST CIVIL GOVERNOR, THINKS.
The Field Awaiting American Capital
in Manufacturing and 9th
err Enterprises.

THE accompanying article by the Hon. charles
H. Allen. late Governor of Porto Rico, is from
the volume, Opportunities in the Colonies and
Cuba" soon to be issued by Lewis. Scribner &
Co., of New York, and is printed by special ar
rangement with the publishers. The book will
contain also articles by Governor-Genera Leon
ard Wood; NJ. E. Beall. of the Division of In
sular Affairs, and Hon. Perfecto Lacoste. Secre-
tary of Agriculture of Cuba, and will give a thor
ough description of the openings for capital,
trade. industry and professional and technical
skill in the new insular possessions.l
Porto Rico, the loveliest island washed
by ocean waves, lies between the Atlantic
and the Caribbean, 1880 miles from New
York city. 1t is. in round numbers, about
100 miles long from east to west and about
thirty-six miles broad from north to south,
having an area of 1868 squar miles, includ-
ing the adjacent and dependent islands,
Vieques, Culebra and Mona, and a score
or two of smaller keys. An idea of its
size can, perhaps, be gained by some famil-
lar comparisons. Porto Rico is approx
mately three times as large as Rhode
Island, one and eight-tenths as large as
Delaware, three-fourths the size of Con-
necticut and nearly one-seventy-eighth the
size of Texas, being almost exactly equal
in area to four counties of the regular di-
mansions in that gigantic State. 1t is the
smallest of the greater Antilles, and lies
farthest to the east n south. 1t has a
sea line of about $50 miles. Its shape is
nearly a perfect parallelogram, having the
southeast corner gently rounded off.
The industrial possibilities of the island,
considering the fertility of its soil, the
mildness of it's climate, the abundance Of
it's rain, its insular position and its tenn
ing population. can scarcely be viewed
with anticipations too optimistic. While
at present, as it has been since Columbus
first set foot upon its shores, it's chief re-
lance is agriculture and stock raising,
there is no reason why manufactures
should not flourish here, and an ocean COM
merce spring up, not only with the North
American continent, out with all the world.
POSSIBLE MANUFACTURES.
It is perfectly feasible hat. while de-
veloping the immense agricultural re-
sources of the island, at every seaport fac
tories might be established and nothing
leave the island but finished products.
Porto Rico can sell to the world, not only
coffee ready for the consumers use. but
refined sugar and molasses, rum, cigars
equal to those purchased in Havana, cot
ton goods of all descriptions, fine leather,
shoes and harness, chocolate and all it's
products, canned fruits equal or superior
to the best preserved in California, and
many other necessaries and luxuries which
will bring in returns sufficient not only
to support in comfort the million of people
now there, but five times as many
1t is with the present, however, more
than the future, that we have to deal in
this connection. The industrial possibilities
of Porto Rico are at this time largely ag-
ricultural. OF the superficial area of 2,347.-
500 acres, a little less than half a million
acres are now producing crops. After set
ting aside this 20 per cent. of cultivated
land, there remains 81 per cent. in pasture
land, Is per cent. in unclassifed uses and
woodland, and 16 per cent. in towns, roads,
streams and swamps. A great portion Of
this is in forests. which cover the hilltops