The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-16
PORTO RICO in REGENERATION.

One OF the nest prominent members Of
President Roossyelts cabinet lately said
the government. at Washington was SO
well satisfied with the conditions in E'orto
Rico that il gave no more thought 10 that
island than il gave &c the state OF New
Jersey While this attitude Of the author
ities At Washington Is sufficiently COM
planetary TO the insular government,
there stiIl remains unsettled questions
OF moment relating n Porto Rico. which
II would be well Il the Washington off,
Gals did not 50 readily dismiss from their
hands
While IN a political sense the island
and its affairs. the system or .nsuiar
government. including the system Il tax
aticn, of-revenues. and the public sol.o OILS.
have been set going 10 the entire salts
faction OF the President ana his advisers.
ana have ceased g be q source of coubt
and anxiety. in q conraerCiai sense the
island and the possibilities are just on the
verge Of discovery by the people Of the
United States. The newspapers in the
States the title by which the Islanders
distinguish the home country from SIS
new possessions, have Just recorded GER
tain experiments made in Connecticut in
the direction OF producing 4 cigar wrapper
like the SUN aura wrapper by growing the
leaf under shade. More thar two months
ago q representative Of the tobacco trust
went t. Porto Rico prepared 10 crow
tobacco crop under TIE shelter Of canvas
or wooden stats. He selected tield in
the Cayey district. ard ~ this time his
crop would should be we'll under way.
Unless high winds which are mere fire.
quent IN Porto Rico than in Connecticut.
should destroy the shelter. there san be
little doubt Of the success of this early
and important experiment in thinning the
Porto Ricar leaf and growing Tor the
United States market what is consi1e red
by Americas j more attractive w-al per
tnan this leaf in its natural state pro-
duces. The remoTal. last summer, Of the
United States tariff on Porto Rican to-
bacco caused 50 sudden an enormous q
growth Of the market in the states for
Porto Rican cigars that some manufac-
turers were unable to supply the demand
for the product
The coffee industry IS ir a less flourish
ing state. The hurricane of two years
ago did great damage 10 the coffee plan
tations and from it they have not re-
covered. Moreover The Spanish duty on
Porto Rican coffee has had the effect of
closing this important Transatlantic mar
ket and the people Of the United States
are not vet aware of the great superior
ity of The island coffee in richness Of body
and favor over the thinner Brazilian cof-
the states. where the latter coGees are
bought by consumers for the Java and
Mocha product: the Mocha being readily
supplied by sorting the round berries from
the fiat ones growing in the same pod
The Influences named. together with the
desire OF Spanish owners to withdraw
from the island since 1t have caused cof-
fee plantations to be IL the market at
much less tnan their former value
The future prospects Of the SUGAR in
dUstry are indicated by the erection by
the American sugar trust OF what is be
iieved to be the most complete plant in
the world for crushing the cane. In the
extraordinary depth and richness Of the
soil and in the climate. 10 which frost
is unknown, and which permits one crop
to succeed another IS fast as the first
natures. is found the certainty Of a great
agricultural development in the future.
to which the agricultural schools started
by DR.. Brumbaugh the former capable
Commissioner of Education. viii also in
turn contribute With a population of
nearly one million inhabitants. in an
island some ninety miles in length and
forty miles n width. but one-ffth of the
land AT present is cultivated. and thou
sands of the natives suffer from anaemia,
the most common disease of the island.
largely because or an UNMARRIED diet of
a few fruits Obtainable without labor.
As a winter resort for Americans the
development Of Porto Rico viii probably
wait upon the building of roads and the
of means 10 vary the nlonot-
ony of life. A few miles from Coamo. I
which is on the military road within an
easy drive from Ponce. at Ccamo Springs. /
the Spanards maintained "A resort which
is we'll worth a visit. The hot waters
gush from the hillside into the stone
baths. whose size. huge shoppers ard /
faucets excite the visitors curiosity. The {
grounds have an interesting collection I
n tropical vegetation and the rooms /
beds. and cuisine are not only safc-whiCh I
Is high recommendation IN n hot climate I
they would be unusually attractive IN /
the United States or EuroTe. The Same
thing may be said of the French hotel .
IN Ponce. Eut az San Juan the ~uital. /
! good hotel, clean in al its appointments
Is needed
The most marked progress in Porto /
6ico mas been made in tho school work /
lnder DIT. Brumbaugh. The new frame +
school houses met with ia all parts Of /
The islands or the old Spanish buildings
II stone altercated into school houses.
ali with American flags waving over them
ire, of course. are more visible evidences I
IF work accomplished than are the re-
suits Of other governmental work On the
part of Gov. Hunt ard his subordinate.
But even allowing Tor this. the chief hope
for the future of Porto Rico seems TO lie +
4 the school work At Ponce there is q
school 81 some 800 children in which no
Spanish is used Even in the "sha1k"
school on the mountain TOP the native
eacher clad in her simple but clean
gown. her stocldngless feet covered with
slippers, is day by day teaching the En-
fs.-r -
where American patriotic SONGS ara sung
- the children. often IL Engifh ana the
additions az new school houses exlfbit
he hospitality Of the local Porto Ricau
authorities and their enthusiasm in the
'ause Of education as well IS the ardoT
4 the children
The chief American officials fl Porto
2ico. are without exception. men q
ligh character. dignity. ard ability. who
lave the future welfare u the island az
.eart The only thing 20 make IN
american blush, Il some inferior bridge
.unding u1der the military government
.e excepted. had its source ct Kva hing
on. Popularity the influence Of a fronl-
nent United States Senator is credited
with responsibility for the extraordinary
overs conferred upon the Bank Of P0r-
o Rico 81 san Juan Congress permits
he bank. with capital II 81 HI 20 ir-
rease * 90 5i91asa. % issue tark-rCfes
L present % the amount % l-704 ana
o increase the Circulation 20 81 es-ntt-
which latter sum IS equal 20 tise feutire
REGULATION u money Cd the ieiand. ~
be- authority thus misplaced. rre sur=r
II. Hollander. weli known HT reason
Z his connection Wits John Hopkins uni-
ersity, and as the author ~ iac reTenle
~ ~ Porto Rico. sail- Ihe Possibility
Z large Issues ~ 7rv tsme ctraet - re-
arded as other than s standing snsrac.