Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-10-29

ment consists at present of half a /
dozen open cars, operated by motor .
men and conductors lin khaki kit"
crowded, of course, during the busy
morning and afternoon hours, but no
more crowded than the carriages used
to be, and run at fixed five-cent fare
that is decidedly more economical
than dickering with the carriage driv-
ers. The American superintendent,
it may be added, have had to learn
comparatively little Spanish; in fact
damn" as a direction, has come to
ment that's not right, do it different
ly.' and the native employees exhibit
rather remarkable quickness in
| learning how to do it differently.
| Such railroad with modern equip
ment seems to the visitor q symbol of
+ progressiveness. Yet it has so far
not altogether altered the life of the
, during the coffee picking season-and
| this is but one item in an always shift
ing Observation-Disclosures of bacefooted
women still walk to and fro from the
playa, where the brown coffee berries
. from all over the island are spread
out on the floors of large warehouses
to be picked over and sorted before
being packed in lighters and carried
aboard ship. then to be carried, reports
show, mainly to Europe where Porto
Rican coffees of high grades have long
been esteemed.
At present as already said. the
Ponce railway and light company
which is about to become an important
factor in lighting the island city as
well as in transporting its inhabi-
tants in their daily goings and COM
ings, has no direct connection with
the actual handling of the island prod
ucts. But it already proposes build.
ing at the playa big wharf-with per
haps a pavilion anu the extra induce
ments of the SORT of park which we all
know at the terminus of so many
American car lines-and it will then
be in position to carry freight direct
10 the side of the cargo-loading yes.
; sells
, Indeed, freight-carrying on electric
cars a development of the trolley idea
which the Stone Webster firm has done
much to promote, bids fair to play an
important part in the commercial de-
velopment of the island. The freight
age on coffee from the plantation to
the playa averages about $40 ton
much more than it is likely to cost
electric traction. The expectation OF
sugar, mahogany and other products
is, of course, similarly hampered Once
, cheaper transportation has been pro
: vided a great impetus will undoubted
E ,ly be given to the agricultural in
dustries of the interior.
| To get the benefits of this export
traffic Ponce is ideally situated. for i
lies at the southern seaport of the
main artery of the island. From this
main artery-the old military road
you will find branching the worst thai
could well be imagined, over which the
products of the island are still carried
on pack animals until they reach {
series of stations in the chief highway
where they are loaded on the bullocl
carts and so brought forward to thu
lport. Again to the east of Ponce lie
lanothe example of the ineffectua
methods of the old regime-a strip o
the French railroad, intended original
ly to encircle the whole island bur
only represented in fact by disjointet
sections of tracks connecting sucl
places as presented fewest engineer
ing difficulties. Like the American
army that preceded it along its pres
ent roadbed, however, the American
trolley line will probably eventually
continue its march across the island
When that happens the electric freigh
car will become an important adjunct
to civilization and, together witt
improved dock facilities at the playa
will mark another gain in efficiency
, another long lap in the race of the