Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-07-08
ARE BECOMING
AMERICANIzED
Porto Ricans Have Contracted the
Yankee Spirit and the Island
is Prosperins.
THE WORK OF EDUCATION
Newly Established Schools Are Being
Well Attended and Will Exert
a Beneficial Effect.

hNNNiuihk W w 80 AAhhAG Aht
governor OF Porto Rico, who Is now IN
Washington, the natives of that island
have been attacked with widespread
contagion. The inhabitants have nev-
er had the epidemic before, and some
believe IL incurable. Its symptoms are
remarkable activity of mind, an
eagerness on the part of the young
to learn, and willingness among
those older to work ldr. Hunt Is on
visit to this country at the present
time, and when asked last week for
a diagnosis he answered.
The Porto Ricans have contracted
the get there spirit of the Yankee.
The island is fast becoming a pros
porous American community. We are
awakening the natives from their an
cestral lethargy, and find that they
can hustle as well as ourselves, with
some encouragement"
Mr.. Hunt had many facts to prove
his statements. He said that the cof-
fee export trade had grown from $21,-
600 last year to 100000 this year.
Sugar had been shipped north to the
amount of s50O,OO0 since January 1.
heavy increase Or last year. Steam
railroads, trolley lines and automo-
bile mail routes were stimulating the
Porto Ricans to faster methods OF
transit. Revenues had increased to
such an extent that the treaspry now
showed a balance of 100000. or an
increase of 100000 over the preceding
year.
As Porto Rico will always be es-
sentially an agricultural country, ef-
forts are being made 10 develop as
rapidly as possible the agricultural
rural schools. There are now twenty
of them. all of which have been es-
tablished in one year.
Along established educational lines
the department of education Is push
ing the work OF lifting Porto Rico
from illiteracy with ,till greater Wig
or. Nearly 1,200 schools have been
opened in the island. with 1925 teach
ers, of whom $50 are Americans. In
the normal school for the training of
teachers over one hundred Porto Ric-
an young women and men are pur-
suing the regular course of study.
The industrial school at San Juan
was opened with fifty-nine pupils. The
number has subsequently been In
creased to seventy-five. Some of the
most respected young men and wom-
en- of the city are among the pupils.
The work of the first year Will be
purely elementary and includes Ian
guage, English and Spanish; CONNER
cial arithmetic. business methods,
mensuration, science. commercial and
industrial geography OF the United
States and West Indies. paying spec
ial attention to crops, products, man.
uiactures. sources Of raw materials,
and routes of trade and travel; his.
tory. especially that of North and
South America and the West Indies;
freehand and mechanical drawing.
sloyd work for boys, use OF tools in
woodworking; construction OF simple
models. requiring accuracy of hand
and eye; construction Of articles OF
household use and light furniture.
The girls the first year learn sew
ing, cutting from patterns. fitting.
basting, buttonhole making. drawn
work, knitting .darning, embroidery.
etc. The plans for subsequent years
contemplate the establishment of
carpenter shop. plumbing, printing,
tailoring. shoe and harness shops for
boys. and more elabroate training for
the girls in cooking. dressmaking,
basketry and weaving. A complete
kitchen and studio have already been
equipped. where the girls are taught
to cook.
In the two government charity
schools. one for boys and one for
girls. inSantuce, a suburb Of San Juan,
the attainments have been surprising
and full of promise. These institu-
tions sheltering more than five hun.
dred waits of from five to fourteen
years of age, are the particular pride
of Mr.. Osterhaut, the Director OF
Charities. Colonel Hoff. under the
military government, was the pioneer
in this reform. He Iound several hun.
dred orphans in cramped. dirty quar-.
tiers adjoining the insane asylums.
They were as soon as possible remov-
ed to Santuce. where commodious
buildings were erected by the Amer.
leans. Director Osterhaut took charge
in April. 1900. He at once introduced
course of moral and intellectual
training which has resulted in a high
standard of self-respect and self-dis-
cipline among the boys. Being a firm
believer in a military training, Mr..
Osterhaut soon organized the boys in.
TO a battalion. with band OF thirty.
eight pieces, and the evolutions OF
this body always attract much atten-
tion and excite favorable comment.
In the industrial class room the
boys are making rapid progress as tai.
lors. carpenters, shoemakers and
woodwOrkers. while in the bakery
they assist in turning out 55 loayes OF
bread daily. on the land adjoining
the school they study practical farm.
ing. Notwithstanding all that has
been done. there remain nearly three
hundred thousand children of school
age without school facilities. Nearly
every school now open has a long
waiting list Of pupils who are ready
TO crowd in when a vacancy occurs
or when new school is opened In
the district.
Discussing the higher education OF
Porto Rico. Commissioner Of Educa.
tion Lindsay. said recently:
"The strategic position OF the island
of Porto Rico as part Of American
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