The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29
The Island Is No Place for
Poor Man, it Is Said.
Electric Railways and
Big Hotels. School II II
Teachers to Visit This
Country II II u II n

the countries OF South and Central Amer
lea along the Caribbean sea. Live stock
and dried beef are IN demand in that part
of the world ard We can sell all we can
raise
would you advise young Americans to
go 10 Porto Rico 10 make their fortunes?
/ asked.
Not if they ore poor" replied Mr.. Deg
etau. 1--WE have plenty of good workmen
and many small capitalists. II the young
American has some money and az the
same time any special knowledge or ability,
he can do we'll in Porto Rico. The more
money he has the better he can operate.
There is a great opening Tor banking,
railroad building and business of. various
kinds Department stores would pay In san
Juan and Ponce. as 10 banks. the interest
rates range from u per cent. upward, al
though the legal rate is, l think, per
cent. Loans can he made on good security.
There are also opportunities to buy lands
for those who earn command ready cash.
/ asked Mr.. Degetau to tell me some
thing about the railway possibilities or the
island. He replied:
AT present we are not well supplied
with railways. Some little additions have
been made 10 the line known as the
French concession, running from San Juan
with some breaks around the west coast.
This will some day be completed, and
shall probably have Il railroad enclr-
cling the island A movement is now under
way to rebuild n trolley line across Porto
Rico, following to some extent the line OF
the military road, connecting San Juan
profitable. 1t would get its power from
the streams, and could be operated at small
cost
There is no more beautiful country in
the world than the interior of Porto Rico,
and / know of no country so beautiful
Mr.. Degetau continued: "A short distance
back from the coast there are hills which
rise into mountains. These mountains are
green all the year around. 1t is never cold
and never very hot. The trade winds from
the North Atlantic wash them daily with
in fIaxr r4ri1l he
winter resort of the United States l under
stand that a hotel is to be built at San
Juan and another at some mineral springs
near Ponce, high up in the mountains.
These hotels should be full during the win
ter and ii may be that Porto Rico will have
a similar winter population to what Florida
has now
How about your towns? Are they grow
ing?"
largest are San Juan and Ponce, neither or
which has $1,000 people. The next city in
size is Mayaguez on the west coast, with a
population of from 5000 TO 10000. We have
altogether about 100000 people. but they
live largely on the farms and in COMPARE
lively small villages.
GLAD TO BE AMERICANS.
How are your people satisfied with
American rule? Are they glad of the
changer"
''They are glad to be Americans" replied
though it is undeniable that they are dis
satisfied that they are not yet recognized
as such. In other words, we are glad to be
members of your great and glorious COM
monwealth, although not satisfied with our
present political condition. Under the rule
of Spain we had sixteen representatives
and four senators in the Cortez, or Spanish
Parliament Now we have only resident
commissioner, who has within the period
of two months only been granted the par
liamentary powers of a delegate in Con-
gress."
What is to be the future of Porto Rico?'
Il am sure that Porto Rico WILL within
not many years be State of the American
Union, and that the Union will be as proud
of us as we are proud of being American
citizens
/ here asked Mr. Degetau whether the
Porto Ricans would make good American
citizens. He replied
Yes. They are naturally quiet and law
loving. The island has been always noted
as one without revolutions. The people
have high ideas of honor and justice. They
are intelligent, and through the schools
which have been established since the oc-
cupation they are rapidly becoming edu-
Gated"
Have you many colored people in Porto
Nothing like so many as in most of
the West Indies replied Mr.. Degetau.
I'VE have less than $4,000 pure negroes
and about 100000 mulattoes. The balance
are whites, so that about three-fifths of
the whole popula ton is white
Tell me something about the school
teachers who are coming to the United
States"
You mean those who are to be brought
by the transports TO spend the summer, l
suppose" said Mr.. Degetau. They are
very bright young men and women, and
the trip will be valuable to them and our
schools. We have bright teachers. In
some respects / think they surpass the
American teachers. They have good imagi-
nations and learn easily; but so far their
observative faculties and experience in ma
ture studies are not so cultivated as with
the American teachers. This trip to the
United States will greatly benefit the teach
ers and give our children a practical kncwl-
edge of the United States. AS it is, our
schools are rapidly improving. We have
three times as many pupils as we had be-
for the war. There is high school in op-
Grafton at San Juan, and we have a number
of agricultural schools in different parts of
the island"
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
copyright 1901