Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-06-30
FROM PORTO RICO.

Rico. The school year is fast
drawing to a close and the Eng
fish teachers are looking forward
to their homeward journey. The
native teachers are also prepar-
ing to go to the United States to
spend part of their vacation.
Their trip is similar to the one
given the Cuban teachers a few
years ago.
Guayama, a town of 5000 in :
habitants is on the south eastern
coast, but two miles from the Car
ribbean sea. 1t is partly situated
on the mountain slope. in the
heart of the most prosperous part
of the island. while to the right
and to the left of the town, for
miles along the coast, there are
extensive sugar cane plantations,
many of the refineries having the
best and most improved machine
~.
In general the principal plants
are distributed as follows: the
sugar cane in the coastal region
coffee on the higher plains and in
the interior valleys; tobacco in
the strong soils of the valleys and
the mountain sides; but some
cane, coffee and tobacco are
grown in every district in the
island.
| Everywhere one turns the eye,
one hundred years behind the
| United States, is forced upon the
train of thought. But the island
has not yet recovered from the
lcyclone about four years ago.
The agricultural regions suf-
fered most. Some of the farmers
have never been able since to re-
build their homes, but live under
} merely a shelter from the rair
and hot rays of the sun.
Porto Rico is rich in natura
resources but the natives do no
: seem to know how to do anything
They are very shiftless, indolen
! and unenterprising. Nearly thu
entire island is suitable for cult
walton though perhaps not NOR,
than one sixth is under actua
! cultivation, owing mainly to thu
: bad condition OF the roads ant
| other highways of travel. TIL
finest road is the so-called mill
tary road between San Juan an,
! Cayey, there dividing, the on,
branch to Ponce, the second larg'
est city on the island, the othel
to Guayama, thence to Arroyo
the little seaport of Guayama.
The scenery along the road i,
very beautiful indeed. It crosse,
two ranges of mountains but tn,
gradual, winding ascent is hardl,
noticeable, till one suddenly be-
comes aware that he is riding or
a shelf, so to speak, perhaps al
elevation of several hundred feet
Down in the distance can be seer
little homes nestled amid palm.
or other tropical fruits. Coach
service is the means of travel
Immense sums of money hav,
been expended and are yet ex.
pended on these roads. On thu
other hand, it seems to me, if thu
amount had been used for build.
ing and keeping up a railroad
instead, it would have tended
more to develop the interior Of
the island than anything else
There are several railroads in the
island but the total mileage is moi
great. The lines are mostly in
the coastal region. The climate
here is very pleasant indeed. The
unfailing trade winds make one
forget that the thermometer is
perchance several degrees above
ninety. 1t is vertically perpetual
June. The climate is tropical but
net torrid, the seasons of course
being more nearly, the rainy, and
the dry season.
i The white people comprise
about 81 per cent of the total
population, the colored 38. How
ever, of the SO per cent about
! of it is the negro population. The
other is mixed blood. There are
a great many Americans here
many have now made Porto Rico
their future home.
What the island needs are more
schools and school houses. Oae
thing noticeable, Spain turned
over no school houses to the
Uuited States, Notwithstanding
they are being built as rapidly as
funds can be raised or appropria-
ted for this purpose. A goodly
number go to the States to COM
plete their studies. Naturally,
the customs here are very diffe-
rent from ours. Some are very
queer and seem intensely anus
ing to me at times. But after all,
the people are very kind hearted
and courteous in their way. A
Porto Rican vii always be one,
with all the traits that character
ize a Spaniard. Nevertheless,
they fully expect every American
teacher to stand as an example
of all that is American.
My sojourn here has been very
pleasant and beneficial, and my
place of appointment is delight
fully situated and | do not regret
having come to this sunny little
isle.
MYRTIcE S. LEGGETT,
Guayama, Porto Rico. 8
June 18th, 1904.