The Washington herald., 1906-11-11

"Home sweet home" IS the rhythm the
street car wheels pound out on the rails
Of the San Juan porto RicO) street rail-
way system.
Al least that is what a Washingtonian
might think, when he sees big yellow
trolley car swing around corner with
Lincoln Park" Capitol" and Con
necticut Avenue" and other familiar signs
on the front OF them.
And the Illusion is carried out when he
boards tie car and finds the same old
signs that adorned their roofs when they
hammered around Washington curves. In
fact. he has to look out window and see
that it is "calle" instead Of street he
is on TO realize he is not rushing down F
street in the nations capital.
The cars are the long ones that were
taken off the washington lines because
the residents Of Connecticut avenue and
other streets they traversed complained
they we're so big they made the earth
shake when they rumbled by. but they do
excellent service IN San Juan, and they
bring forcibly TO the Washingt6nian's
mind the fact that he is a long way from
home.
William F. Wnloughby. treasurer OF
Porto Rico, told his hearers about the cars
at a meeting Of the National Geographic
Society in Hubbard Memorial Hail, at Six
teenth and N streets northwest, last
night.
Progress I'm Island.
The theme Of his talk was the remark
able Industrial progress that has been
made by the island in the past few years.
He gave statistics Of trade and other de-
tailed Information Of the Increasing pros
perity and the bettered condition OF the
natives az the present time compared with
the prevalent conditions under Spanish
rule.
one Of the peculiar features OF the
island as pointed out by SIR. Wiiloughby,
is the fact that # is compelled TO import
practically all the products Il uses in a
commercial way. and the necessities OF
life required by its people, while 1t ex-
ports practically all the articles OF home
production.
Sugar was cultivated IN a small way
under Spanish rule. but since American
capital has entered the island, with the es-
tablIshment Of modern methods. the in
dustry has grown remarkably.
The tobacco Industry is also on the
Jump and will show great gains In the
near future. II has also been benefited
by the application OF modern methods
and appliances. There are countless acres
OF unused land available for tobacco
growing. while all the sugar lands on
! the coast plains are being cultivated. For
this reason the tobacco industry has even
moro room for improvement.
Produce Fine Coffee.
/ The same facts are true as applied to
coffee growing Mr. WilOughby says
! IL IS the best coffee grown, far surprising
/ the higher-priced brands on sale ia thf
/ United States to-day For that reason
/ the industry VIII soon recover from tht
/ setback occasioned by the hurricane. II
4 takes the trees, or bushes, from three C
/ four years 10 grow. and the people who
invested IN coffee are just beginning "a
/ realize on their investment.
/ Fruit growers from Florida and Cali
/ fo-nia have entered the island, planting
/ oranges, grapefruit. pineapples. &c. and
/ this is another industry that does not
| show fuIl returns at present on account
/ of the length Of time required for the
maturing Of the plants.
Building Good Roads.
! Macadam roads Will be built through
] Iise better DDEt4hii o. TIE 3lOAElLdtuOLs
| country that is cultivated and American
mules. automobiles. and traction engine,
! are supplanting the slower and less ser
| viceable oxen teams
/ Mr.. WillOughby also spoke at length
| on the way popular education was being
| extended in the island under American
rule; on the public health, saying tha
| there are no dangerous contagious dis
/ eases such as yellow fever. smallpox
| typhoid fever. and malaria, and the islam,
is rs healthful for native and foreigne1
alike as is the city Of Washington. H,
also devoted some time to the greatly i'm
proved politics OF the natives.
| Upon the conclusion Of the address
Prof. Willis Moore announced that tn,
| society IS endeavoring to secure the pres
ence al the annual banquet TO be helC
/ In December. Of Sir Wiifrid Laurier
premier OF Canada. Pan-America vii
be the topic at the banquet, and If ST
Wilfrid attends he will speak. A com
mittee is At present in Toronto trying I,
prevail upon the premier to attend. Ad
miral Chester. in charge OF the Unite,
States Naval Observatory. and Alexande
Graham Bell are on this committee co
operating with Sir William Fielding L
this end.