Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-24
SOUTHERN REPUBLICS
MAKE A GOOD EXHIBIT
ARE WELL REPRESENTED AT
JAMESTOWN
Display Has Been Arranged Under
Supervision of the international
Burcau-Porto Rican Schools
Are Shown


2s.-Located in the northeast section of
the exposition grounds, just across Com
monwealth avenue east from the Palace
of Machinery and Transportation, is a
building which attracts the attention of
the visitor to the Colonial City by it's odd
design. BY its appearance it resembles
the Spanish type of architecture. 1t is
constructed of gravel and cement, the
main building being square with an OBJ
long wing and OF, one story height.
In this attractive building are housed
the exhibits of Mexico, Porto Rico and
the countries of Central and South Amer
lea, installed under the direction of the
Bureau of American Republics.
In the main building the exhibit from
Porto Rico is seen This display shows
the progress made in education since the
American occupancy of the island and the
strides made in agriculture for the same
period.
In the school exhibit is seen the work
of scholars under American methods of
instruction, and the exhibit reflects great
credit on those in charge of Porto Rican
educational interests. Carpentry drawing
work. wood working and cabinet making,
drawing, mechanical and otherwise, and
weaving of the native fabrics, are some
of the many branches taught. The most
notable feature of the courses in these
schools is the English course. The re-
suits which the small children have ac-
complished in this direction are wonder
full.
The School Buildings
The different types of school. buildings,
showing the old Spanish and native peon
school and the new or modern school,
erected and maintained by Americans,
are seen near the entrance to this build
ing and are most interesting. The old
rural school is shown as 1t was centuries
ago when maintained under the Spanish
regime These buildings are constructed
of the pumarosa, a hard wood of shrub
species, and a matched roof of sugarcane
leaves.
The modern or American type is built
of the finished wood grown in that fertile
country principally male cedar, while the
roofs are covered with corrugated iron,
imported from the United States. The
new buildings are rapidly replacing the
old.
Among the different products of the soil
are seen tobacco coffee, hard woods and
cotton In the manufactured goods jel-
lies. chocolate. runs, wines, sugar and
palm straw hats are shown.
In the center of the room is reproduc-
ton of the peon or peasant hut. This hut
is of the usual type seen in tropical coun-
tries constructed of the pumarosa,.
growth OF royal palm. bound together
with managua. strong fiber, with
thatched roof Of sugarcane leaves. while
the floor Is Of palm slabs. Inf the hut
may be seen many of the native cooking
utensils, crockery made of the clay of
the country. some of beautiful design. All
the pottery Is sunbaked and Is very dur
able Native wooden musical instruments.
sandals, a fishnet made from the palm
wood and called nazo. the sugar knife
and war weapon, the machete, also are
exhibited.
Mexico's Exhibit
In the wing of this building the dis
plays OF Mexico and some of the Ameri-
can republics are installed. The Mexican
exhibit Is principally of the arms of that
country, showing the uniforms and
weapons OF the different branches of the
military service, while the walls are
adorned w..l many portraits of past and
present famous Mexican officers.
on a pedestal in the center of this wing
is a medal Of the Mexican Goddess OF
Liberty, showing the Mexican national
colors.
The International Bureau of American
Republics has installed in one end of the
wing of this building a huge relief map
of South America, Mexico and Central
America. ,-rl4
This map shows the plans for extensive
railroad systems connecting the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts of these countries and
opening to the world a new country
whose richness of soil and wonderful
wealth of minerals in its mountains is
greater than those of any other country.
In addition to this great map there are
collections of the products from along this
proposed railway and from the interior
Of these rich countries. Some of the
products seen are coffee, brown cotton,
hemp, palm straw for the manufacturing
Of fine hats, hard wood, gold, silver, cop
per and lead.
over the doorway is great flag OF
many colors. This flag and colors were
adopted by the International Bureau OF
American Republics as the official flag
of these combined countries. 1t has a
white center, while the border is made up
of the national colors of the different
of Central and South America