Putnam patriot., 1909-05-07
Word frnn partn Rico

miles in length. No State Road in the
 states is more perfect iban this. The
 spanish builders built better than they knew; for what theg intended only Tor
 military purp0ses has become of great importance ia opening the ietana.
 some idea of the mountainous egBdi-
 ton of the interior may be formed
 from fhe fact thgl fhe distance aefo.s
 to the CanDls an -ea i. only s5 miles.
 Yet thi- is made si miles bg lhe Wiud-
 lae about that < necessary ln order to
 gel through lhe mountains.
 Many make the journey by aatono-
 bic passing oeef ihe distance ii six
 Boufs. which i- a5 saofi tlne as Il is
 possible To make so many turns tlih
 safety We. however preferred t9 go by earfiage starting al q. lns and
 reaching Ponce ai $ r; m. We passed
 through several oi the larger Fiiiagesi
 which much resemble each otaer=.a
 ehnfeh of cathedral In the midsl q fhe
 town with a plaza in ttoni, aud siofes
 nnd shops about IL and houses and
 sIaeks reaching Lack lgT distance
 from the center. One who has seen
 one Porto Riean village has in reality
 seen them all Through the country,
 often pefched an the summit of .teep hills. were many shacks of Inc poorer people. A tourist k impressed with the abundance of life and also with the
 work that still remains fof American enterprise in improving it's conditions. Great as has been, the improvement in many places since the American oceh. paney, the interior k not greatly changed as yet. \ large part ef the men, women, and children one meets
 wear only the footwear that nature pro. sIded and the same may be said in to-
 ia of lhe apparel pf many younger children. There Is work for the men during the time of caring for the sugar
 cane and other crops, but during sete.
 fal months large pant of the popala-
 tien find nothing to do. From All American point af slew wages afe very i Iaw duhng lhe working season. which
 may show Us he8 little peon's fani-
 tY has to live eu throughout the year
 eiaf @ay lea ap amid mountain see
 nefs surprisingly fine. In the midst
 of Il He met fl regiment uf nited States
 soldiers on the march to field practice These were al naive Porto Rieans ex.
 eepl the chief ellieefs, and marching
 under the -fafs and stripes. Gen. 1 Leonard N ood came down from New | York to witness the maneuvers. Ne
 also passed place further on where the | spanish made their hast stand against | Inc army of Gen Niles, which was ad.
 Vancing from Ponce to the Capitol.
 ouf journey was np, up, up. Four re- | lays of horses were needed before we | reached our destination. With the | continual rise the view became more extended and wns constantly chang. Ing. New vislas were opened up
 which called forth expressions ot de | light and wonder. The mountains
 towering far above were covered with
 trees of unknown species, while the
 valleys smiled far below, adorned with
 fields of growing crops, and here and
 there with royal palms which answer | well to their name by their lordly ap- peafancc aud beauty. We passed ma. ny coffee plantations, the bushes being l protected by gaaSa of other trees which formed kind of forest. After NC had | passed, as we supposed, the most fe-
 mntkable part of the journey, we came kuddeniy upon the beautiful outlook | al Aihonilo. This name Is q spanish | exclamation meaning 70 how heanti- iul. And we uttered the same in English that spanish travellers uttered before Us when they came upon the scene, The writer agrees with what cent visit ,that "lhe mountains of Swift kerland do mol sufpass those ot Porto Rico for beauty We saw something of fruit ana pineapple culture at the opening of the ltip, large tobacco plan. tations further on, coffee groves in the mountains, and immense fields ut sng- ar cane as we nearcd Ponce. We spent day in thai eitN, being entertained al
 well kept hotel Ponce k about the
 Sixe of san Juan, hut q liner looking city having many beautiful residences. the is reminded how the rich and poor
 are trough, together, by the nunoef of
 beggats on the streets, some of them
 wheeled about i'll a small hand carl. This gives decidedly European ap-
 pearanee to the place. As We were there the evening before Coed Friday,
 We were interested to attend service al the Cathedral.
 We started at ] o'clock the next
 morning for lilly miles drive across the Island 10 Areeibo. We found our.
 selves on a road fully equal to the Mil itary Road, which has been built by the Americans since their occupancy. We had seen the iron bridges bearing the name ot Gen. Davis, who was gov etnef al the time they were built, and the recently built school houses along the way But the building of such road through so difficult a region was
 piece oi engineering work of which
 any American may we'll be proud \ large part of the way there seemed to h.A anty breadth eaaarh far fha r,eai