The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-05-05
fact, he is doing we'll to 90 fifteen.

The scenery, that is as much as one
can enjoy in the intervals of clearing
his eyes from flying einders and dust,
is beautiful in the extreme, as in many
places the road runs along close to the
ocean, then again through orange,
grape fruit and banana groves, fields of
pineapples, tobacco, sugar cane and
coffee. In one part, where the road
strikes inland to skirt ravlne, it forms
ia semi-circle rivaling the famed Horse
! shoe Bend. Cocoanut groves and va
ried forms of cacti with majestic royal
palms lend novelty to the landscape Of
much interest to the northern visitor.
A stop of an hour at Isabella for dinner
gives chance to the tourist to pay half
a dollar for IS-cent lunch, consisting
of beans, eggs and rice.
The fertility of the Island is wonder
iul. | heard it stated that match
thrown upon the ground would pro.
duce box in thirty days This story
was probably started by some one who
had noticed the sprouting fence posts.
Small Saplings and bamboos are used
for fence posts and it is common
sight to see the posts putting forth
shoots, Porto Rico would seem a par
adise for the farmer, as three crops of
corn come to maturity in a year One
sees crops Of tobacco, sugar cane and
plneapples in all stages of growth.
The country people are very super
stltuous. On two occasions have seen
them carrying umbrellas at night to
keep off the moonlight The moon
light is brilliant to a degree not known
in northern ATTITUDES. A newspaper
can be read with case with full moon
While there is beautiful park near
San Juan, the bathing in the ocean is
very poor on account of the coral
formation, and there are no beaches
on the Island to compare with Cape
May or Atlantic City. :harks are also
numerous, which tend to discourage
this pastime any distance from shore.
The country is very rolling in fact,
1t is recorded OF Christopher Columbus
that, when he was describing the newly
discovered Island to the Queen of
Spain, to illustrate the con6guration OF
its surface, he crumpled silk hand
kerchiei in his hand and threw it down
upon the table before his Sovereign.
The range Of temperature docs not
exceed 10 degrees, the highest ever
recorded being %, which was very
rare, and the lowest IS. The average
IS 7o degrees. The nights ire always
refreshing and the ocean breezes rarely
cease sweeping the Island TO quote
a traveller:
ain 4 word, Porto Rico is singularly
favored by Nature and about il hovers
| an indiscribablc charm which makes
ore forget disadvantages due 10 the
! slow progress Of civilization. Her state
ly royal palms well iypify her dignity
aud beauty. From ner hills stretch in
| all directions panoramas of loneliness
her glorious sunsets, painted by the
Master Artists hands are daily reveal
ton in marvellous colors and the sea
suris song lulls her children to sleep
under the soft benediclion ofthe South
crn Cross"
The cities of Mayaguez and Ponce,
with their comparatively broad streets
and buildings with unglazed windows,
with the people apparently wandering
aimlessly about or sitting at ease in the
plazas present a sight at once novel and
interesting, causing one to forget lor the
time being that there ever was place
where one is always in a hurry, and
where 1t is necessary to be always on
ones guard lest his neighbor outstrips
him in the race for the almighty but
elusive dollar. Mayaguez is renowned
for its tobacco and ones trip is not
complete without visit to one of the
factories where the weed is put into
commercial form, nor must one forget
to bring back at least one box OF its
fragrant brand.
Near the city of Yauco, itself a coffee
centre. is situated what is said to be the
larges, sugar cane crusher in the world.
Here upwards Of 100000 tons OF cane
are crushed in a season, yielding about
SC, ooo, 900 pounds of raw sugar which
is sent to the States to be refined.
\ certain country has been referred
TO as "The Land of Tomorrow" This
is true Of Porto Rico, though in an
other sense than that intended TO be
conveyed by the original expression
which referred to the future possibil-
| ties for that land Porte, Rico &c ,h.
LAND OF Tomorrow" in that the Porto
Rican never believes in doing to-day
what can be put off until tomorrow.
This is very annoying to the traveller
when promised his laundry, for IN.
stance, 1t certain date only to be
put off with the oit-repeated word,
'manana," Uo-morrow). A ride on
horseback over the hills following
mere path gives one a good idea of the