The Washington herald., 1912-02-04
Some Dissertations on Porto Rico
An Island Blessed Nth Great Prosperity, but
With Problem of Citizenship to Be SoEved.

With a Problem of CT
Ice was floating thick in the Easi
River and the air was bitter cold vhef
We left New York. II was eternal sum
mer when. 1--WE days later. we stepped
ashore at San Juan, Porto Rico.
From icicles to palms. from snow to
fragrant roses, Is a delightful transfer
nation. The good ship Luckenbach
Capt Mclean, OF the -Insular line
had plowed its steady way through
the trackless ocean for fifteen hun
dred miles, its bow pointed always to
the southeast North Of the Gulf Stream
the hlt spray that dashed upon the
decks was cold and the wind was sharp
When the gorgeous blue OF the wonderful
Gulf Stream had been left behind and the
flying fishes were skimming over cls
crests Of the waves. the air was DalmJ
and sweet. Aud then, in the early morn
ing. the mountains of Porto Rico appear.
ed low against the southern horizon. anc
presently. outlined against the blue sky
the ancient castle which crowns thu
promontory at the entrance TO San Juan
AAo- DSA I0OoAANA AuA 80
row opening the vessel glided TO her
anchorage. almost under the shadow oi
the waving cocoanut palms.
Lying within seventeen degrees OF tho
equator, Porto Rico is on the edge OF the
tropical zone. The first impression OF
the island, however. Is that It Is a store
house OF energy. There is a hustle about
the streets which betokens business. The
decks are piled with merchandise: the
trolley cars are always thronged; the
people move quickly; the horses which
pull the drays and carriages are con-
stantly on the srun; automobiles are
everywhere. and even auto trucks are
In constant evidence. There Is unques-
tionably prosperity in Porto Rico. Upon
an island which is only ninety miles
long and forty miles across are l,1o.US
people. Last year these people bought
SIS, ,000, 900 worth OF imports ana sold x59,-
10000 worth Of exports. The balance OF
trade in one year in favor OF the million
people was 100000.
1t betokeus the practical mind. per-
haps. that these facts seem more i'm
pressive than the picture which the is
land presents to the eye accustomed to
the bleak north. And yet, this pano-
rama Of cocoanut groves, sugar cane
fields. banana plantations, and everlast-
ing green, with an impressive background
OF verdue-covered mountains, Is one that
ought 10 attract thousands Of tourists
every year. As 1t is, journey to Porto
Rico Is becoming more and more popular.
Some OF these days, when San Juan gets
a hotel worthy Of the name, there is no
doubt that IL viii become a great win
ter resort. II Is said that a plan for
a modern, convenient hotel has already
been financed and that the site has been
selected. There can be no question as
to its ultimate success Certainly splen-
did opportunity Is presented to divert to
Porto Rico much Of the travel which
now seeks Florida and Cuba in the win
ter time.
But, after all, Porto Rico is worth
while under any conditions. Its climate
Is equable, rarely below 20, equally in
frequently over 80. The winter months are
ideal The days are pleasantly warm,
the nights cool. In the afternoon the trade
winds blow and the air is filed with the
salty vitality of the ocean Perhaps
this accounts for the fact that there is
less Of the dolce far niente spirit that one
would expect to find in such a southern
latitude.
Porto Rico has not only the charm Of
climate. but it has all the fascination
Of country long settled. To say that
it was first visited by Columbus in 14s5
on his second voyage to the West In
dies is only to go back some 100 years.
and this is not antiquity as compared
with the age Of London, Paris, Rome,
or Athens. At the same time II is a
long time ago, and the history Of the
four centuries is romantic and pictur-
esque.
II was in November. l49c. that Column
bus, created ruler of all lands he might
discover. set foot upon the island OF
Porto Rico, at a place now called
AguadIlla. and marked by a monument.
Columbus was accompanied by Juan
Ponce de Leon, who, after passing on to
Santo Domingo. returned to the island I'm
l5OS and discovered the harbor now
known as the port OF San Juan, and
which he called Puerto Rico. For three
years he lived upon the island. endeav-
oring 10 establish a colony and beset by
the native Indians. Regarding the lat
ter an interesting story is told. They
believed that the white men were i'm
mortal until one day some irreverent
soul in the tribe conceived the idea Of
drowning a white man and then keeping
watch over his remains to determine
whether he would return to life. When
he failed to revive. the superstition OF
the Indians vanished and they began
to make war upon the invaders.
It was from Porto Rico In 15l1 that
Ponce de Leon sailed on his quest for
the fountain OF eternal youth and dis
covered Florida To-day his remains lie
in the cathedral at San Juan.
Even the old yellow fortihcatiOn which
crowns FL Morro dips back into the cen
turtles. Begun about 1856 and completed
in 15s6, IT stands to-day a monument to
the thoroughness Of Spanish construc-
ton. Il is a quaint old place, with
dimly lighted dungeons, its stone sentry
boxes projected over the surf which
whitens the coral reefs, and its walls OF
enormous thickness. In Imagination one
goes back to the seventeenth century.
when Sir Francis Drake appeared in the
offing with his feet OF ships, and when
the occupants Of the fort successfully
-defied the Dutch. who sought to make
the island Dutch possession. In those
days, too. the Caribbean Sea was in
tested with pirates. To the people OF
San Juan the names OF Morgan, lie
Grand. Cook. and Capt. Kidd were ter
ror-inspiring. There were treasure ships
bound for San Juan, and over against
the horizon could be seen the sails OF
the pirate craft No wonder that when
Ponce and Mayaguez and other coast