Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-05
PORTO RICO.

Porto Rico has in general the shape
of rectangle. It is about one hun
dred miles in length and thirty-ive IN
breadth, and is about three-fourths as
large as Connecticut.
The island has no large mountains,
it's Hottest peaks being only three
fourths of mile in height. For the
most part the island regions are billy,
with wooded ridges running east and
west, sending small rivers to the sea
coast on all sides. A broad belt of
coastal region consists of level tracts,
or savannas, alternating with uneven
ridgy areas.
This island is in the torrid zone
and has the wet and the dry seasons
of that zone. It's lowlands have hot or
warm weather almost all the year
with cool weather during the northern
mid-winter. Here, as in the rest of
the torrid zone. the rainy season Is dur
ing the hottest months. Day breezes
from the sea and cool nights help to
temper the hot climate and make 1t
healthful. .-
Porto Rico is one of the most health
full islands of the West Indies. It's
billy regions are cooler than the low
lands and afford relief from the IN
tense summer heat. The river val.
leys, coastal plains and hillsides of
Porto Rico are very fertile. BY far
the most valuable product Is coffee,
which thrives on the gentle slopes OF
the hillsides. The next in value Is
sugar. Molasses and tobacco, with the
coffee and sugar, are the leading ex'
ports. Sugar cane grows IN nearly all
parts of the torrid zone and in some
parts of the temperate zone. Among
the regions richest in sugar cane are
the islands in the tropical seas extend
ing from North to South America
especially Cuba, the largest of all the
islands.
Sugar cane needs rich soil and hot
even climate, with plenty Of rainfall
Coffee.
The torrid zone supplies the world
with coffee Most of the coffee used
in our country grows In the eastern
part of South America, near the tropic
of Capricorn; but a large part OF the
coffee used In all countries is raised
in the great peninsula OF south
ern Asia and the East Indies,
southeast of Asia. The coffee
plant grows best, in warm weather
with plenty of rainfall.
About one million people live in
Porto Rico. Of these two-thirds are
white and one-third are negroes. Near
ly all the white people are of Spanish
descent. Before the recent war be-
tween the United States and Spain
this island belonged to Spain. At the
close of the war Porto Rico was coded
to the United States. The cities and
towns are mostly near the coast. San
Juan is the chief city of the north
coast and the capital Of the island. II
is built on fine harbor.
! Ponce, the largest city near the
south coast is connected with the cap
ital by military road running across
the island. Other important cities
share with the two named the export
trade in coffee, sugar, molasses anc
tobacco. The chief articles Of i'm
port are cloth and metal wares. Mos
of the trade is with the United
| States.
| Manila.
| Manila is the capital of the Philip
pine Islands, and the largest city o
the archipelago. 1t is about as large
as San Francisco and is situated on :
fine bay at the mouth of the Pasi1
river, the outlet of Bay lake.
The greater part of the foreign
trade of the islands passes through
Manila. The harbor of Man
lila is not deep enough for the larges
| steamships to lie along the wharve
to load and unload. The freight TO
such steamers is loaded and unloade'
on boats. But vessels drawing les