The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-05-05

" HE island of Porto Rico I'M
doubtedly surpasses all other
regions of equal size-certain-
ly of the new world-in the
variety and number of it's features
that arouse vivid interest. The extent
OF the island is not great, for its ir-
regular oblong mass is only 100 miles
In length and about thirty-five miles in
breadth, or approximately three times
as large as Long island; yet its inhab
itants number more than 100000
thus making it more thickly populated
than any other equivalent area in the
western hemisphere excepting certain
portions of New England.
It's place in history is a large one,
for since its discovery by Columbus
in 1893, it has served as the battle
ground of Spanish, Dutch and English,
and as haven for the buccaneers who
operated throughout the Spanish main.
Even in purely scientific respects it
commands the interest of many de-
partment of investigation, writes
Henry &c. Champion in the American
portions display unusually varied geo.
logical and typographical characters
They also support well diversified
forms of plant and animal life, whose
study is especially important on &C"
count of the islands value as link
in the Antilleaa chains that connect
North and South America with each
other and with Mexico. Hence the
problems of evolution, distribution and
migration of human beings as we'll as
OF organic forms in general, are par
ticularly we'll defined and engaging in
the case of Porto Rico.
As the approaching steamer nears
the northern shore of Porto Rico,
where the capital city of San Juan is
situated, the huge bulk of the island
energies from the haze of the horizon,
and displays the jagged profile of the
massive mountain range that forms
the interior highland more than three
thousand feet in altitude. From this
great backbone the buttressed spurs
drop somewhat suddenly and irregu.
larly for the most part, to the coastal
plain of greater or less inland extent /;
the deep clefts of the upland valleys
disappear, AMI one may Judge how
rapidly the swift mountain rivers
must change to SLOW winding streams
upon the fiat land of the islands mar.
gin. Coming nearer, San Juan and
its buildings become visible and soon
a point of it's eastern end detaches it
self from the rest to stand out as the
CastleD which guards the entrance
to the harbor Not until the fort is
rounded does the city itself become
fully visible, for it is built on the land
ward side of the sandstone ridge
which bounds the bay on the north
Elsewhere, for the most part, ships
must lie in open roadsteads; only a.
| Guanica, Guayanilla, and one or two
! other places is there anything that ap
| proaches a protected harbor like tha
of San Juan.
Many Good-Sized Towns.
At first view the city is impressive
by it's extent, the close construction
Of its ancient and modern buildings
and by the delicate pastel shades o
it's tinted whitewashed walls. Nor,
than fifty thousand people are crowd
ed in dense areas on the narrow rocl
mass that extends eastward from e
Moro for two and half miles to it
connection with the mainland; Their
are plazas and open spaces, but thes
seem only to accentuate the concen
tration of living quarters. AS on
travels about, the same feature be
comes more prominent, for on tn
open plain, in valley near the coast
or in remote and unlikely hoilows o
the hills, one encounters town afte
town of more than ten thousand or fiji
teen thousand inhabitants. Naturall
the problems of public health are o
the highest impt rtance, and of neces
sity they received the immediate al
tention of the Americans when the
came into control of Porto Rico il
1898. Old methods of water distribu
ton by casks have been extensivel
replaced by a system which bring
water through lines of pipes from tn
upland streams; and everywhere meas
ures have been taken to reduce tn
severity of epidemics or to STAN
them out.
On the whole, Porto Rico today Is