Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-06-02

/" HE island of Porto Rico un-
doubtedly surpasses all other
regions of equal size-certain-
ly Of the new world-in the
variety and number of its features
that arouse vivid interest. The extent
of the island is not great, for its ir-
regular oblong mass 10 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.
Its place in history is q large one.
for since its discovery by Columbus
in 1893. 1t 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 1t
commands the interest of many . de-
partment Of investigation. writes
Henry E. Champion in the American
Museum Journal. because its different
portions display unusually varied geo
logical and typographical characters.
Az 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
emerges 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.
larry for the most part. to the coastal
plain Of greater or less inland extent;
the deep Gle 3 of the upland valleys
disappear,,a d 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
q point of its eastern end detaches 1t.
self from the rest to stand out as the
cape surmounted by Ell MORO (''The
Castle"). which guards the entrance
to the harbor.
Many oood-sIzsd Towns.
At first view the city is impressive
by its extent, the close construction
Of its ancient and modern buildings
and by the delicate pastel shades Of
its tinted whitewashed walls. More
than fifty thousand people are crowd
ed in dense areas on the narrow rocl
mass that extends eastward from e
MORO for two and q half miles to III
connection with the mainland; there
are plazas and open spaces, but thes<
seem only to accentuate the concen
tration Of living quarters. Al ONT
travels about, the same feature be
comes more prominent, for on thu
open plain, in q valley near the coast
or in remote and unlikely hollows o.
the hills, one encounters town aftel
town Of more than ten thousand or al
teen thousand Inhabitants. Natural,
the problems of public health are o
the highest importance. and of necea
sity they received the immediate at
tention of the Americans when the,
came into control Of Porto Rico II
1898. Old methods Of water distribu
ton by casks have been extensivel!
replaced by . 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 staml
them out.
On the whole, Porto Rico today II ,
healthful island. with q warm climat,
we'll tempered by the trade winds. an,
well cultivated almost everywhere
With its splendid roads and natura
beauties, 1t Is and will always be al
tractive to the casual traveller, a. vel