Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-07-06
WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE OLD
WORLD LINGERS

WORLD LINGERS
Island of Porto Rico, American Pos
session Still CIings to Social Gus
toms of Old Spain. First Step on
Way to Virgin Islands Reveals
Wonderful Contrast.
We all remember the predlcament
of the man who held the baby Tor
the young woman who stepped
around the corner and never came
back.
At the close of the Spanish Amerl-
can war Uncle Sam found himself in
exactly this predicament-o n l y
worse On one arm he had the
PHILIPPINES and on the other Porto
Rico, and both were lusty, squan-
ing, kicking, empty stomached young
sters. acting exactly as any other
young'un would who had been sud-
denly awakened.
Inasmuch as we are to visit the
newly purchased Danish West Indies,
(Now the Virgin Islands) and as our
route lies through Porto Rico we will
give the latter once over before
proceeding with our journey.
Porto Rico Or more properly
Puerto Rico, "Rich Harbor" is the
fourth in size of the Greater Antil-
les, and was until the purchase of the
Danish West Indies the most east
erly possession of the United states
on the Western Hemisphere The
island is about 100 miles long by 40
wide, contains about 3435 square
miles, almost a million and quar-
ter inhabitants and 1920 automo-
biles.
So much for geography Topo-
graphically the island is covered with
peculiar little funnel shaped hill
ocks sometimes reaching the pro-
portions of near mountains, exact
ly as though nature had built the
island with giant steam shovel
and forgot to level it off. There is
no timber to speak of and the ele-
vations present a nude, barren ap-
pearance. In the valleys and along
the rivers is found rich vegetation
and wherever irrigation is feasible
abundant crops abound. The soil is
rich and fertile. The main produc-
ton is sugar cane, tobacco, grape
fruit, coffee, cOcoanuts and babies.
The latter predominant.
A Spanish Possession for Nearly 400
Years
Historically the island is most in
teresting Discovered by Columbus
on his second voyage November 18th,
1893, it remained Spanish posses
sion until the signing of the peace
protocol in August 1898 between
Spain and America, and the Stars
and Stripes were hoisted in place Of
the red and yellow of ancient Spain.
With Columbus came a romantic
and adventurous "Conquistador' the
original apostle of Christian Science,
one Juan Ponce de Leon. Ponce
(sound the final e was enamoured
of the wonderful luxuriance and fer
tility of the island and later came
back and planted a colony. Here it
was that Ponce laid the foundations
for the fortified city of San Juan
and erected the famous casa
Blanca" or white house which still
looks out over the beautiful blue sea,
and here it was that he outfitted
his excursion in search of the myth
ical fountain of youth and here it
Was that his remains were brought,
when an Indian arrow laid him low
and he finally succumbed in Ha-
vana.
Ponce de Leon Still Prominent
Ponce de Leon while a long time
dead, is still a prominent figure in
Porto Rico. His bones repose in a
shady niche in the magnificent
cathedral Of San Juan But they
have not always rested. Until 1863
his remains were deposited in the
ancient San. Jose church before
which bronze statue Of Ponce
stands sentinel. In that year his
bones were transferred to the cathe-
dral with imposing ceremonies. On
many state occasions the inhabi-
tantsl held a funeral over the re-
mains of the departed explorer and
his remnants We're paraded with
great dignity. After the American
occupation kindly bishop from New
York state placed the few remain
ing parts in sacred receptacle and
reverently sealed them in a granite
niche where it is to be hoped they
will remain.
We have a loose way of referring
to Spanish America. This only part
ly tells the tale. Latin in this
sense means Spain, and there is no