Republican news item. [volume], August 18, 1898, Image 7

About Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??

Image provided by: Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA

                
: PORTO RICO.OUR NEWEST JEWEL|
j§ The True "Pearl of the Antilles" —Striking Feat- |f
Mures of This Rich Possession. §3
Some of the interesting things about
Porto Rico are not generally known.
In size it ranks only as the fourth of
the Greater Antilles, but in point of
density of population and general
prosperity it takes the first place. It
is one of the few countries in tropical
America where the whites outnumber
the other races. The best harbor in
the island is Guanica, the most western
port on the south coast. Yellow fever
never scourges Porto Rico as it does
parts ©f Cuba, and although most of
it is low-lying, and may be said to be
very hilly rather than mountainous,
it is one of the most healthful of tropi
cal islands.
Though the harbor of Guanica,
where our troops landed, is the best
in the island, it is not visited by much
shipping. The district immediately
around it is low and swampy, and,
unless improvements have been made
within the past two or three years,
the roads are not equal in quality to
the main roads marked on the map.
Guanica is the outlet for the produce
of SauGermau, Sabaua Grade, and to
to some extent of Yauco, which is on
the railroad. Porto Rican "rebels"
have been particularly numerous in
the western and southwestern dis
tricts, and many thousands of people
there welcomed the day of General
Miles's coming as the greatest in their
lives.
The largest city and the commercial
capital of the island is Ponce, which
lies three miles north of the port of
Poncfe, on a rich plain surrounded by
gardens and plantations. There are
hot springs in the neighborhood,
which are highly appreciated by in
valids. Along the playa or beach in
front of the port are extensive depots,
in which the produee of the interior,
forwarded through Ponce, the trading
centre, is stored for shipment. At
the last enumeration Ponce had a
population of 37,545, while San Juan,
the capital on the north coast, had
only 23,414 inhabitants. Ponce has a
number of fine buildings, among which
A MARKET SCENE OUTSIDE THE WALLS
OF SAN JUAN.
ire the Town Hall, the theatre, two
churches, the Charity and the Wom
en's Asylums, the barracks, the Cuban
House, and the market. The road be
tween the city and the seaside is a
beautiful promenade.
The main highway of central Porto
Rico runs from Tonce to San Juan in
northeasterly course through Juana
>iaz, Coamo and Aibonito, where it
>es almost eastward to Cayey, there
take a winding course to the north
s far as Caguas, where it turns west
Aguas Buenas, and then goes de
ledly north to San Juan through
tuaynabo and Rio Piedras, making
n all a distance of eighty-five miles,
'he distance from Ponce to San Juan
\ a straight line is only forty-five miles.
The eastern part of the island is less
ensely peopled than the western,
ad as the east coast is on the wind
ard side and offers less proteetion
>r shipping it is not so conveniently
tuated for trade. Here all the
.rger towns of the east lie inland, or
least some distance from the coast,
lese towns are in the hilly region
nid rich coffee and extensive graz
g lands.
The harbor of San Juan, the capi
1, is deep enough to admit large
■ssels, but its channel communicat-
VRACTERISTIC BCEN'E ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY OF CENTRAL PORTO RICO
WHICH RUNS FROM PONCE TO SAN JUAN.
with the sen is winding and diffi
■ and can be navigated safely only
i the aid of a pilot,
ne of the leading seaports of the
id is Aguadilla on the west coast,
ch has the advantage of a spacious
sheltered from the trade winds,
•e are shipped the sugar and coffee
he northwest port of the island,
ire are seven or eight ports of les
importaace.
Over 800,000 people live in Porto
Rico, and about two-thirds of them
are white. Cuba is thirteen times
larger than Porto Rico, and its popu
lation was not double that of the
smaller island even before Weyler ex
terminated a third of the native
Cubans. Besides Ponce and San
Juan, the largest towns on the island
are Arecibo (30,000 inhabitants),
Utuado (31,000), Mayaguez (28,000),
San German (20,000), Yauco (25,000),
CORNER OF THE PLAZA DE LAS DELICIAS, IN PONCE, TO?WO RICO. THE
HEADQUARTERS OF GENERAL IIILES'S ARMY.
Juana Diaz (21,000), and there are
about ten other towns with a popula
tion of 15,000 or over.
In the past fifty years about half
the population has gravitated to anil
around the towns, particularly those
of the seaboard. They live in com
fortable houses and many of them
have the means to purchase all the
wares of the civilized world. Porto
Rico abounds in sugar, coffee, tobacco,
honey and was, which have enriched
the island, and many of the people are
well-to-do. A very large part of the
island's trade has been carried on
with the United States, whose corn,
flour, salt meat, fish and lumber are
imported in return for sugar, molasses
and coffee. T#e natives' have little
taste for sea faring and most of their
foreign trade is carried in foreign bot
toms.
Porto Rico is rich in natural bless
ings, and for a tropical region is very
healthful. For some inscrutable rea
son Spain has given the inhabitantg
far better treatment than she has the
natives of Cuba. She has dealt with
the island as though it were a Spanish
province instead of merely a colony to
be bled by Spanish officials for the en
richment of themselves and the mother
country. In fact, the island has been
politically a province of Spain for over
twenty years. Spain has had little to
do directly with internal improve
ments in the island, but she has so far
kept her heavy hand off the people
that there was an opportunity for the
spirit of enterprise to develop. The
result is that Porto Rico has about 150
miles of railroad, and as much more
under construction; and a system of
wagon roads leading to all the impor
tant trading centres that 6urpass any
thing of the sort seeji in most parts of
Spain herself. The stretches of rail
road parallel with the coast are long
links in the line that is to make the en
tire circuit of the island, with short
branches to all the seaports and the
inland markets.
The mode of life is very similar to
that of the European countries except
for some slight differences due to the
hot climate. Fashions for men and
women alike are introduced from
Spain, and especially from Paris and
London. The well to do in the prin
cipal towns dress ju9t like people in
Enropean countries, men wearing wool
en clothes all the year round. The
young women dress very elaborate
ly, and all wear hats, the Spanish
mantilla being worn only by elderly
women. In the small towns men dress
after the fashion of the cities, but wear
linen fabrics, as woolen clothes are
very unoomfortable, ore considered a
luxury, and are worn on holy days and
Sundays only. Laborers and farm
hands do not wear coats or shoes.
They do not care to do so, and, if they
did, they could not afford to, as their
wages are very small.
Life at San Jnan and the other prin
cipal towns is very monotonous, the
only amusements being retreta or con
cert by the military bands twice a week
and theatrical performances three or
four evenings a week, matinees being
given very seldom. The theatres are
owned by the cities and rented to Eu
ropean companies travelling through
the island at so much an evening.
San Juan, built on a small island
connected with the mainland by the
San Antonio bridge, is quite a beauti
ful city, with straight but narrow
streets and many fine buildings. It
has several publio institutions and col
leges, several churches and seven small
parks, among them the I'lazuela de
Santiago, with a very good statue of
Columbus. The city is lighted by gas
supplied by an English company and
by electricity supplied by a local cor
poration. There are eleven newspapers
of all kinds, the principal one being
La Correspondencia, a daily political
paper, with a circulation of about 7000
•copies, winch is equal to that of the
other papers combined. There is a
local telephone company, but no water
except that of the cisterns. A reser
voir was projected and the plan was
approved by the Government some
fifty years ago, but owing to the man
ana system it has not been finished
yet.
The history of the Spanish adminis
tration in the island is one of cruelty
and corruption. The Spaniards began
by exterminating the native Indian
A TORTO RICAN DAMSEL.
population, which some historians
place as large as 51)0,000, in less than
a century. Every branch of the ad
ministration of the island has been
conducted under a system of corrup
tion, the law was constantly violated
by the Spaniards and the natives were
deprived of their rights. At elections
the Spanish or Conservative party al
ways won, notwithstanding the fact
that it was in a large minority.
The liberty of the press was un
known. Articles printed in the Mad
rid or other Spanish papers attacking
the Government could not be repro
duced by any Porto Rican paper with
out the editors being punished, even
if the article in question had not been
considered ground for prosecution by
the authorities in Spain.
No more than nineteen persons were
allowed to meet in any place on the
island without special permission of
the Government, and a representative
of the Mayor of the town had to at
tend meetings to see that nothing was
done or said against "the integrity of
the nation."
Licenses were required for every
thing, even for a dancing party.
These are some of the things -which
caused the people at Ponce to cheer
the Americans who took possession of
the town.
Chief among the staple products is
coffee. The average yearly export
from 1892 to 1896 was 49,229,000
pounds, valued at §10,872,000. Th#
area of production can be doubled.
It grows almost without care.
Next to coffee comes sugar. Mo
lasses, too, has been exported in large
quantities, and the product could be
increased.
Cotton has been almost at a stand
still for the same reasons as in Cuba
—because of the heavy taxes imposed
by Spain. Besides, coffee is more
profitable and demands less care. The
tobacco yield is large. Between 1892
and 1896 the average yearly exports
were 3,534,000 pounds, with a value of
$642,000. Annatto, mace, cocoa,
ginger, rice and oranges are also (cul
tivated.
Under the Spanish rule the vast
forests were never turned to profit.
Hardwood is abundant. Fancy cabi
net woods and beautiful grained woods
resembling marble are among the'
products almost entirely Porto Rico's*
own. Like Cuba, the island has ex
tensive mines and quarries. The
principal deposits are iron, gold, cop
per, zibo, coal and salt. Salt is the
only one worked to any extent.
Again, as in Cuba, there are
scarcely any railways, and the few are
short and disconnected. The wagon
ways are good, outside the cities as
well as in them. Water works are
needed everywhere, and the drainage
in all the cities except Ponce is bad.
In Ponce only are there underground
sewers. These flow into the harbor,
whose outlet should be widened, not
only to allow the escape of the drain
age, but to afford easier and less per
ilous access.
GERMANY'S "WOMAN BISMARCK."
Countess, Waldersee, an American Girl,
lias a Remarkable Influence With
Emperor William.
As a little girl Mary Esther Lea
played among the flour barrels and
currant boxes of her father's grocery
store on Front street in New York
City. But that was many years ago.
Now the little girl is a white haired
and regal lady, with the title of
princess. More than that, she it is
who is the power behind the German
throne, who is known as the "female
Bismarck" and who, it is believed,
brought about the Kaiser's marriage.
Her title is Princess von Noer, and
she is a powerful influence in the
great palace at Berlin.
Her history is most interesting and
unusual. Her father left Connecticut
in 1810 and began a small grocery busi
ness in New York City. Though he
was financially successful, when he
died, in 1853, he left but a very small
fortune to his family. Mrs. Lea, nn
able to afford the expensive living in
New York, bundled up her little fam
ily and went to Stutgart. Here the
eldest daughter married Baron von
Waechter. He soon became Ambas
sador from Wurtenberg to Paris, and
indue course of time Mrs. Lea and
her other (laughters found themselves
in the social set of the great French
capital. Other important marriages
came about. Mary Esther, the
youngest girl, found a fast and affec
tionate friend in Princess Louise of
Schleswisr-Holstein. Through her she
formed the acquaintance of the father
of the princess, an old widower, who
immediately fell desperately in love
with the beautiful and bright little
American girl. To compensate for
marrying the daughter of a grocer the
Prince gave up his title and accepted
the simpler designation of Count von
Noer, which was given to him by the
Austrian Emperor. The groom was
sixty-four years old, the bride twenty
four. Six months later the venerable
husband died and his rich and youth
ful widow settled down in Vienna.
There she won the esteem of the
Austrian Emperor, and he created her
Princess of Noer in her own right.
A few years after being made a
princess the. one time daughter of a
grocer met Count von Waldersee. A
marriage between them took place in
1866. These two brilliant and tactful
people went to Berlin, and in a few
months the countess was a social
power.
Her particular ambition was to
marry her grand niece by her first
marriage, Princess Augusta ictoria
of Schleswig-Holstein, to Prince Will
iam of Prussia, the present Emperor
of Germany. The mother of the
prince raised great objections, but the
Princess von Noer was persistent and
tactful and planning, and the wedding
was celebrated. Prince William and
his bride were both devoted to the
one who helped along the rough way
of their courtship, and their gratitude
has been unceasing. When Princess
Augusta Victoria became Empress
she *vas more than ever under the
COUNTESS WALDERSEE.
sway of ber American aunt. Princess
von Noer's present desire is to bring
about the most cordial relationship
between the country of her birth and
her adopted land. Her influence over
'the Kaiser is as strong as in the days
when she made opportunities for him
to meet his pretty little German
sweetheart.
Trials of Field Mar*liat».
The London Naval and Military
Record says that a new rule was re
cently framed for the guidance of field
marshals. It was, with other regula
tions, put into type, and appeared in
proof as follows:
"1972 Field Marshals—Field Mar
shals will wear buckskin pantaloons,
jack boots and gilt spurs only, at
drawing-rooms, and on all such occa
sions."
It is almost unnecessary to add that
as soon as attention was called to the
fact that in such a meagre costume
field marshals would create some sen
sation at a drawing-room the order
was varied.
I FARM AND GARDEN.]
When to Thresh Grain.
Thresh small grains as soon as pos
sible after harvest. Tne crop is never
secure in the stack, and the sooner it
is in the granary or the elevator the
better. No matter how well a stack is
made a driving storm will wet it.
Old Potatoes and New.
For some time after new potatoes
come into market the well-preserved
old potatoes are best, and are pre
ferred by the careful housewife, who
cares as much for nutritive value as
for taste. In the old days, when
some potato grated fine was always
mixed with the rising bread, house
wives found that the young potatoes
with very little starch were not so
good for this purpose as potatoes
grown the previous year.
riant Strawberries Kurly.
So soon as the strawberry runners
have fairly rooted it is best to take
them up aud set them in new beds
rather than wait until the plants have
attained large size. The smaller
plant has much less surface exposed
to evaporation, and it will become
well rooted more quickly than will
those set later in the season. If the
runners are cut as fast as they are
put forth from the transplanted plant
it will make a large crown full of
buds for next year's bearing. All the
buds for fruit in the strawberry are
provided for the year before it is to
bear, aud no amount of spring culti
vation can increase them.
Care for Yellow Clover.
Just after the wheat harvest the
young clover plants, which up to that
time have been protected by the wheat,
are apt to suffer from the sun unless
the stubble is left high. After the
clover plant hardeus it should be
clipped, which will force out a branch
ing growth near the ground, afford
ing, with the wheat stubble, a sharp
sickle or grass lmok, and may be •c
--complished at small expense. The
first clipping should be done about a
month after the w heat is harvested,
and if the ground is weedy or the
drought prolonged a second clipping
may be done early in September.
Close attention must be paid to weeds.
None should be allowed togo to
9eed to ruin an otherwise fair crop of
clover.
i:»ot'Grart»<l Apple Trees.
Most of the apple trees from nur
series are root grafted. It is so much
more convenient to do this the first
season than later that nine-tenths of
the apple trees for sale ure grafted
then and allowed to root from the
graft, as is certain to do when trans
planted. No doubt there is a greater
uniformity in trees grown by this
method than if each seedling were al
lowed to grow as it would and then
be top grafted when high enough to
form a head. Many farmers believe
that when a tree is top grafted it will
come in bearing sooner than one
grafted on a little piece of root and
allowed to make the whole stock from
the ground up. It is probable that
the root-grafted trees are given better
cultivation than those top-grafted, the
latter being usually stray seedlings in
out-of-the-way places, and therefore
getting very little cultivation.
litiiae Better Cows.
The test of milk should not be con
fined to oue's idea of its richness
judging from its appearance, for there
is no sure test but that made with the
perfected tester. If dairymen will
use such they will be surprised to
learn that some of their best milkers
are giving a supply very deficient in
richness. The sooner this class of
cows are disposed of the sooner the
dairy will be on a paying basis. If
these unprofitable cows cauuot be dis
posed of in any other way, turn them
into beef, and if possible raise the
herd from the stock which meet the
test as to richness of milk. If sev
eral of them meet the test fairly and
continuously under a moderate ex
pense for food, they will form the
foundation for a profitable herd. The
other animals should be turned off
quickly. Even if two of them have
to be given for one whose milk will
come-up to the test it will be a pav
ing trade.
Bees ancl Fruit.
The fruit grower does not appreciate
the value of a colony of bees as a rule,
but on the other hand is inclined to
look upon them as a detriment. It is
a well known fact that bees seldom if
ever disturb fruit that has not pre
viously been by birds or in
sects, while the value of the bees as
pollen distributors is well known.
Among orchard fruits especially bees
are of great value, as has been proved
by many fruit growers, who, until the
advent of the bees, had been unable
to obtain full crops or large fruit ow
ing to the imperfect fertilization of
the blossoms by other means. In the
peach orchard, where the pollen is
scant aud many of the blossoms ob
tain little or none through the agency
pf wind or insects, the bees .will prac
tically solve the question of falling
fruit, which is mainly due to lack of
vitality from the imperfect fertiliza
tion of the blossoms. It will be neces
sary to avoid the use of the spray
when the trees are iu bloom in locali
ties where bees are kept.
CaViagt \ultur»>.
Cabbage is a very profitable /egeta
ble to grow both for home use and
for marketing purposes. With proper
care in storing it is possible to have
it the greatest part of the year.
Market gardens desiring au early
crop sow the seed rdy early in cold
frames, hence have the plabtA ready
to set out at any time when ttta
weather <in<l the condition of the
ground will permit. Bat to grow for
home use, early planting not being so
essential, the seed may be sown later
in open beds. Another way of secur
ing an early crop is to select some of
the earliest varieties. Nearly all of
these produce much smaller heads
than the late varieties, yet for an
early supply, either for home use or
the market, they answer very well.
For this purpose the early Jersey.
Waketield or the early Winningstadt
are good varieties. These yield fair
sized heads, and are at most only a
week or so later thau the earlier
sorts. Have the soil rich and fine on
which to sow the seed whether in cold
• frames or open beds, and wherever
the plants should not be kept too
warm. This is likely to cause too
rapid growth, which makes tall and
weakly plants. The ground on which
the crop is to be grown should be
made by the application of man
ure. Cabbage plants are gross feed
ers and 'can consume considerable
manure without injury. If the manure
is not applied the fall previous it
should be well rotted when applied in
the spring and then worked well into
the soil. As a matter of course the
soil should be deeply broken and well
pulverized. For early cabbage the
rows may be marked off about 30
inehes apart; for larger varieties a
little wider, and the plants 18 inches
apart in the row. To give the plants
an early start, work into the soil
about them about a gill of commercial
fertilizer. When setting, if the soil
is not fairly damp some water should
be used about the plants. Set the
plants down quite to the leaves
and press the soil well about the roots,
then a little loose dirt over this. This
prevents evaporation and the plant
from scaldiug. The cultivation should
begin early, be frequent and thorough,
to obtain rapid and large growth.
Stir the soil at first close about the
plants ; as they grow larger, cultivate
shallow, just to break the crust and to
keep down the weeds.
As to insects and worms, which aro
so destructive among cabbage, and
which are so difficult to successfully
combat, we can only recommend con
stant vigilance and the use of the
best known means for destroying
them, among which slug-shot is rec
ommended. —Agricultural Epitome.
Farm and Garden Notes.
Hogs at pasture need water to
drink. See that they have that that
is pure and fresh.
The hen likes a change of diet, and,
with some grain, will eat all kinds of
insects they discover in the soil or
about the trees. °
When the milch cow is growing fat
she is not being fed right to produce
the largest yield of milk, or she is not
the right breed for the dairy.
The feed of chickens and turkeys
should be hidden in straw, or thrown
among the grass in summer, to induce
the hunting for it, and that for water
fowl is best put into water.
A cow will give about so much milk
in a year, 110 matter what time she
comes in, and she should be bred so
as to produce milk during the whole
of the season of best prices.
If the soil around the fruit trees is
kept loose and an occasional handful
of grain is thrown in aud covered, the
fowls will spend much of their time
scratching and will effectually prevent
the borer from depositing its eggs.
The seeding of peas and other legu
minous crops, clover, etc., should re
ceive more attention as they supply
the most expensive part of the fertil
izer, nitrogen, then potash and phos
phoric acid should be used in connec
tion to make a complete fertilizer.
The use'of wood ashes on the straw
berry plantation gives the fruit that
bright, glossy appearance so much de
sired and prevents the dark appear
ance so much like stateness to the eye
of the customer, which comes on ber
ries that have been picked for some
hours.
In its natural condition all classes
of poultry were compelled to take
considerable exercise in order to ob
tain food. This should be remem
bered in caring for domestic poultry,
and feed should be given in such a
inauner that it cannot be gobbled
down without some effort to get it.
When eigh een iuches high nip ofl
the ends of the canes of blackberries
and black raspberries. This will cause
new laterals to grow, and these should
be trimmed in the spring also. By this
means the bearing surface is increased
and the bush is kept low aud stroug.
Washing Their Loose Change.
The writer happened to mention re
cently to the manager of a well-known
city bank that a certain gentleman
who died lately,after making a fortune
as a newspaper proprietor, always had
the loose gold,silver and copper in his
possession washed before putting it iu
his pocket.
The record of a singular fact was
the result, for, said the bank man
ager: "I could not only name a con
siderable number of people who do
this, but some eminent ones—one of
the richest and most benevolent ladies
in this country, as an instance. The
coins paid away by a notoriously fru
gal actor-manager always have a high
polish, for he has soap, soda and hot
water daily applied to all the loose
money he draws from the treasurer of
his theatre, and all manner of comical
stories are told of the brightness of
, his very small payments.
| "Then, again, a noble Scotch duke
has little bags of coin already washed
and scoured, put aside for daily use,
and a number of old city men I come
into personal contact with seldom have
an unwashed coin in their pockets.
Some of them are men eccentric in
other ways, but by no means all."—
London Answers.