2
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS.
H. H. MULLIN, Editor.
Published Every Thursday.
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JOB PRINTING.
The Job department of the PHKSS IS complete
and affords facilities for doing the best citss ol
Work. pAKIICLLAB ATTENTION PAIDTO Li*
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capers sent out of the county must be paid
lor in advance.
WHAT '.S knotvn in tije Hood Iliver
valley. Orejron, :IB the Big ditell est
£BB.OOO and this year's crop of straw
berries, blackberries and other fruit
in thy valley will bring enough mom v
to pay for it. It was constructed lor
the benefit of the fruit growers, who
are enabled thereby to their prod
ucts to market in gr at. bulk.
CKHVEHA is entitled to remain on
parole or one year. during which time
he receives the pay and allowance of
an American admiral. It is thought
that he may like to s iend a part of this
time in Washington, and that he will
t.ot care to return to Spain until the
political excitement subsides, as he
would almost inevitably lOS.j his life.
IT is claimed fi>r the Washington
artillery of New Orleans, ha., which
was organized in 184(i, that it is the
oldest artillery organization in tiio
United States. It was the first in the
south to tender its services to the gov
ernment in the war with Mexico and
tin the day after acceptance it was
ready. It now is composed of five bat
teries. with a total membership of
a bout 350 men.
U.NIIEII the head of breadstuff's, wheat
flour is our leading ex\ ort to I'orto
1;ieo. During the five years 1893 I><l7
the number o> barrels shipped per an
num averaged 1-ts 457. having a value
of $570.(119. In 188'—1892 the quantity
exported was somewhat averag
ing 141,3-4 barrels a year; but the av
erage annual value, owing to higher
prices, exceeded that of 1893-1897, be
ing returned at 8688.-93.
Di'liixo the last five years
our exports of wood and its manufac
tures to I'orto Ilieo reached an average
annual va.ue of £292,336. Although
these figures are somewhat larger than
those for 1888-1892, returned at $285,-
77:;, an examination of the records for
crrlier years shows that this slight in
crease was preceded by a long period
of decline, dating from 1871, when the
value of the exports was at its highest,
amounting to 8900,407.
Tine president is very fond of music,
and often in the evening a number of
his visitors entertain him by playing
on the piano. He is especially fond of
having Controller Dawes, who is an ac
complished musician, play for him.
The president lias expressed some
pleasure in the music furnished by the
numerous piano organs which infest
Washington, but. as they are not in
lowed to enter the white house
grounds, distance lends enchantment
to their sound.
THE present value of the British
fleet in money is about £52,000,000
(S.<50.000.000). According to recently
i.s.sued papers the proportion of ships
of large dimensions to the total num
ber built is not nearly so great as is
often asserted. Ail but two of these
are battleships, the exceptions being
the Powerful and Terrible, cruisers.
112 between 12,000 and 13,000 tons there
are 11 ships, seven battle ships and
four cruisers; between 10.000, and 12,-
000 tons there are ten ships, two being
battle ships.
O.N'B lesson of the Santiago engage
ment seems to be that the battleship
must not carry torpedoes. Another is
that, particularly in a sea engagement,
torpedo boats and their normal de
stroyers count for little, and that the
rapid-fire batteries of the ships are of
supreme importance. _ To these may
be added the crowning lesson that we
want no slow battleships, livery one
henceforth built should be as swift as
any in its class in any navy iti the
world, and as swift as the highest art
of ship building can make them.
TM: imports into I'orto Kico have
generally been somewhat in excess of
tlie exports from the islands, but in
1890, for the first time in more than a
decade, the value of the merchandisa
shipped to foreign markets was slight
ly greater than that of the imported
wares. The exports for ls'.i i had a
value of 818,341.430 and were decidedly
the largest on record, while the im
ports for the same year, valued at SIB-,
282.090, appear to have been surpassed
only in 1894. when the foreign goods
received at I'orto Hican ports amount
ed in value to §19.08(5.336.
IN 1888 we imported from I'orto liico
500,793 worth of fruits and nuts. This
mportation was not only the largest
of the past decade, but also exceeded
every previous record except that for
the year 1 v 7l. which amounted toS7<i,3ll.
The decline - that occurred in the years
following 1888 was a marked one, the
annual value of the imports for 1893-
1897 averaging only #18.241, as com
pared with §42,8u3 for 1888-1892.
Oranges arc the principal variety of
fruit imported. The average yearly
value of the imports fell from §9,300 in
1888-1892 to §3,040 in 1*94-189"
TRIUMPH OF THE PRESIDENT.
He lln» Done Ilia Work So Well Thai
I lie Country Commantlß World-
W l«lc IteHiifct.
There is a marked change in pub!ie
opinion iu Europe regarding the United
States, which may be attributed prima
rily to the' statesmanship of William
McKinley, next to the exploits of Ad
mirals Dewey, Sampson, Commodore
Schley and Maj. (Jen. William K. Shatt
er, and thirdly to the fact that any
untoward movement made by conti
nental powers against the United States
possibly would effect an Anglo-Amer
ican union which might set all Europe
aflame in war.
The tone of the German press, which
las heen markedly unfriendly since the
beginning of the present war, begins to
change, and German professions of
friendship are pouring in hot upon the
incident in Subie bay, where Admiral
Dewey plainly showed that there can
be no further trifling with his orders by
Germany or anyone else. When he
brought the cruiser Irene to with a shell
across her bows, it might have been
thought thai Germany would have ex
pressed dissatisfaction; but. that affair
apparently has attracted no attention
in Germany. At any rate, nothing is
said publicly about it. Possibly the in
timation conveyed to the German ad
miral by the captain of the ISritish
cruiser in Manila bay, that he had an
understanding with Admiral Dewey as
to what would be done if German war
tessels ventured to interfere with
Dewey, has also assisted in clarifying
the case and has helped to convince
Germany that she always has been a
friend of the United States.
The change in tone that is noticed is
highly gratifying. No matter to what i
it is due, it is pleasing to the people of
the United Stales, who are not seeking
trouble, though they arc able, as the
world knows to-day. to protect their
interests when they have engaged in a
quarrel.
It seems to be clear, then, that we
are not to have trouble with (Jermuny
over the settlement of the Philippine
question. What tlia.t will be can only
be conjectured; but that the set tlenient
will be wise, as becomes the statesman
ship which has been shown by Ihis ad
ministration from the very day that the
affairsof the nut ion were taken in hand,
may he accepted as a certainty.
The administration has done its work
so well that the country to-day com
mands the respect of the whole world.
Even those who were disposed to look
down upon it six months ago perceive
its power and foresee its possibilities.
If the administration had acceded to
the demands of those who would have
pushed the country into war before it
was ready to take action, we would
have suffered reverses, we would
have incited envious powers of Europe
to take action adverse to us, which
would have brought about complica
tions of the most serious nature. As it
was, however, William McKinley man
aged affairs with such signal ability
that no reverses were sustained. Amer
ican triumphs were contiuous and now
peace is in sight.—Albany Journal.
THE STRAIGHT OF IT.
I)einof*ratM Claim Credit fop tlie
Splendid AelilevciiK'ntH of
Our \\ nrshf|tN.
Those democratic newspapers which
are trying to make political capital
out of the achievement of the United
States warships by claiming that the
democratic party originated the new
navy are not wise. The claim thus
made suggests an appeal to the facts,
and the facts are against the claim. It
is a frequently-repeated assertion that
Hon. William C. Whitney, while sec
retary of the navy in President Cleve
land's first cabinet, started the crea
tion of the ships which have won such
distinction for American arms.
Secretary Whitney was an energetic
and capable official, and no fair minded
person seeks to deprive him of the
credit that is his due. But the super
serviceable democratic newspapers
are protesting too much. Let's see.
Mr, Cleveland's first administration be
gan March 4, 1885, and ended March 4,
1889. A reference to the official rec
ords will show Ihat four vessels —the
first of the new navy—were built prior
to the incoming of the democratic
regime. The keels of the Atlanta. Bos
ton, Chicago and Dolphin were laid in
ISB3, while President Arthur was in
t he wliite house.
All four of these ships have done
good service, and although the Cleve
land administration objected to the
Dolphin on the ground of structural
weakness, that craft has proved to be
one of the stanehest in the navy. The
Boston took part in the famous Manila
fight, and is one of Admiral Dewey's
best ships. Mr. Cleveland's adminis
tration in building naval vessels
showed a great partiality for English
designs, nearly all of which proved de
fective or absolute failures. The re
publican administrations have relied
on American designs and American
material. The results at Manila and
Santiago sufficiently vindicate their
judgment.—Troy Times.
t:"'Every democratic state convention
held this year with the exception of
Pennsylvania has declared for silver,
and every democratic st ate convention,
including Massachusetts, will do the
same with the exception of New-
York. This state then will stand alone,
a strange position for the state of Van
Buren, Marcy, Wright, Tilden and Sey
mour. Hut then the democracy of New
York is in strange hands to-day, and
wonder should not be excited that its
influence wanes.—Albany Journal.
lE?The imports of gold during the
fiscal year just closed were the largest
in the history of the country, reaching
a total of 104.985 279. and the balance of
trade in our favor was $(115,259,024. In
Ihe light of such figures it is proper to
say that the election of 1890 was rightly
settled.—St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST u, 1898.
REFUSE SILVER DOLLARS.
SnntliiKO Shopkeeper* Would Accept
Them Only at Their llul
lion Value.
Some of the government officials at
Washington arc displeased at the con
duct of some Santiago shopkeepers
w ho refuse to accept American silver
dollars when tendered them by the
soldiers for more than their bullion
value, which is now about 4."> cents.
Possibly those shopkeepers are not de
serving of censure. They may be
rather ignorant men who have handled
no American silver dollars, but have
handled a good many Mexican dollars,
which they know are worth less than
half their face in gold. Of late the
Cuban-Spanish silver money has been
below par and the Santiago shopkeep
ers may have a distrust of all silver.
They will g"t over that distrust
however, as far as American silver is
concerned, when they learn that it is
worth its face and that it is always
good at its face value in the payment
of debts due to American merchants,
from whom they buy goods. It will
not be necessary for the military au
thorities to compel the shopkeepers
to take silver dollars at their face
value. It will be suffiecient to explain
the difference between the American
ami Mexican silver dollars —that the
former are kept at gold par and the
latter are not. Mexican merchants
have long known the difference. Then
the soldiers will get 100 cents'worth of
goods in exchange for tlieir silvet
coins.
It is a pity that Orator I'ryan is not
at Santiago. If he were, s'nee he pro
fesses to be an expert in silver, den.
Shafter might detail him to expound
to the petty dealersin Santiago the su
perior merits of tlie American silver
dollar. This would not be an agree
able duty, for Hryan has been laboring
hard for some time to break down the
silver dollar of the United States, sr
that it would buy no more than the
Mexican dollar. Bryan has a great
affection for tlie latter coin, in spite
of or because of its defects, but if his
miltary 1 uperior were to order him to
run down the Mexican dollar and
praise the American one. of course he
would have to do it, and to explain to
the shopkeepers that the American
dollar was the better of the two by
more than 100 per cent, because it was
not a free coinage dollar.
Tt is a pity also that those deluded
free silverites who are in Bryan's regi
ment or in some of the southern regi
ments arc not at Santiago to see how
the first impulse of tradesmen is to
assign to silver its bullion value. They
know they are safe from loss if they
take silver money on that basis. They
accept American gold without demur.
They know a $lO piece is sure to b*
worth its face. They have a whole
some distrust of silver. In order tc
find how much it is worth I hey put it
on Ihe scales. The scurvy treatment
of American silver dollars by the San
tiago shopkeepers is due to their ig
norance. but if this country were to
adopt free coinage its silver dollars
would have no greater purchasing
power abroad or at home than is ac
corded them nt Santiago.—Chicago
Tribune.
DRIFT OF OPINION.
democrats of two western
states having pronounced tor T'.ryac
and silver, the call again becomes ur
gent for a national board of health.—
.1 ud ge.
Smith is pleased with the
success of the bond issue, but he is not
making any comparisons with the oth
er issue a few years ago.—Cincinnati
( ommereial Tribune.
tt"?"Some of the democratic leaders in
Michigan have declared against ca
lamity howling and in favor of forcing
the silver issue to the rear in the pend
ing campaign. In other words, they
throw up their hands. —Inclianapolis
Journal.
tention indorsed sixteen to one, but
jt put two gold democrats on the
state committee and refused to con
tinue ex-Gov. Altgeld in that body,
leaving the party organization in the
hands of the friends of Mayor Harri
son. The Chicago Record's report says
that "delegates in the convention said
to each other 'free silver will be out
of the fight.' " That is the interpreta
tion of the action putting cx-Repre*
sentative Cable, goldite, upon the state
committee by a vote of the conven
tion. —Indianapolis Journal.
If The desire of the gold democrats
i? to punish the Hryanites as severely
as possible and to beat it into their
heads, that they cannot win victories
and get into power as long as they
cling to the infamous doctrine that
the government must debase the
money standard in order to enable
debtors who are able to pay in full
but do not want to do so, to get oft
with the payment of 40 per cent, of
what they owe. The heavier the re
publican majorities are the sooner will
the free silver democrats get over
their mania of dishonesty. Chicago
Tribune.
If'.Yew bonds will pay old debts—
great- improvements that have been
stopped may now goon," joyfully ex
claims a New York paper in speaking
of the bond issue just made by the New
York city Tammany administration.
The paper seems to think the debt is
wiped out forever. It makes us think
of the Englishman who had a trouble
some note for $50(1 in a bank. He went
to the bank, gave a new note, and, tak
ing the old note that was handed to
him for destruction, he tore it up and
exclaimed: "Thank heavens, that debt
is settled." There is another interest
ing feature about this bond issue.
Tammany has supported the Chicago
platform, and according to that plat
form the issue of bonds is an awful
crime, but Tammany has now issued
j $23,000,000 more of "gold" bonds!
[ lowa State Register.
GUNS OF ANCIENT MAKE..
An Description of the Arma
ment of Morro t'aatle at Santiago—Suf
fered I.lttl«* lltitiHge friiiii llihiiliariinirnt,
Sji itt i:t «r«>. Cuba, Ati «r. 4. Kl Morro,
built kii the rooks and of the rocks,
in rieh in moats and frowning battle
ments, drawbridges and subterranean
passages, dungeons and reminders of
the age of helmets and rapiers. It is
surrounded by a confused mass of
barbed wire fencing, recently erected.
At its base the blue sea breaks and the
ocean breeze is cool in the shallow of
its walls. One searches long through
Morro's passages for signs of the puns
that are saiil to have replied to the
tire of the American fleet. On the top
battlement one finds several small
mortars, made of bronze and east in
Spain in the early part of the seven
teenth century. These are curiously
carved. On the same roof are two
mounted cannons of bronze, about 14
feet long 1 , one of them bearing on its
surface an inscription showing' that it
was made in 17 is.
The southeast bastion, that formerly
upheld the Spanish flag, was knocked
into dust by the shots that carried
down the banner. There are si}fns of
shots that have pecked at the solid
\\;ills: a shell carried away the draw
bridge and broke through the main
entrance, )>■ 11 otherwise Morro bears
no noticeable evidence of bombard
ment.
The old fashioned mortars show
signs of having been shotted and han
dled, and balls for their throats are
scattered about. Search the castle
over and you will find several more
muzzle-loading guns of a bygone age.
unmounted, their rusty mouths point
ed helplessly against the castle's bat
tlements. And this is Kl Morro's com
plete armament.
A few hundred yards to tlic east—
iind still on the height is the eastern
battery. l'etween it and the castle are
some low, red tiled houses, formerly
used as quarters for the garrison of
the fort. Here also stood the light
house that marked the harbor en
trance- now shattered and twisted by
the fire from the American ships, for
which it doubtless offered an excellent
target. The eastern battery is of
earth; barrels of cement and sacks of
dirt protect the puns. Here are two
small field pieces made in Sevilla in
1 ST.'i and the {.•round fs strewn with
unused ammunition. Here also are
five bronze muzzle-loading cannon,
bearing dates of their casting as fol
lows: " 17<>s. 171s, 1770. 17s:! and
1778." These, however, are mounted
on modern iron carriages and they
have been used.
One of these bronze cannons of the
last century was dismounted by a
shot from the fleet. The carriage was
wrecked and now lies half buried in
the torn earth, but the gun appears to
he uninjured, and may still grace some
American park. This is the only visi
ble damage done. There are signs of
hurried departure on all sides, but the
four old muzzle-loaders poke tip their
noses as defiantly as ever.
The Zoeapa battery is on the west
ern side of ttie mouth of the harbor.
It is at about the same height as the
eastern battery, though a little fur
ther baek from the sea line than the
fortification just described. Here are
the two modern 16-centimeter rifles
which our men wanted to capture and
turn against Santiago, and which
were among the most active in reply
ing to the American fire. Here also
are three 32-centimeter mortars and
a broad road through the woods and
up the hillside shows where these
heavy guns passed to their positions,
liarrels and earth-filled sacks pro
tected the men at the mortars, while
those who worked the rifies were be
hind many feet of hard cement in
square blocks, banked on the outside
by a sloping mass of earth and small
stones. The carriage? of the eastern
most 16-centimeter rifle was struck
and very slightly damaged. Here the
hill shows some signs of fire. ShMls
have plowed up the earth and cleared
out the trees, and the ground is cov
ered with bits of shells.
A HAT PIN IN HER STOMACH.
X Kay* are lined *o I.ocate an Article
Swallowed l>y a Child and It is Re
moved.
Chicago, Aug. 1. —Frances Nelson,
one and one-hall years old. daughter
of a merchant of Schlessingerville,
Wis., while playing with a hat pin six
and one-half inches long, a few days
ago. in some manner managed to
swallow it. The child was brought to
this city, where prominent physicians
said that it was an impossibility for
such a small child to swallow a hat
pin and live. But in order to satisfy
the parents they suggested that the
X-rays be utilized. The child was
taken to a Roentgen laboratory where
a photograph of its stomach was
taken. There plainly enough was to
be seen the missing article. The
glass head was downward and the
action of the stomach in its work of
digesting had kept it up to the top
of that organ. The point extended up
about four inches in the esophagus.
The little one was conveyed to a hos
pital, where the obstruction was ro
moved by a simple operation.
Shatter'* S nitary Itulletin.
Washington. Aug. 4. The following
is (leu. Shaffer's report of the sani
tary condition of his army on August
1. received at the war department yes
terday: "Sanitary report for August
1: Total sick total fever cases
3,170; new cases of fever 6s!(; cases
fever returned to duty 670. Deaths on
August 1 were l">. of whom five were
from yellow fever."
Became Waterlogged ami Sank.
Milwaukee. Wis., Aug. 4.—The
schooner Dan Hayes, bound from
Manistee, Mich., for Milwaukee with
ii cargo of bark, became waterlogged
yesterday near the shore ten miles
north of Milwaukee and sank. The
loss is not known. The crew number
ing six men. swam to the shore.
One Killml, 25 Injured.
niriningiiiim, A In., Aug*. 4.—An ac
commodation train on tin* Ilirmin#-
liam Mineral branch to
jumped the track ycstciJay at a curve.
One passenger was killed and l's in
jured.
SHALL NOT OCCUR AGAIN.
Blunders that fanned Suffering In Wounded
Soldiers While IteluK Transported Home
Will he Avoided In Future.
Washington, Aug. 4. — Charles 11.
Ileyl, of the inspector general's office,
has returned to Washington from New
York, where he went at the direction
of Secretary Alger to make an exami
nation to tix the responsibility of the
official who sent the transport Concho
to New York from Santiago in an un
fit condition for carrying the sick anil
wounded. Col. Ileyl yesterday report
ed to Secretary Alger the result of his
inquiries, but refused to talk for pub
lication. Later in the day, however,
the secretary made the following
statement concerning the Concho, as
well as the Seneca, which reached New
York about two weeks ago, after suf
fering many privations, owing, it is
alleged, to the unfit condition of the
vessel.
"Concerning the unfortunate occur
rences on the ships Concho and Seneca
that brought home sick and wounded
from Santiago, the secretary of war
gives out the following statement,
after a careful investigation:
"At the time they left Santiago the.
general desire of convalescents to
come home doubtless overcrowded
both ships. From the commencement
of the Santiago campaign until within
a few days the terrible conditions on
that coast where our ships had no
shelter and always with a high surf
made the landing of troops, supplies,
ammunition, artillery and medical
stores very difficult, and much suffer
ing was thereby caused that was una
voidable. The lighters that went with
Oen. Shaffer's fleet were lost on the
way. The tows of lighters were sub
sequently sent, which were also lost,
and it was impossible to get supplies
ashore except with the boats from the
ships and those supplied by the navy.
Later on a lighter was furnished by
the navy, which was the only one
there for many days.
"On account of the great number of
sick and wounded, which was in ex
cess of what had been anticipated,
there was no doubt much privation
and suffering, especially among the
sick at Santiago. The captains of the
Seneca and Concho did not report to
(Jen. Shaffer, nor to Quartermaster
Humphrey that they needed water.
Had they done so. of course it would
have been provided. Then also a large
number of civilians rushed aboard to
get away, and they occupied many
state rooms that should have been
given to the soldiers. No recurrence
of sueli conditions will be possible
hereafter, and no one regrets more
than the secretary of war that any
thing of the kino should have hap
pened.
Secretary Alger, who is determined
that no further trouble of the kind
shall occur, if in his power to prevent
it. has sent the following telegram to
(ien. Shaffer at Santiago: "Whenever
it becomes necessary to use transports
for sick or wounded purposes it should
be made the duty of some competent
medical officer to see that only such
transports as are in good sanitary con
dition and are best suited for the pur
pose are selected; that the water sup
ply on board is ample in quantity and
wholesome in quality; that sufficient
supplies of food, medicine, dressing,
hospital stores, including delicacies
where possible to obtain them, ice,
etc.. arc placed on board; that a suffi
cient number of experienced medical
officers and nurses accompany the
sick and wounded on the voyage; that
there is no overcrowding of the vessel,
but that there are suitable accommo
dations for all; that the departure of
these ships bo telegraphed to the adju
tant general and surgeon general."
A similar dispatch was sent to the
commanding generals of the army at
L'orto Hieo and Manila.
A SHORT CONFERENCE.
( Hmbon t alis on President
JUr Kin Icy and Spain's Keply is DiseusHed
Warlike PrepiratioiiM Continue.
Washington, August 4.—After a con
ference on 11 I«• peace question lasting
for just an hour Wednesday afternoon,
between the president and M. Camlion,
the French ambassador, the later act
ing as the representative of Spain,
Secretary Day emerged from the
White House and announced that the
conference was inconclusive; where
fore the parties to it had agreed to
say nothing publicly as to what had
occurred. The secretary did not ap
pear to be discouraged as he made this
statement, though he admitted that
no time had been set for another con
ference. I'rom this it is gathered that
the answer of the Spanish government
to the president's note turned out to
be just as it was expected—either a
counter proposition or a request for a
fuller statement in detail upon some
of the heads of the president's note.
Meantime this conference is not
operating to restrain military opera
tions. Orders went out yesterday for
a conference of leaders of the regi
ments to accompany Gen. Wade to
l'orto liieo and within 24 hours some
of the troops for this expedition will
be hoarding the transports at Newport
News. It is felt that even should an
armistice be declared jefore these
troops see active service at the front,
it will be beneficial for them to have
made the trip, for otherwise there was
dengcr of the morale of the troops be
ing destroyed through their craving
to get away from the big concentra
tion camps and at least see the shores
of Cuba or l'orto liieo. Profiting by
recent experiences (ien. Wade's sol
diers will ge protected in their health
and comfort to the utmost degree.
Strongest Combine of Its Kind.
Cincinnati, Aug. 4.—-The I'nited
States Spirits association was perma
nently organized here Wednesday by
the election of members of the execu
tive committee. The plan compre
hends control of the entire output of
all distilleries in the country, who will
not deal direct with the trade and only
with such distributors as are in the
combine and none other. The. distrib
utors are to buy from none other than
those in the combine. These regula
tions were made strong in anticipation
of new concerns. All existing OiVs
are included in this, the strongest
combine yet organized.
A BKAUTJPI'L ISLAND.
Puerto Rico Is Indeed the Gem of
the West Indies.
It llnst Tili rtccn Ilnndroil Slrcnm«, a
Yerllnhle Wenltli o 1 Vegetation,
11 iKli I > Cultivable Soil it ml
Yuat >ll ii «■ rii I I )<• («.
Mr. Frederick A. Ober, late com
missioner in J'uerto itieo of tlie Co
lli mbiiin «. x posit ion, contributes to the
Century an illustrated article on"The
Island of l'uerto Kieo." -Mr. Ober
•ays:
In the rxtreme northeast rises the
highest /jcuk of the central Cordillera,
in the Luquillo Sierra, known as "el
Vunfjue," or "the Anvil," variously es
timated at from 3,000 to 4,500 feet in
height. The hills are of lesser eleva
tion toward the west and southwest,
but the whole north-central country
is rugged and uneven. lietween the
spurs from the main range lie innu
merable secluded valleys, where the
soil is of great fertility. The impres
sive features of the landscape are
the rounded summits of the multitud
inous hills, which leave the coast in
constantly rising billows that finally
break against the cordillera vertebra;
yet all are cult ivabio. and cultivated to
their very crests, though the higher
mountain peaks are forest-clad.
The higher hills are clothed in the
exuberant and diversified vegetation
of the tropical forest, where tree
ferns tiou rish, and great gum-trees and
mountain palms tower aloft; at lower
levels are the cedar and mahogany,
walnut and laurel, with many others
noted for their useful wood.'. Through
out the island are found those trees
and shrubs valuable for their gums,
us the mamey, guaiaeum and copal,
while tin* list of medicinal plants in
cludes most of those, invaluable to
our pharmacopeias, which tropical
America has given to the world. These
are the silvestres, nature's wild chil
dren; hut of cultivated plants there is
no species peculiar to the tropics that
does not flourish here. In the littoral
levels, between the mountains and the
sea, grow- the sugarcane, which may
be cultivated up to an altitude of 3,000
feet. It was introduced here from
A SCENE IN I'L'ERTO RICO.
(A Comely Country Girl and Calabash
Tree.)
Santo Domingo, having been brought
to America either from Spain or the
Canaries. The annual yield of sugar
is estimated at about 70,000 tons.
In these fertile lowlands, also, to
bacco dots exceedingly well, and the
annual production is said to-be quite
7,000,000 pounds. It may be cultivated
on the hills, but the true mountain
lover is tlie coffee, which does not
do well below 000 feet, and is at its
best 1,000 feet above the sea. It was
first brought here from Martinique in
1722, and now yields to the extent of
17,000 tons annually. Maize, the true
Indian corn is indigenous, as is the
yucca, the aboriginal "staff of life;"
and both grow everywhere, as well as
the pineapple, is more reliable
and more universal than the peach of
our north temperate zone. Cotton and
rice are found at nearly all elevations,
the latter, which is the chief food of
many laborers, being what is known
as the mountain variety.
Bananas and plantains are wonder
fully prolific, betvring fruit in ten
months from planting. The plants
virtually last 60 years, being
equally long-lived with the cocoa
paim, which produces nuts in
six or seven years, and there
after during the space of an ordinary
life, its yield being reckoned at 100
nuts a year. The annual product of
bananas is givri a> 200.000,000, and> of
eocoanuts :5,000,000. The entire range
of tropical fruits is represented here,
such a>. the guava, lime, orange, agua
«ate, sapodilla tind avocado pear;
while, all sub-tropic vegetables may be
raised, including those of the south
temperate zone. such, lor instance, as
ore grown iti Florida.
The mineral kingdom has not been
so exhaustively exploited as the veg
etable, but more than traces have
been found of copper, coal and iron, as
well as vast deposits of salt. The
rivers at one time ran to the sea over
beds of golden sand, and from tlie
streams to-day (as in the neighbor
ing island of Santo Domingo, where
the first American gold was discov
ered) the natives wash out nuggets,
by the crude processes of that distant
day when Agueynaba went prospect
ing with his faise friend f'once de
Leon.
There are no native quadrupeds here
larger than the agouti and the arma
dillo. but birds arc relatively nu
merous, with a few of fine song, and
some of brilliant plumage. All do
mestic fowl do well here, and llie
great pastures of the northeast and
southeast support vast herds of cattle
ami •torses, which suffice not only for
the needs of the island, but are ex
ported to all parts of the West Indies,
being held in high esteem.