Page:From Yauco to Las Marias.djvu/171

Rh There is always room in the hotels of the larger towns; and, until one can build for himself, a hotel offers a very pleasant substitute — at a slightly increased expense. Land, for building purposes, or in an unimproved state, can be leased for a sum that is almost nominal, except in a few highly favored localities. Purchasers of land are more than likely to find themselves immediately embroiled in a lawsuit over the title. If no flaw exists in your title, then it does exist in one that was drawn up a hundred years ago; and in either case the result is the same — you lose.

Skilled workmen in any branch of industry will not find a good field for their abilities in Puerto Rico, at least not for a few years to come. If there were any demand for their services, — which there isn't, — they would not be able to command anything approaching the standard of wages usual in the United States.

To the investor, dairy farms, ice-plants, transportation schemes, and bar-rooms offer tempting possibilities, — I reserve agriculture