A department, district, and city on the south coast of the island of
Porto Rico.
The city is regularly built—the central part almost exclusively of brick houses and the suburbs of wood.
It is the residence of the
military commander and the seat of an official chamber of commerce.
There is an appellate criminal court, besides other courts; two churches —one Protestant, said to be the only one in the
Spanish West Indies—two hospitals besides the military hospitals, a home of refuge for the old and poor, a perfectly equipped fire department, a bank,
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a theatre, three first-class hotels, and gasworks.
The inhabitants are principally occupied in mercantile pursuits; but carpenters, bricklayers, joiners, tailors, shoemakers, and barbers find good employment.
The chief occupations of the people are the cultivation of sugar, cocoa, tobacco, and oranges, and the breeding of cattle.
Commercially,
Ponce is the second city of importance on the island.
A fine road leads to the port (Playa), where all the import and export trade is transacted.
At Playa are the custom-house, the office of the captain of the port, and all the consular offices.
The port is spacious and will hold vessels of 25 feet draft.
The climate, on account of the sea-breezes during the day and land-breezes at night, is not oppressive, though warm; and, as water for all purposes, including the fire department, is amply supplied by an aqueduct, it may be said that the city of
Ponce is perhaps the healthiest place in the whole island.
According to the census taken by the
United States military authorities in 1899, the department had a population of 203,191; the district, 55,477; the city, 27,952; and Playa, 4,660.
