. ▁ ▁L arr ín aga ▁pract iced ▁his ▁profession ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁some ▁time , ▁returning ▁to ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁architect ▁for ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁San ▁Juan . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁L arr ín aga ▁built ▁the ▁first ▁rail road ▁in ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁and ▁introduced ▁American ▁rolling ▁stock ▁onto ▁the ▁island . ▁For ▁ten ▁years ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁chief ▁engineer ▁of ▁the ▁Provin cial ▁Works . ▁ ▁L arr ín aga ' s ▁invol vement ▁in ▁politics ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior ▁in ▁the ▁Aut onom ist ▁government . ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁by ▁his ▁party ▁as ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁Washington , ▁DC . ▁ ▁L arr ín aga ▁served ▁as ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁house ▁of ▁deleg ates ▁for ▁the ▁district ▁of ▁A reci bo ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁Union ist ▁Res ident ▁Commission er ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁was ▁re elect ed ▁twice , ▁serving ▁from ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁until ▁March ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁L arr ín aga ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁delegate ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁the ▁Third ▁Pan - American ▁Conference ▁held ▁in ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 9