The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-14


fefent form would have met him elst-
where.
The bathrooms OF the hotels, how
ever, are not 30 attractive to some
people as those situated among coca
nut palms and blpana trees, banked
up against hillsides, with arbors in
front to come out and sit under for
rest and refreshment, and with the
lizards singing like birds in the brush
and on the knobs just beyond.
Sunday at Ponce, If it continues as at
present, will add still further variety
to the somewhat different observances
of the day which now characterize the
territory of the United s ates.
Tomorrow" said native last Sat-
urday, tomorrow l shall go to the
theatre"
otis Sunday" said his American
soldier companion. 'You should be
going to church."
An elevation of the shoulders. "The
same thing" said the native.
The show at the theatre that day, by
the way, was given by an American
troupe that had been touring the Indies.
There is, of course, nothing new in
the custom in Catholic countries of Civ
ing Sunday mornings to church and
Sunday afternoons to pleasure. In
Ponce the merchants are not willing to
close their stores for the religious OBJ
servances of the day, but hold that it
would be wholly wrong to mar the
hours OF pleasure by business atten-
tons. The stores are all open Sunday
mornings as on other days, but shut
tight Sunday afternoons. Vesper SER
vices are all but unknown. There
may be change regarding services
presently. The priests have not been
paid since the arrival of the American
army. 1t was the Spanish custom to
pay them from the customs receipts.
Col. Hill has refused 10 give them any
more money since he has been in
charge of the custom house, and has
told them that hereafter their people
will have to support them voluntarily.
What the people will say to this at the
start it is hard to guess. They may
not wholly understand it. Under ex-
listing laws they are taxed for the sup
port of the church. What their vol
untary support of it will be remains to
be seen. Protestants have almost a
clear field for mission work here. The
only Protestant church on the island is
at Ponce, and that was opened on the
Sunday after the Americ ans arrival for
the first time, it is said, in ten years.
The chief service lat the cathedral is
held at nine O'Clock Sunday morning s,
mass being said hourly from five o'clock
until then. At the nine O'Clock SER
vice many Americans drift in. Even
the Catholics among the soldiers who
have attended have appeared 10 drift
in rather than 60 with the purpose of
doing their devotions. 1t may be that
there seemed something inconsistent in
kneeling before the altar with row of
cartridges girded around the body. Que
man crept into the nave behind the
seats, took off his cartridge belt and
laid it beside him, and, kneeling, bowed
his head very low while he joined in
the prayers. When the service was
over he carried the war belt in his
hand to the door and there stopped and
buckled it on. Fifty yards from the
door company of the Nineteenth In
fantry was encamped on guard duty in
the principal public square, on one end
of which the cathedral stands.
While the services were going on
late corners of the native congregation
edged their way in at the rear doors
and, passing round the screen beneath
the choir loft, dropped to their knees
On the marble floor, there remaining
until the close. Noticeable among
these worsbippers were the old and
widowed and the very poor. The last
roBn L. ~ 90 ha hy,
floor, trailed with dirt and spotted with
tobacco juice. Some of the others
brought with them prayer rugs, even
though they were but ragged strips of
carpeting.
There are no bullfghts, but Sunday
afternoon sees an occasional cooking
main at Ponce. Doubtless that will be
stopped under American rule and the
Porto r cans will have to turn to the
prize ring for sport. The climate in
sures them against football.
The public coachmen are still, like
the converted Indian, fishing with two
hooks. So as not to offend any posi-
bly, not reconciled to the new order,
they leave their carriages undecorated
when waiting for work. But many of
thCu3 uPoh SCttihS al AuSiiSoh Adi =,
stick an American flag at the side OF
the carriage top. More and more
small American emblems appear in the
buttonholes of men and boys around
the city day by day. The small button
hole flags sell at ten cents, island cur
rency, and are going rapidly. Spanish
flags, by the way, it is difficult to find
! in the stores, but persistent hunting
with an open purse will usually disclose
some hidden below counters or in base.
ments.
One of the things revealed by shop
ping tour is the absence from the shops
of anything distinctly characteristic Of
Porto Rico. The tourist has not made
the island favorite stopping place
and the people seem to prefer when
buying anything not edible to buy for.
eign-made articles. The only things
that even bore stamp indicative of
Porto Rico found by several hunters
after curios were fit relics of Spanish
city--case knives inscribed "Viva
Ponce" Fortunate seekers after me-
mentos secured few of the peculiar
native musical instruments called
| guiros. II is straining courtesy as well