The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-13
SCENES AT SAN JUAN
INCIDENTS OF THE AMERICANIZA-
TION OF PORTO RICO.
The Sunday Afternoon Band Concert
ON the PIaza-Stars and stripes to
he HOisted on SchOOIhOuses.
of the Associated Press.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
SAN JUAN DE PUERTO RICO, Dec. g.
The appointment of mayors and council
men in the seventy-two municipalities of the
island is giving the American military COM
mander much trouble. There seems TO be
much ill feeling between local politicians,
and some of the appointees refuse to serve
with their colleagues.
Every day seems to see more Americans
on the streets of San Juan. The men came
first, then came the most venturesome of
the women; now are coming tinid wives
and even children. who pick up Spanish
with a rapidty that their elders cannot
attain. The women who thus come down
here must be prepared to undergo much in
the way of discomfort in living Hotel
Accommodations are at best poor indeed,
and houses are scarce, dirty and almost I'M
inhabitable. OF course there are excep-
tions; some fairly comfortable houses
have been obtained, but only few, and
each day they are harder to find, and their
rentals advance steadily with the demand.
San Juan needs much improvement in the
matter of living, and accommodations Of
fered, before an American naval or army
officer can feel safe in bringing his family
here.
In thousands of South American and West
Indian towns that boast of plaza and a mill
itary band there is music on the plaza at
o'clock on Sunday evenings. San Juan is
one of the few towns where the music is
American. This music Sunday evenings is
an old and popular Spanish custom and.
sguileless people at home are told upon these
occasions the beautiful dark-eyed Spanish
girls come out to walk and be admired. This
is stock story of the returned South Amer
lean WandereT, so it is that men from the
north are all keen to get to the plaza to see
the show they have often heard described.
But the best class of Spaniards and South
American women are timid and easy of af
front, and it is fact that the last few dis
turbing years in Cuba and Porto Rico have
done much to keep them indoors To many
or these southern women the Sunday even
ing promenade was the only outdoor break
for weeks at a time in the pitiful monotony
of their daily lives.
The plaza at San Juan is absolutely bare
and stone paved. 1t is long and compar-
ativey narrow. On one side is the town
rail-, with its two clock towers; at one end
IS the three stories and severely plain facade
that face it are two stories, and white, with
narrow hanging balconies. The band of the
Eleventh Infantry plays in the center. The
electric lights of the town are out OF order,
and the row of feeble gas lamps that
round the plaza does nothing more than
make objects dimly visible. The southern
side of the plaza is the only proper side
upon which to promenade SHARP distinctions
concerning the proprieties are drawn here)
Only the common people" of the town
promenade upon the plaZa's northern side.
Along the southern side some enterprising
man every night puts long row of rocking
chairs and rents them out at 10 cents each
for the evening. The band plays in the
center, and up and down the south side
walk the best people" 1t is an endless
march to the shuffiing of many feet and the
strains OF the American music. Spanish
words predominate: of course, yet there is
considerable English spoken, and some
bright American girl. the wife of an officer
or the daughter of some high official, gay
and trim in last summers dress, finds slim
army officers and white-clad naval men to
walk with her through the shifting prom
enaders. The towl clock calls each quarter
hour with changing bell. and cafes on ground
floors are noisy and busy. BY 10 o'clock it
is all over. and the plaza takes on its ac
customed nightly deserted appearance.
Lieutenant Colonel Allen C. Blackwell ar
rived recently in San Juan, bringing Amer
lean flags for the school children of Porto
Rico Colonel BakeWeH comes here as the
volunteer representative of Lafayette Post,
No. 40. and the flags in question fur
nished by the post I'm accordance with it's
education and loyalty among school chill
dren. Colonel Blackwell will supply 600 flags
to the island. number sufficient to give
to every public and private school in
Porto Rico. The first presentations were
made this morning at 9 o'clock on San
bled all the teachers. principals and pupils
of the several schools in the city, including
two long lines of little boys from the Ben
eficencia. or orphans asylum. The band of
the Eleventh Regiment played patriotic airs
and the flags dotted the sunny. child
crowded square with brilliant bits of color.
There were rich children and poor, ones.
some fair as Germans and others as black
as they could be. At the head of each school
procession marched the standard-bearer of
the colors that in the future would bring
TO its new followers much that the flag
which has gone denied their fathers in the
past.
The position of the Roman Catholic
Church on the island to-6aY may be called
strange, and even Illogical. Merchants,
farmers, business men, civ .lian employees, all
classes of society have their defenders, and
those who busy themselves with striving for
al no ~ Tpr ara
open to all who would complain of abuses
who can suggest Improvement, but one
never sees mention of the church therein
The church alone seems IL have been for
gotten Men of the church who discuss
this present situation are fully aware of the