Evening star., 1898-11-18

American Citizen Makes Trip From
Ponce to San Juan.
IMPRESSIONS OF. SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Two Classes Of .Objectors to Uncle
Sam'sslnvasion.
FINE BICYCLE ROADWAY
Written for The Evening Star,


The so-called harbor of Ponce is only an
open roadstead, where ships must anchor
at some distance outside To get ashore
one must take native boat for about
mile. The boats are often decorated with
American flags, and in the chaffering for
the price Of passage the boatmen are often
very particular in saying that they are also
Americans. This appears 10 be true, all
over the island. There is generally great
satisfaction at the transfer of the island
INTO american hands. Americans are usual
iy warmly greeted. smiled upOn-and i'm
posed upon, when possible-aftar the man
ner OF the Latin races generally.
Inc exceptions of this greeting of Ameri-
cans are of two classes. The one class
sists of elderly people of Spanish look and
bearing, who are well dressed and appar-
emily well off. They are, perhaps, the hold
ers of the plantations, or Of large CONNER
cial establishments, or are civil officials
under spanish rule. They are not prodigal
IN their gree etings to Americans, nor ef-
fusive when the greetings are made 1t
may be the Spanish reserve toward strang-
ers. To a well-to-do Spaniard the man
whom he meets on the street is nothing.
1t Is the man whom he meets in society,
Tor whom he has guarantees Of respetta-
biiity, that his courtesy is reserved 1t is
especially to the guests that h receives in
may also be that this reserve is due to
actual dislike of Americans. Their coming
changes the conditions under which he has
prospered, and perhaps will lessen his abil-
fty to prosper. He may prefer the old
Spanish regime under which he has known
how to prosper.
The second class that fails to greet
Americans consists of a series of black
ha1red, black-brOWed, sulky looking labor
ers and poor people. They are very few in
number, and usually study the ground
when Americans approach. They are prob
ably representatives of the disaffected, who
are scattered all over the islands, and do
not hesitate to resort to violence when it
is safe. They are natural brigands or ban
dts, and some bands of than have been
formed in the interior, where they have
committed depredations. Squads of sol
diers have been sent to the districts where
they are most numerous, and they will
doubtless treat the bandits and outlaws in
summary fashion.
There should perhaps be added a third
class of disappointed, but to put all the per-
sons of that order in this class would do
them an injustice. and it is impossible to
say yet how far the discomfort extends.
The class is that of the priests. That some
of them are much dfScOntented is very evil
dent. They are very cool in their greetings
OF Americs IS, and they often fail to see US
when p: IS. One dignitary of this class
who carried an umbrella actually lowered
it as we passed, prefcrripg the sunshine to
the danger of being addressed by Ameri-
cans.
The higher priesthood here have received
large salaries from the state and ali have
been supported by public funds. They have
sometimes doubled, up the sacred offices
and received salaries as Wears of churches
in which they never appeared. but which
they Sublet for a part Of the salary These
people, | am informed, sent deputation to
Gen. Brooke, to ask if they would be sup
ported out of the public funds after the
transfer, and he informed them that they
would not. They then teiegraphed to the
pope, and he informed them that he was
poor man, supported by charity, and could
not support them.
Many Of the Spanish priests, l am in
formed, are to return home. The priests of
Porto Rican descent will remain here and
try to do their duty by their people. One
said that he could talk little French and
a little English, and play a little on the
flute, and if his people could not support
linn he would try to piece out by means of
these accomplishments.
Majority Extends Welcome,
The rest of the people are very well dis
posed toward the Americans and the
blacker they are the more pleased are they
to see the representatives of the new gov
ernmcnt.
1t must be remembered that all Porto
Ricans more less brunette-general-
ly more-and that Congo faces and color
are very common. The shading from Span
ish white to Congo black is so gradual that
no stranger can draw a dividing line and
say: These are white" or those are
black All fraternize completelv so far
as color is concerned The distinctions are
social, not those of color. In Ponce on the
plaza, when the fashionable promenade
takes place, one side of the broad walk is
reserved for the society people, the other
for the common. ! am told that there are
as black people in the one line as in the
other. The distinction is one of hereditary
position, not Of blood.
Atla ri. -,n
all expectation that blacks will show them
any especial Difference. Blacks here are as
good as whites, and the blacks from the
West Indies belonging to the British are
especially numerous and especially inue-
pendent and, apparently, trustworthy.
They all talk English.
Ponce-caIled by Spanish Ponthry by
Porto Ricans Ponsay, and by Americans
Ponts-is so named after Ponce de Leon
who is best known as the man who sonyht
the fountain of youth in Florida He
brought d colony to this island about l5e,
and did much to insure it a permanent
population before his death in 1911 The
town is the south coast of the island
somewhat west of its center, and lies inland
a mile or two from its port. 1t is a com
pact little tropical city of perhaps 1oO9J
inhabitants, v it'll narrow, dirty streets ana
the sewage in the cutters. 1t has a neat
little plaza, a church perhaps three hun
dred years old. decorated with much tinsel
Inside, to meet the wants of this siranle
people. 1t has large stores. and does a
thriving business, especially n5w that
American soldiers throng its streets.
1t is not far to the coast, but in the day
or two there we knew little of coast breeZes
1t is hot in the daytime. especially in the
morning hours. but ii is cool ana pleasant
at night. The town Is low and the neigh
borhood is subject to inundations, but it |
seems to be healthy.
We left Pence ab 4 oicleck one morning
by carriage and reachedhSan Juan about 8 |
O'clock the same evening. after a ride of
eighty miles ever. ,1the military road that
crosses the island,1 The, territory is only
forty miles wide, but this road crosses it |
obliquely, and is fercedlo wild about on
about doubled TR9 ROAD is well macad-
amized. and is kept admirably clean from
end to end 81 Is
For about ten miles tout Of Ponce the |
bridges are lacking and We We're in some
danger of wetting in fording the rapid |
mountain streamsW Ono one ccasion the |
harness broke in the middle OF The stream, |
and it was yet dapk.s 1t took us half an |
hour of time and seqHfet' ;he aid of sew
eral natives to extract Us from this di-
lemma.
These streams are due to the rains In |