The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-01
rooK BREAKFAST AT PONCE.


I How Five Newspaper Men Found
Something to NAT.
There were five Of us, all newspaper
men and all very dirty, very brown, very
dlsreputahlo looking and more than very
hungry. We were packed into carriage
drawn BY q couple Of Porto Rico frames
for horses and were en- route from Puerto
Ponce to the city itself, the hour 10 q. IN.
and the date July 81, on which day the
principal city In, the island fell into the
hands Of the av6ncular Samuel. There
was good bit Of excitement In the four
miles Of drive over the we'll kept road
fringed with caneAelds, cocoanut palms,
sugar mills, blue and white houses and
fourishing shrubs. Native Porto R1oans
were either wild with delight at being rid
Of the Spanish soldiers Or simulated joy to
marvel. They ran (not fast, as 1t wasn't
necessary with that team) beside the car
rage, shouting "Vivan Americanosl' and
now and again some particularly dirty
specimen would gain perilous foothold on
the crazy step of the ra,nshaokle vehicle and
Insist on shaking hands all around. He
would have kissed us, Spanish fashion, II
we had shown any willingness that way.
Some Of the women did, but that "a another
story.
We were in search of breakfast It is
not necessary to grow prolix over what
that would mean to US. Suffice 1t, we
would rather have found good meal than
q big nugget. Inquiry elioited the fact
that Ponce had two cafes of note-that Of
the Hotel Inglaterra and that of the Hotel
Francois. The latter was the nearest and,
for that reason, chosen.
The city had been In the possession Of
American troops less than half an hour,
so we were the first Of the army of occupa-
tion to grace the quiet precincts of the
Cafe Francois. How cool 1t was, with it's
fountains and marbles, how bright with
its ponoiana tree in bloom, its huge 1ow-
cry shrubs and Its bright plumage pa3ra-
keets, how comical Its fresooes Of Daphnes,
Chloes, Phyllises and Strephons, yet how
dainty witkal, for tho table napery was
spotiess, the glass, china and (alleged) sill
yer shining with cleanliness and the ca
rates glistening with I've gods. could 1t DO
possiblep) real icer
Madam, the mistress, a veritable poly
glot, backed by three buxom maids jab-
bered away at us as we threw aside re.
volvers and tleldglasses and seated our
selves at round table near the fountain
In Franco Hispano-Anglo dialect out Of
which We gathered that II we would not
kill the women and burn the hotel the re.
sources Of the cafe were at our disposal.
We promised that death and destruction
should follow only 10 case the breakfast
did not appear speedily and bountifully.
1t did. What a breakfast Its memory
will abide while those five palates preserve
their functions and recollection holds It's
seat. Gold bouillon, fresh fish, Spanish
omelet huge In proportions, exquisite in
accessorles), fruit of the freshest and most
succulent, coffee like amber and cigars
that had been made in Havana before the
declaration Of war.
Instead Of harming that hostess or any |
Of her household after eating that break |
fast we would have attacked with gusto |
any one who failed to treat her as the |
queen Of providers and dispensers.
We called for the bill, and then came
chaos
WHAT You will payf" almost scream
ed madam. As evidence Of honest inten-
tion each man produced his canvas sack
and emptied its store of American half
eagles and English sovereigns on the table
in front of her.
Henri, Henri!" yelled the excited wo-
man. "Come here, my heart. Come
quickly and behold these men, these an
gels. They will pay. They do not com.
plain. They compliment me on my cook
Ing. Sancta Maria, 1t Is too much" and
the good woman threw herself into the
arms Of her fat and hitherto invisible hus.
band as he appeared In the doorway, while
down her rcd cheeks streamed tears of
veritable delight.
There isn't any moral to this morning
glimpse'of Ponce at the surrender unless II
be found In the comment madam's sur
prise created upon the probable methods
and manners Of the Spanish officers who
had hitherto been her principal patrons.
Times.