Evening star., 1898-12-17

inequalities Of the mansion In the most
courteous and graceful manner Imaginable
All the ladies were dressed in the latest
Euronean fashion and seemed to be re-
nhed' intelligent and cultivated people. In
the course OF the entertainment it was sug-
gested that the autographs OF the alcalde
ana mis- family would be very much appre-
clated. There was no difficulty about get
tlns specimen of the handwriting Of the
alcalde, but the inquiry for the ladies', auto
graphs developed the fact that none of
them could write either English or Spanish
1hey We're people of the official set and
seemed to be representatives of their class
In every respect.
Struggling Village.
About a score Of miles from Ponce is .ba
town of Coamo. along the line Of the mil
ftary road from Ponce to San Juan. Coamo
Is struggling sort Of village, with prob
ably three or four thousand regular iphab-
itants but this number ts often doubled at
the height Of the season, for Coano is tho
saratoga of Porto Rico. 1t Is here that tho
famous BATHS are located. and peopIe come
10 itoih an parts OF the West Indies and even
me continent Of Europe to test their curo.
i've properties. They are verv nnucb l;ia
tne not springs of Virginia, North Carolina
ana arkansas, the water coming ont Of rho
nu t,lounoaih "a slde and varying in temnerature
from 'p 10 70 degrees Fahrenheit This n1aoe
Is reached from Ponce by means of two
iorse vehicles. and it Is necessary To ford
tne river or creek several times in order To
reach me paths. 1t Is great winter re-
sort, and the volume Of postal business is
ant to be trebled at short notice ana yet
the post office matters at this noint aro
iooked after by one postal emnIove II mo c
Ut Coamo that Gen. Ernst made his head
quarters and the volume OF husiness OF
this office was consequently materia1Iv IN
creased With the departure Of the trooos
LOT me Inited states, however things have
fe.uIhed rev 10 their normal condition. and un-
less there should be very sudden and IN.
iooked.for influx of visitors to this resort
there Is no question about the ability IF
one postal emplove to attend to all the
ranri1 business or the ONCE Under the Spanish
regime there were eight and often a dozen
people employed at this little office
one OF the great difficulties experienced
IN getting at the figures Of facts of any
klnd In relation to the conduct of the postal
business Of Porto Rico under the Snanish
regime grew out Of the action of the Snan-
ish officials when they learned that the
Americans an We're to occupy the island All
Ihe archives and effects of the various
spanish post off1ces-and there were nm
ward OF ninety Of them scattered through
out Porto Rico-were either removed or
oestroyed II they were ever in existence,
ana no information could be obtained from
those who remained in charge of the Offices
Letter carriers knew little or nothine, Of
me business affairs of the Offices with
which they were connected and their sn1a
aim seemed to be getting q few cents for
ueilVer1nS letters. the proceeds of their dis
trfbutton being absorbed In aguardiente or
d1ssipated in tobacco smoke
Lack of Information.
1t was all in vain that the newcomers of
the American forces appealed to the postal
omcials who remained in Porto Rico for
some information as to the business Of the
various post offices. There was a compre.
hensiVe sweep Of the hand ana a shrusgine
OF the shoulders, accompanied by the in
variable Spanish retoinder of mon COM
prendeZ, or don't understand" II was
impossible to get any satisfaction whatever
from these officials, and the ouly result Of
an interview with them would be an exas
perated American postal official and a
grinning, gesticulating Spanish don.
Guayama, which Is a port on the south
east coast Of Porto Rico, has Its little most
once located in a private building similar
IN general appearance to the structure at
1umacao described above. 1t Is on a side
street quite a distance from the shinpinr
port OF Arroyo, which is the same to GuaV.
anna that Playa Is to Ponce. There ia the
same class OF people clustered around the
post ONCE window that Is encountered n
other points throughout Porto Rico and the
same scenes are daily enacted of a holiday
seeking crowd thronging about the postal
employees seeking letters which never come.
people OF Porto Rico in the manner of
Tail transportation facilities Just as much
as there Is in teaching them to speak the
English language and to assimilate with
Americans. At present they are utterly
In the dark as to the meaning of the postal
system of the United States. A school of
instruction should be established by each