Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-18
How the Porto Ricans Celebrated In
dependence Day.
FIREWORKS, PARADE AND SPEECHES
The Natives Planning for Next
Year.
WILD WITH ENTHUSIASM

The following letter was received by Mrs
Alfred A. Smith from her husband, who is
acting postmaster at Guayama, Porto Rico
| Mr.. Smith is a Washington boy, full of
| energy and bound to make good. He was
| largely instrumental in the formation of
| the High School Cadets and was their first
| captain. large part of his early life
although he is still a young man, was
spent at a frontier military post, and he
has always believed in action. Mr.. Smith
| served under leutenant's commission in
the Porto Rican campaign, and after the
| war entered the postal service in the same
| island.
| Accompanying the letter is a copy of the
! program of the Fiesta Nacional del de
Julio en- Guayama. 1t looks rather odd in
Spanish to start off with big spread eagle
cut and E Pluribus Unum. The program
| covers the whole day and winds up with
grand display of "fuegos artiiciales' on
| the lawn and grand ball ZEN el salon.
me Frank referred to in the letter Is
| Telegraph Operator Cole, who was Mr.
Smiths lieutenant in designing and exc
| cutting the Fiesta and was his fellow
| rescuer OF Two women from a burning
| pullding during the recent fire in Guayama
| an account OF which appeared in The Star
| GUAlAMA, Porto Rico, July 5 1893.
| NlSht before last l was up until l O. clock
| awaiting the arrival of our fire works from
San Juan, which Col. GlassforI kindly for
marded for us in one of the Signal Corps
| wagons. l then went to bed but wa :
| aroused at $50 by the teamster pounding on
| the door. Neither Frank nor ! returned to
| bed. SO l got only one and a half hours
| sleep Monday night, and last night L left
| the ball at $50, and it was 3 before l got
| TO bed Frank and / are both completely
| worn out, but have the satisfaction of
| knowing that the people of Guayama have
enjoyed the grandest festival in the history
| of the town.
| One number on the program Followed an
other SO rapidly that they We're fairly
| dazed-they didn't even have time to eat
their meals, even II they thought of doing
| so, which l doubt At > am. Frank and l
| went to the center of the plaza and started
| things going by setting off several packs OF
| giant crackers About ten minutes later
the streets were full of people, and re-
| n aimed SO for the entire day.
At $50 the music put in its appearance
| for the first number on the program-Un-
adiana-which consisted of a parade of the
! band all over the town to awaken the people
| Frank accompanied the band and made as
| much noise as possible with big and little
| crackers. One laughable occurrence hap
| rened during this number. Frank threw a
| big cannon cracker (siX-inch) on the ground,
| hut apparently it went out, and man in
| the crowd grabbed it and put it in his coat
| pocket. By that time Frank had another
| on the ground, lighted, that likewise seemed
| to go out, and the same fellow vas just
| about to pick it up when they both exploded
| one in his pocket and the other under his
| bare feet. You can imagine the result lie
was very much frightened native-lost
| half his coat and landed on his back in the
| gutter. Fortunately, he was but slightly
| burnt Frank had little to fear of their
| nlolesting his crackers after that!
The next number on the program was the
| mass All the Americans attended incud-
| ing the Aguirre contingent. Immediately
| after the mass came the hosting of the
| American flag on the church. Frank and
| Sergeant Roe had erected a large pole on
the roof Immediately behind the cross, and
General Davis, at my solicitation, sent US a
| post flag" 10x20 feet.
| A Flag Display.
| Promptly at 0 O'Clock 1 handed the flag
| to thirteen young ladies at the soldiers
quarters. They stretched it out fat. line
| was formed. headed by the committee, fol-
! lowed successfully by the bands, the thir
teen senoritas, carrying the flag thanked by
soldiers, and then prominent citizens. The
| procession thus formed marched around
| the plaza. and to the church door, where
the flag was delivered to Sergeant Roe and
| Frank, who took it to the roof About ten
| minutes later the band struck up the Star
| SIangled Banner, the flag was hauled to
| the peak. folded in peculiar manner. At
this instant there was grand discharge
| of explosives in the center of the plaza.
| Sergeant Roe gave one of the halyards a
| jerk, and the flag was permitted to unfurl,
liberating 1,0t0 little flags, which ftoated
Oft in the breeze and gradually settled to
| the ground where the surprised and de-
! lighted audience awaited them and bounced
| upon them as prizes. For the remainder of
the day the stars and stripes were in evil
| dence everywhere. Those who failed to Sc
| cure one in the scramble in the plaza had
only to ask for one at the post office.
| orations in Spanish.
| At 10 o'clock everybody repaired to the
| soldiers quarters, from the balcony Of
| which the speeches were delivered. Senior
| Guas, our new alcalde, read the Declara-
| ton of Independence in Spanish. 1t was lis
tened to attentively and called forth great
| applause. Then followed a discourse by
| Senior Don Vicente Pales, his subject being
| the "Declaratio what called it forth and
| short history of the revolutionary war.
| 1t was an able address and well rendered
| At this juncture of the proceedings yours
| truly Gas Frank puts it, had the nerve
! to attempt an address in Spanish on 'Citi-
| zenshp." Much to my surprise. it was re-
| ceiyed enthusiastically. 1t was repeatedly
| applauded and at the finish received an
| ovation. but these people are such con-
| founded flatterers that ] can't make up my
| mind to take it seriously.
| Shortly after IL o'clock the "mucnachos
we're made happy by gratis distribution of
| some 500 packs of firecrackers, and the poor
| by distribution to all applicants at the
| ACADIA of loaf of bread, pound of rice,
a half pound of sugar and other articles
that had been donated for this purpose.
Games on the Plaza.
! At pm. came the popular games in the
! plaza These were entered into with great
| enthusiasm by men and boys alike, and
| created much amusement They consisted
| mainly of native sports, with the addition
| of sack and three-leg races, which We
| taught them. About this time Frank Gre
| ated a great deal of sport by throwing PEN
MES in the fountains and having the boys
| go in after them. Then he would grab "A
| kid or two and throw them in bodily, COM
| ing out like drowned rats. Once, however,
| while in the act of recovering himself, after
| throwing boy in, one of the bigger boys
| gave him push from behind, and our
| worthy telegrapher, too, took an involun-
| tary bath himself, much to the delight of
the audience
| pm.-Children's ball in the Casino, fol-
lowed by a tournament in Gale Buena
| Vista The posts supporting the wire from
| which depended the rings were placed i'm
| mediately in front of the Casino, from the
| balcony of which the young lady judges
| viewed the games The tournament was
very enjoyable feature of the program and
| was participated in by many gorgeously
| arrayed knights.
| The Parade.
| he with