The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-30
PRETTY PORTO GIRLS
THE BEAUTIES OF OUR NEW Pos
SESSIONS IN THE WEST
INDIES
THE BELLIES OF PORTO RICO

How They Look, Act and Dress-A
Great Ball Mt San Juan-A Look
Mt the Governor Generals Palace
-WOman's Work and Wages
Servant Girls at 81 d Month and
HOusematds at 10 Cents Day.
Copyrighted, 1899, by Frank G. Carpenter.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, July ID saw
a quarter of an acre of pretty girls last
night They were rich girls, well dressed
girls, and, by and large, as nice girls as
1 have seen this year. The most of them
were whirling about in the mazes Of the
waltz, and I actually envied the Porto
Rican handles and our uniformed mill
tary officers who held them in their arms
1t was at a grand ball given by the
swell club of San Juan. The theater was
hired for the occasion, and the San Juan
theater is bigger than any in Washing
ton. 1t is a building of brick and stucco,
which belonged to the Spanish govern
ment, and which is now the property of
Uncle Sam. 1t has a stage as large as
a city lot. The orchestra circle was
fioored over last night, so that with the
stage there was more than a quarter of
an acre of clear dancing space
The floor was carpeted and cocoanut
palm leaves were trained upon the walls.
The three galleries which run around the
theater were draped with red, white and
blue stripes, spangled with stars, and
American flags were everywhere. The
boxes were filled with rich Porto Ricans,
and the girls upon the floor were the
daughters of the swell people of the ISL
and. No one was admitted without an
invitation, and the thousand odd maidens
present represented the very top of the
upper crust of Porto Rican society.
The men were of the same class, and
the whole gave me new idea of the best
of the subjects whom Uncle Sam has an
nexed.
BELLIES OF SAN JUAN.
wish the correspondents who have
been writing letters home to the effect
that there is colored blood in all Porto
Ricans could have attended this ball. 1
have never seen better types of the pure
Latins or Spanish. The compilations
were all darker than ours, but 1 could
see no traits of the negro, and I doubt
If there was woman in the room who
had such blood in her VEINS 1t was a
Caucasian crowd, and a remarkably
good-looking one. Hundreds of the wom-
en- were as well dressed, and on the whole
far more decently dressed than the wom-
en- you see at a White house reception
There were many short sleeves, showing
plump, dimpled white arms and beautiful
necks. The gowns were not cut so low
as to show the swelling of the bosom,
and such as were decollete were filled in
with embroidery. The colors, with the
exception of perhaps half dozen gowns
Of black lace, were salmon pink, sky blue
and white. All were of dancing length
and nearly all were well fitting.
Take jump in your Imagination from
the United States to Porto Rico, and sit
with me in one of the theater boxes and
watch the crowd as 1 saw 1t last night. 1
venture you have never seen prettier
sight. What a lot of beauties are whirl-
ing about on the floor below usl They
are straight and slender and every one is
brunette. Not one of them Is dumpy
or over-fat Each is just a good armful,
and they are all petite and exceedingly
graceful. What beautiful hair they have
and what a lot of It'll 1t is as black as
the patent leather shoes of the men, ex-
cept where 1t has been busted with pow
der and turned thereby for the evening
It is dressed in a knot just back of the
crown and is pulled out la pompadour
30 that 1t makes the dear little heads of
the maidens look larger.
THEY ARE NICE GIRLS.
Now cast your eye at the faces. Are
they not sweet? They are full Of fun,
but refined. They look like nice girls,
good gfLAy modest and pure, as I doubt
not they are. See how they laugh and
chat with their partners, and how they
keep up the dance throughout the even
ing. 1t is only while dancing that they
have the chance Of being alone with their
beauX, for according to Spanish custom
when they sit down they must take their
places by their married sisters mothers
or aunts, who act as duennas.
Now the dance is over and we can OBJ
serve them at rest. What pretty eyes
they have! They are large, black and
liquid, with long lashes and rather heavy
brows, which are accentuated by their
pale brunette faces
EXPERTS WITH THE FAN.
Notice how they use their fans Every
girl has one, and she keeps it always"in
motion. She fans herself three times and
then with a twist of the wrist throws
the folds of the q together. Another
twist and it is open III the opposite way
and she is tanning herself most coquet-
tishly. These girls could teach US a
great deal in fan language. They carry
beautiful fans Some are made of san
dalwood, some of ivory, and many ara
covered with fine lace or gauze, beauti-