The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-30
WOMEN OF PORTO RICO
HOUSES AND HOUSEKEEPING, AND
wOMEN's WORK AND WAGES.
Servant Girls at "a n Month and
Housemaids at 10 Cents q Day-The
Governor Generals Palace.

quarter or an acre VI pretty girls last ulsnt.
They were rich girls. well-dressed girls, and.
by and large, as nice girls as I 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 military officers who
held them in their arms.
1t was 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 Washington. 1t is a
building of brick and stucco, which belonged
to the Spanish government, and which is
now the property of Uncle Sam. It has a
stage as large as a city lot. The orchestra
circle was foored over last night, so that
with the stage there was more than quar-
ter 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 thea
ter 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 island. No one was ad-
mitted without an invitation. and the thou
sand 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 annexed.
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 could see no traits Of the negro, and l
doubt If there was a woman in the room
who had such blood in her veins. 1t was a
Caucasian crowd, and remarkably good
looking one. Hundreds of the women were
as we'll dressed, and on the whole far more
decently dressed, than the women you see
at 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 filed 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 q 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 I saw 1t last night. !
venture you have never seen a prettier
| sight. What a lot Of beauties are whirling
about on the floor below US! They are
straight and slender and every one Is
| brunette. Not one OF them Is dumpy or
| overfat. Each is just a good arn1ful. and
| they are all petite and exceedingly grace
| full What beautiful hair they have, and
what a lot of II! 1t Is as black as the pat
| ent leather shoes Of the men, except where
it has been busted with powder and turned
| thereby for the evening to gold. How well
| the hair is put up! 1t is dressed in a knot
| just back Of the crown and is pulled out a
| Ia pompadour. so that it makes the dear
little heads Of the maidens look larger.
Now cast your eye at the faces. Are they
not sweet? They are full Of fun, but re-
fined. They look like nice girls good girls,
modest and pure. as 1 doubt not they are.
See how they laugh and chat with their
partners, and how they keep up the dance
throughout the evening. 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 sis
tiers, 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 accumulated by their pale bru-
nette 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 twist of the wrist throws the
folds Of the fan together. Another twist
and it is open in the opposite way and she
is tanning herself most coquettishly. These
girls could teach us a great deal in fan
language. They carry beautiful fans
Some are made of sandalwood. some Of
ivory, and many are covered with fine lace
and gauze, beautifully embroidered and
painted. The fans here all come from Spain
and they are exceedingly cheap. You car
buy for IS fan which in New York would
cost s25, and there are many SIS fans be.
ing used by this crowd in the hall. Over
there on the opposite side Of the room !:
one which seems to have been made for the
occasion, and which, / venture, never saw
Spain. It Is a dainty little thing. and /!
welded by one of the prettiest of the Porto
Rican bellies. 1t is of silk in the colors Of
the American flag. so made that the red
|
of her ivory wrist. You can see that the
better class of Porto Ricans are very pa
triotic They are glad they are Americans
and will be good citizens.
AS I looked at these pretty Porto Rical
girls thought of the sensation they wou
create among our young men when the,
visit the fashionable watering places o
the United States. They will be formid
able rivals Of the American summer girls
Heretofore many Of them have taken thei
outings in Europe, but now they are talk
ing of coming to the United States. The
are taking lessons in English, and alread
several Of them have found husband
among our army officers I understan
that they like Yankee beaux better thai
Porto Ricans and that they will prefe
American husbands because America
wives have more freedom and better times
Speaking of customs. our young men Wi
have a great advantage over the Spanis
beaux. According to the etiquette of Spai
which prevails in Porto Rico. young ma
cannot engage in conversation with hi
sweetheart on the street. He dare no
call on her expecting to find her alone
and in case there Is another man payin
attention to her he Is not supposed to in
terfere. The Americans will not regard tn
,