Evening star., 1899-07-29
Among the Pretty Girls in Our New
West Indian Possessions.
VERY FRIENDLY TOWARD AMERICANS
A Visit to the Palace of the
Governor General.
WOMEN'S WORK AND WAGES
copyrighted, 1899, by Frank G. CarPenter)
special Ccrresr, .ndence of The Evening Star.

copyrighted 1899. by Frank g. CarpenterD
Special C.rresr .ndence of The Evening Star.
SAN JUAN. Porto Rico. July s. 1890.
l saw a quarter of an acre of pretty girls
last night They were rich girls, we'll
dressed girls. and, by and large as nice
girls as l have seen this year. The most of
them were whirling about in the mazes of
the waltz and 1 actually envied the Porto
Rican daniies and our uniformed military
officers who held them in their arms.
1t was at d 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 be-
IOnged to the Spanish government and which
Is now the property of Uncle Sam. 1t has
stage as large as city lot. The orchestra
circle was fioored 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
theater were draped with red white and
blue stripes. spaHSled with stars. and Amer
lean flags We're everywhere. The boxes
were filed with rich Porto KiCans, and the
girls upon the floor were the daughters of
the swell people of The island. 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 a new idea of the best of
the subjects whom Uncle Sam has annexed.
Among the Bellies OF San Juan.
1 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 | doubt If there was a woman IN
the room who had such blood in her veins.
1t was 4 Caucasian crowd, and a remark
ably goOd-loOking one. Hundreds of the
women were well dressed. and on the
whole far more decenuy 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 We're not cut too
low. The ColOrs. with the exception of
perhaps half a dozen gowns of black
lace. were salmon pink. sky blue and white
All Were of dancing length and nearly all
Were we'll fitting.
Take a jump in your ina gfnation from
the United States TO Porto Rico, and sit
with me in of the theater boxes and
watch the crowd as | saw il last night.
venture you have never seen a prettier
sight. What lot of beauties are whirl.ng
about the floor below u.s. They are
straight and slender and every one is
brunette. Not one of them is dumpy or
oveT-fat. Each is just a good armful, and
they are all petite and exceedingly grace
ful. What beautiful hair they have. and
what a lot of il. II Is as black as the pat
ent leather shoes of the men, except where
ii has been busted with powder and turned
thereby for the evening to gold. How well
the hair is put up II is dressed in a knot
Just back of the crown and is puffed out a
Ia pompadOur, so that il 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
girls. modest and pure, as l 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 accord
ing TO Spanish custom when they sit down
they must take their places by their mar
ried sisters, mothers or aunts, who act as
duennas.
Now the dance is over and we can OBJ
Eerve them at rest. What pretty eyes they
have They are large, black and LIQUID
with long Iashes and rather heavy brows.
which are accentuated by their pale bru-
nette faces.
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 fan together. Another twist
and 1t 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 can buy for - a fan which in New
York would cost So, and there are many
80 fans being used by this crowd i'm the
hall over there on the opposite side of
the room Is one which seems to have been
made for the occasion, and which | ven
ture, never saw Spain. 1t is a dainty little
thing. and Is welded by one of the prct
tiest or the Porto Rican bellies 1t is Of
silk In the colors Of the American flag 40