The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-30

i believe the Detter-claSS Porto ftlcanS
are very friendly toward the Americans
This feeling has been materially bettered
by the conduct of some OF our army off,
Gals, and especially by Gen. Fred Grant
and his wife. Mrs Grant is accustomed
to entertaining. and during her stay here
she gave receptions and dinners every
week. To her receptions the Porto Ricans
were glad to come. and here they met the
wives OF the officers of our army and navy
and the officers themselves. Other Amer
leans who were in San Juan were invited,
and in this way pleasant relations have
| been established.
/ 1t might pay Uncle Sam to allow our gov
ernor general at Porto Rico sum for en-
| PERTAINING. 1t would do much to teach the
Porto Ricans American ways and to bring
| them into accord with u.s. General Henry
| did not entertain much during his stay, but
| this was probably because his wife was not
very well.
The government palace is well ADAPTED
| to receptions. 1t is, you know, the home
| Of the captain general, which came into
| our hands through the war. 1t Is an i'm
| mense building of two stories, having. /
| judge, at least two score rooms. A number
| Of these are now devoted to offices, but
| there is left almost as much room as in the
J White House, and General Davis has several
magnificent parlors.
| Entering the palace, you go in between
| two Of our soldiers, and walk up a wide
| staircase, by stack of rifles, past a mirror
| draped with two American flags, to the
second floor. This is the living part Of the
| palace. Turning to the left, you first en-
| ter the reception room, and thence pass
on into the drawing room, which is about
4
| twenty feet high. 1t is fioored with white
and black marble It's walls are frescoed
! in lilac and gilt, and the room is almost
| covered with large mirrors.
The drawing room, like the rest Of the
| palace, is furnished just as it was when
| the Spanish left it. Uncle Sam bought the
furniture. including the piano, the billiard
table and the carriage and horses. which
| our governor general drives. The palace,
| in fact. looks more like a Spanish dwelling
| house than an American one. The chairs
| are of Austrian Brentwood, and they are
| arranged about marble tables in Spanish
| style. Upon some of the walls are pic
lures Of Spanish scenery painted in oils,
| and you go out of the drawing room
| into the music room you pass bronze stat
| ues of Spanish knights in armor on pedes-
tails of black marble.
/ particularly examined the piano. 1t was
| made In Barcelona, and it is said that 1t
| originally cost $1,000.
| Beyond the music room is the billiard
| room. where the Spanish officials cracked
| the ivory balls which our officials crack now
| This room has windows looking out upon
the palace gardens, the bay and Moro
Castle. From 1t you can see the Casa
Blanca, another government building. which
| stands upon the foundations of house in
| which Ponce de Leon lived several hundred
years ago. The palace itself was begun in
the sixteenth century, although it was not
finished until 1S4S.
HOW PORTO RICANS LIVE.
1t seems strange to Americans to have
the parlors and reception rooms on the Sec
ond floor This Is the custom in most of
the towns of Porto Rico. The rich people
of San Juan all live in the second stories
Of their houses, the lower floors being CIV
en- UP to the poor. Out in the country the
houses of the richest farmers have store
houses. granaries or stables beneath them,
and you have to go up long steps to get to
the front door.
The average country house has no glass
in its windows, but only shutters, which
| open and close. 1t Is built with a large
living room in the center and bedrooms
opening into this on each side. There is
often wing containing a kitchen with a
water closet adjoining 1t. Bathrooms are
almost unknown and the sanitary condi-
tons of even the best houses are bad.
The furniture is commonly of bent wood.
the chairs being arranged stif1y about a
table. There is often a wicker sofa and
some rocking chairs, but no attempts are
made at ornamentation in the way of coy
hooks or Of wall decoration
The bedrooms are fitted out with iron
beds covered either with canvas or with
wire springs, upon which thin comforts
are spread for mattresses The mattresses
are usually not long enough to allow your
whole body to lie on them without touch
ing the wires. In my hotel here in San
Juan the springs either scratch the flesh
Of my heels or, if I protect my heels. my
shoulders have to suffer by the sharp wires
between the mattress and the pillow.
The Porto Rican ladies are now COOP.
Grating with the wives of the army and
navy officers to improve the condition Of
the poor women of Porto Rico. A ladies
aid society has been organized. This so.
ciety is nonsectarian, and it is supported
. by voluntary contributions. One of its
chief officers is Mrs. Col j. r. Hoff It's
: vice president, the president being the wife
Of the governor general. 1t has office:
. just outside of Fort San Christobel, ant
l holds meetings twice a week. at which
hundreds Of the poor women of Porto Rice
come for aid 1t has now about five hundred
workwomen on its list. They are paid fol
making clothes, which are given away Il
| such of the poor who are unable to work
They receive from Is to 80 cents for max
ing dresses. and are very glad to get WORT
at these wages.
Many Of the workwomen are the widows
Of officers who lost their lives during the
war. Some Of them can embroider beauti
fully and the Ladies' Aid Society takes
: orders for embroidery and drawn work, pay
. ing these women what they receive, with
the exception of 10 per cent. for the treasury
q Of the society. This drawn work is beauti
q full and exceedingly cheap, and any of oul
y women who are benevolently inclined nigh
get beautifully embroidered pillow cases OF
: napkins and table cloths, handkerchiefs ant
J. other things by sending money to tn,
r Ladies' Aid Society of San Juan.
: The women have already established
y free medical dispensary. They also Civ,
y many OF the poor people tickets to tn
s " NJ O. A. soun Kitchens uhero a mo-,