Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-08
ANOTHER INTERESTING LETTER
From Mr.. E. w. VanMetre, OF Porto
Rico, Our New Possession.
CAYEY, Porto RICO,
March IA. 1900.

/
DEAR Hi RAID After lapse of sev-
eral weeks will try and fulfill my prom
Use to you and tell my friends in old Ber-
kelley something directly Of the people Of
this island Of the sea. ! am afraid may
tire some of the readers Of your valuable
paper, which am thankful comes 10 me
regularly, and which TO me is like an
oasis in the desert.
This island must have been settled by
the builders Of the tower Of Babel. as il
seems to me that there is no other way
TO explain the confusion of tongue. II
the people did not in their talking assist
with their hands and feet feel we few
Americans here would be in rather a bad
place.
Well, in my last letter | said would
try and tell you something directly of the
habits of the people here. The island
was settled in 5oo--that is have refer
ence to the first colony started, which,
however, did not flourish. The people
are descendants Of the early Spanish
pioneers, and at that time was known as
the West Indies Indians. You will find
that the native Porto Ricans are and
claim to be their descendants. Their
hair is long, black and coarse, resembling
very much the Indians of the plains of the
United States. They are fairly intelli-
gent and, even if civilization here is a
hundred years behind the times, are very
handy in the manufacture of baskets
hats and other articles made from the
grasses that grow and the leaves that are
only found in the tropical countries.
The negroes who were brought to this
country for the purpose of barter by the
early traders are a degenerate lot and the
lowest black person in Martinsl urg is bet
ter than the best here. They are treach-
erous and general decelvers, living on the
fruit that grows on the island in abund-
ance everywhere. ! saw one family Of
fifteen that had only roof over them
made Of the bark of the palms. When
the lord and master of the household was
asked to do some work. he first asked
how much there was to do and then an
swered, maunama, which in Spanish
means tomorrow. Richard Harding
Davis, the great war correspondent, in
describing the word says that in Spanish
it means tomorrow, but on the island il
means next week or next month. They
constitute the great bulk Of the popua-
ton and are a menace to the business in
terests as they are not producers and
only consumers, not adding to the wealth
of the island but are drawback and
dead expense. These are the people who
constitute the banditti OF the island. often
numbering helpless women and children.
Of this family only three of them had gar
mentS on at all, and one boy of about
fourteen years old had on vest that
would had fit Judge Flick when he was in
his prime.
1t seems that the only thing that is fast
here is the clock and that has not run for
two months. The Spaniards are the best
people OF the island and are ready and
willing to adopt American ideas. and will
as soon as they become resigned over the
great defeat Sampson gave them, make
good citizens They are intelligent, per-
severing, and own the most of the prop
erty on the island, owning immense plan
tatons. They live in the town and have
their tenants who are the native Porto
Ricans, or member of their family.
The government here is very bad and |
the municipal laws are not enforced. |
Here you see some queer things. i saw |
man come into town riding a mule and |
had the animal tail lied between its hind |
legs. | asked him what that was done |
for and native told me it was to keep the
mule from bucking. When they want to
hitch their horse they tie the bride reins |
around the front legs.
The two political parties on the island |
are the Radical and Liberal, and there are
about ?, 500 people on the island eligible |
to office. and about 10000 voters. AT
least one-third of the $4,000 hold office of
some kind. and the balance was after
them with sharp stick trying to get their !
Jobs 1t is said that under the old Span |
ish system that a man only had to be in
Office year 10 be wealthy One instance
at the Port of Ponce, a collector was
appointed about four months before the
war broke out He was a bankrupt and
in debt about $4,000 During these
four months he paid off his Indebtedness
and bought fine home and fast horses.
Another instance was in the postal Servi e
where the Spanish postmaster would sell
the stamp. have the owner of the letter
put il on, and when he departed the post
master would take the stamp off, burn the
letter, and sell the same stamp to the next
person Only the letters of chosen few
ever reached their destination
As have written enough for this time
must close and beg to remain as ever,
+. w. NANMETRE.