The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25

| DeRRar MIN as easily tomorrow. The result
ant social and financial state OF things Is al
most incomprehensible to American citizens
who are not accustomed to remain silent
under abuses. 1t meant abject Indulgence
for the great mass Of the inhabitants. For the
hard-working classes, II meant almost as low A
rate OF wages as 10 obtainable In China II
meant that a poor man could never become a
landowner, and that the landowner himself.
unless in high favor must grind the vltals ont
OF his poems. with scant profit to himself. until
after Government excuses and official tips
should have been paid. II meant that only a
very few could become prosperous and rich,
and it meant above all that nobody outside OF
the handful OF men In power could have the
slightest voice In moulding the laws governing
| a million people. 1t Is not surprising, there
| fore. that this people should stretch out in Joy
their weak hands, at last unshacklcd, toward a
| Government whose name is synonymous with
| individual freedom. Let us hope that the ex-
| pectations OF the delivered people may be full
| filed.
| The home life OF well-to-do Porto Ricans Is
| extremely simple. for the reason that excessive
| duties. lack OF TRANSPORTATION facilities and
abominable roads have prevented the intro
| duction OF the comforts which we consider
| essential to life. Even the finest haciendas are
meagre and barren as regards their interior
| fittings. Tho floors are always bare. On the
| walls arc but few pictures. the usual mural
| decorations being pair OF Spanish bas- reiefs
| in colorcd plaster or PAPER machG. Chromos
and Wiley executed woodcuts are common.
| and present n dismal contrast to the frequently
beautiful architectural finish Of tho drawing
rooms. whose wide, doorlcss archways are
framed in carved wood and relieved from sever
ity by scroll lattlcework. Marbe-topped ma
hoGany tables. with carved legs. occupy
nf fhn I'm thn,,
are Towering plants vases with artificial
flowers. and photograph albums. Above
the table is hanging chandelier. usually OF
cut glass. with profusion OF swinging prsms.
sometimes gaudily decorated with coored rib
bons. or festooned with artificial vines or flow
ers. Cane-seated furniture is used excu-
sively. Great rocking chairs constitute the
principal furniture. but there Is a sprinkling
of straight backed chairs and cane scttees. The
woods of the carved furniture are heavy and
highly polished. Some Of the straight chairs
are rare antiques. handed down for genera
lions. Incongruous decoration pervades every
home in the way of cheap porcelain vases. COW
cred dishes with moulded figures upon them.
antmacassars and tides on the chairs. while
In the doorways hang the cheapest OF cheap
lace curtains. held back by brass chains: in
the same room there may he some piece Of
wonderful handmade native lace or drawn
work. Tho mathematical precision with which
all the furniture is placed in n we'll regulated
Porto Rcan household ofrcnds the aesthetic
visitor Around the centre table, equally
spaced. are the great rocking chairs:
against one wall. like sentries are sta
toned tho straight-back chairs, while fat
against the other wall is placed a cane couch
or two. Even in the Governors summer palace
this primness in furniture arrangement was
encountered. The beds OF brass and metal ara
eNquisitelv designed and covered with canopies
of lace: auxiliary MOSQUITO netting is gathered
up on the top during the day and let down at
night For clothes wardrobes are used instead
OF closets. Heavy carved dressing tables
bureaus. and washstands are occasionally seen,
but to the majority these are too costly luxu-
ries. Now and then one sees mirrors set in
heavy antique frames. Bad soap is met with
everywhere. and a single comb and brush seem
to answer the needs Of the family. Manicure
sets are rare. but the powder puff and rouge
are visible in the bedrooms OF every we'll
conducted house. The dining room is
always bare. with the exception OF the
table and chairs and. 1t may be. a side
table. Tho kitchen it is not well to penc-
tratr near mcaltimo. for although it has novel
and interesting features. 1t also contains much
dirt and many s1ualid children. Modern ranges
are seldom employed. Every house has it's char
coal cooking pit built out Of brick. waist high
the top Of the suncrmposcd bench being COW
cred with n series OF small. square. grated holes
over which pots and kettles and frying pans are
rlacod Charcoal bovnver in n ,ountr, ,rI,,.,
conl is extensive and c,sunknown is m iI,,I
fuel for cooking purposes. 1t makes n quick
hot fire with n minimum amount NJ oon,hu,tI
ble and tba worry email holes ,uo ,a.
number Of dishos IN no conl,.I and Eont W.T. -
tho same time
,,, ,,..,,
80 n rr'"s wi INV 'u"ie oihh"r IN
nav n "o'''o ~ ''',"s s"S!r"h""ic cer-
ei'on' Nv ''r"u II niuuc up Oh astonishing
''""N9' "''" ,"o "t7'e' 'o'''" no conventional
.,I,,,, "'up - "9 "it W pe 'he second or
''''' We" Us '',' '''s,' 4o'9t Doe' anu pecl-
s,'"N "'e ''i w." ~ u''i'e"ru-o' moments inc
80, US, 80 ~ mat "'e' III 'roilcal
e''lic' mas oecn uWt'' upon oS neulcal ex-
po''s' go at "Ho u'"he' no iess 'hah eiRht
80 h WI ''''oin"''ohs OF
w. nam. u'c'' h'u,'y anu cn'ckoh. inc
''a""i,!s Is ..Ie menu Vi "uIhner gwen 20 two
H.,.C' '.''", W " V, HuE"r p"n,er' rrl"d
anu w" NI',uS W irIo 'orn cakes NeG"-