The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-14
GLIMPSE OF PORTO RICO
Interesting Letter From n Former Res
ident OF Wilmington-Queer Customs
and Curious Things In Our New Col
ony-Some Experiences at Sam Juan


Mr.. D. c. Horgan. formerly book
keeper for the Singer Manufacturing
Company in Wilmington, left here a
few months ago for San Juan, Porto.
Rico. In letter which. he writes to Mr.
L. B. Pennington, of our city, on the let
ter head of the Gran Hotel y Restau-
rant Inglaterra," he says:
I'VE passed under the guns of Moro
Castle, and entered the harbor with as
much satisfaction as Sampson did when
he took the city.
Arrived in San Juan / had my trunk
taken TO the hotel in a wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrows are used here instead Of
drays and mule carts. Got a shave,
which cost me 25 cents, and a bath 40
cents. After 1 got cleaned up l took
a stroll through the great city of San
Juan. 1t is undoubtedly the dirtiest,
filthiest place / ever struck. 1t is full
of paupers and beggars from begin
ming TO end. The streets are all as
narrow as alleys, and it is a very COM
mon thing to see children running
around the street unclothed. The houses
with some few exceptions, are built only
one story high, and built out of stone
and rock. In some houses there are as
many as twenty people living in one
room. This hotel CThe Inglaterra) is
considered the best in the place, and it
is a dandy. There is really a very fine
opening here for a good first class
hotel. The bill Of fare never varies
here. They give you the same thing to
eat every day, and 1 have to pay $3.50
day for it. l am going to leave today
to board in a private Porto Rican fam
Spanish language. They will charge
me $4,000 month, and this is consid-
cred cheap for board and room. And
you just ought to see the rooms a fell
low has to sleep in. It is actually
worth a trip to, Porto Rico TO see all
that fellow has to put up with.
The weather has been intensely hot,
and / have been wearing a linen suit
and straw hat ever since / arrived.
The people don't know what an over
coat is for. AS to meals. We only get
two meals a day-breakfast at IL
| o'clock and dinner at 5 O'clock. A cup
of coffee is usually given in the morn
ing at o'clock. The merchants close
their stores from IL to IL o'clock to go
to breakfast. Sunday is not observed
here al all. All the stores, including
| the saloons, keep open on the Sabbath
| day. In the churches there are no
| seats or pews; everybody has to stand
| up, and while the bishop is preaching
| the people walk in and out, and talk
| and chatter TO see how much fuss they
| can make The women take their hats
| off in church. and the young girls wear
| handkerchiefs on their heads. l forgot
| to tell you that one cannot get through
! dinner in less than two hours. 1t Is
! served in courses (and it is pretty
! course too), and you have to eat every
thing by itself Irish potatoes are
eaten by themselves, rice by itself and
! so on. Bread is never cut, but a big
| hunk" is placed at your plate, and
you chaw it like saving wood. The
coffee is strong enough to knock a fell
| low down, and the sugar is the finest
specimen of sand ever saw.
| 1T is curious to observe the ladies
| always standing at the windows gazing
out into the street. They stand there
| from morn till night, and they look
| upon Americans as curiosties. The po-
| lice carry swords instead of clubs.
When a person dies, the women do not
go to the funeral, and the men walk
behind the hearse to the cemetery, in
| stead of riding.
Il took a ride on the railroad a few
days ago. The train travelled at the
| rate Of ten miles an hour. The seats in
| the coach are on the side, like in an
| electric car, and the men sit in them
right along aside Of ladies, and smoke
as much as they please. The engine
Whilst in the country I saw a great
many cocoanut trees, also orange, lemon
and banana trees. At San Antonio
they have a woman for switchman.
| What do you think OF this?
''Since ! started this letter / have
settled my hotel bill, and it actually
took the clerk over an hour to let me
| know how much 1 owed him. When
fellow settles his bill they scratch
his name of the register by running
the pen through his name
AS TO the business prospects / have
| not as yet been able to sum up the sit
uation, though / have been studying
the same very closely. AS far as ] can
see there is no money here except what
| the Amricans bring in with them-and
they come and go in droves. I think
it will be some time before the business
prospects Of the island will be put on
| solid foundation"