Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-19
GIRLS OF PORTO RICO.
Four of Them i'm n Smoking Tournn-
ment with nm American.

Four of Them i'm n Smoking Tournn-
ment with nm American.
Americans who come down here are both
amused and surprised at the vast amount Of
smoking INDUCED in by the native women,
writes a Porto Rican correspondent of the
New York Sun. Those of high standing
socially are not addicted to the habit. but
among the country women the practice is
almost universal. And the fair ones do not
confine themselves strictly to cigarettes,
either. Big black cigars in the mouths OF
really very pretty young girls are a common
sight in the country districts. Cigarettes
are really more of a luxury, because the
paper in which they are rolled has to be
bought, but the all-tobacco cigars can be
raised and rolled by any one willing to take
the trouble.
Not long ago the writer, then but recently
arrived, rode into the country one fine day
and stopped at a native shack on the military
road. Four smiling women greeted him at
the door. One of them was perhaps 80 years
of age and had a baby in her arms. The
other three were not more than Is, although
they had the physical development of Ameri-
can girls much older. They were all dark of
skin, but with that shining straight black
hair which is so often seen in the mulatto
in whom is combined the Spanish with the
negro blood.
Having given him water, the Porto Ricans
invited the stranger into their home, and
then began the customary linguistic wrest-
ling bout, in which the simplest ideas were
exchanged only after the most violent men
tai, facial and digital effort. During the
conversational called by courtesy-the
woman with the baby became so excited
that she lit a cigar which lay on the table
and began putting at it furiously to calm
her nerves. The visitor was also smoking,
and although somewhat surprised at his
hostess action, he felt it to be his duty to
offer cigars to the other members of the
party. The three young girls accepted the
offer with pretty little waves of the hand
and just as though it was the most natural
thing in the world. They reached for a box
of matches, which, by the way, are the
most plentiful things on the island, there
being three match factories in successful
operation-and lit up with a most nom
chalant air. They smoked with much gusto,
inhaling the smoke like the ordinary
American cigarette smoker. And how they
did spit! 1t may not be a thing to boast
of, but the Porto Rican woman can spit
with all the power and precision of the
most inveterate male tobacco chewer that
ever lived. 1t Is really amazing. Sad to
relate, all their skill is wasted. The spit
toon is unknown, and the genius which
would enable them to hit it around corners
and between the rungs of chairs is ex-
hausted in the futile drawing of fancy
figures upon the floor.
So with this Caguas quartet. They were,
Of course, unconscious that their conduct
might provoke criticism. They had been
doing this almost since they were babies,
a,J .tIa,n ,r,, ,A4l;,~ - IT..
about it. When their visitor left them they
gathered in the doorway to see him off, and
the last he saw of them they were still
smoking and splitting and smiling.
Certainly tobacco does not seem to hurt
these people. They are as healthy and as
buxom a lot of girls as a man would care
to meet. Their spirits are high, though
their lot in this country would be consid-
cred far from a happy one.