Evening star., 1901-03-27
People of Small Towns of Porto Rico
Greatly Excited.
MOVEMENT STARTED BY MAFIENzO
He is a Member of the Porto Rican
Council.
YOUNG GIRLS ENTHUSIASM
Correspondence of the Associated Press.


SAN JUAN. 2. r., March 49, 1901.
Seances are all the go in the small towns
of Porto Rico these days. Senior Don Ma
tienzo Cintron member of the Legislative
council of Porto Rico. is at the head of the
movement which is dangerously conta-
gious.
Mr. Matienzo is travelling about the coun-
try. holding scanccs, while the minutes of
the legislative council record him absent
from the weekly sessions. Last night he
was at San German. and telegram to
local paper says that the whole town was
''indescribabIy enthusiastic The other
day at Quebradillas. a small town in the
west of the island, young lady arose in
the congregation while high mass was
being celebrated. and exclaimed THE
angel Gabriel is here" The congregation
was Immediately panic-stricken. Men
shouted while women tainted. The priest
finally queted the people. and from the
pulpit spoke to the girl, telling her that
she should go to the church entrance if
she wished to speak. Standing in the door
way. she spoke for several minutes in such
an impressive manner that her audience
was spelIbound-
Has Large Audiences.
She spoke In a clear loud voice that could
be heard by all in the vicinity. and 1000
gathered to hear her. The following day
she spoke again. and since has been going
about the village preaching and hearing
confessions. She says that st. Joseph COM
muuicatcS with her through twelve-year-
old child. and that all her utterances are
inspired from heaven. She has a large
following. Last week a party of three
young men and two girls addressed a large
gathering at Camuy They claim to be the
earthly mediums of five saints. and that
they have been sent to preach TO the peo-
pie
These fanatics have announced that they
will joint the QUehradillaS girl on Satur-
day next \ letter rt cyived from there this
morning reports that the town is already
filling up with visitors from the surround
Ing country Similar proceedings are COM
mon in dozen other small towns, No
attempt has been made to introduce spir-
itualism in the cities except Mayaguez
The entire movement has sprung up with
In the past five months. and it now bids
fair To- prevail throughout the island The
official position Of Senor Matienzo gives
him considerable influence among the illit-
crate country people. and he has no diff
Guilty in securing audiences. One or two
circular weekly publications have sprung
W. within the past month in defense of the
spiritUalists. 1t is a generally conceded
fact that Mr.. Matienzo is mentally unbal-
anced on this subject.
Smallpox at Ponce.
Smallpox tu some extent is prevalent in
Porto Ef~o. Ponce has the greatest num-
ease first appeared. 1t could have been
nipr"d in the bud had proper action been
taken in the beginning But the Ponce
physicians reported the first cases as
chickeupoy. and no attempt was made at
qUarautiUiug-
Within a few weeks Ponce had sixty
smallpox cases on its hands, with no hos
pital in which they could he quarantined.
At tn" same time the disease. which is
officially diagnosed as Varialuid, mild
form of smallpox, broke out In a dozen
other forms. The disease : light that
hut few deaths have occurred The in
sular government as soon as the situa-
tiou showed signs of becoming alarming. set
out To pat it down The late legislative
assembly killed a bin providing for Il board
Of health appropriation 50 that the island
board * practically without funds. The
governor apportiuued a small sum from an
emergency fund and officer of the su-
peTiur board # health was sent to Ponce.
Arriving there he found no hospital ac-
Communications. empty municipal treas
ury. the streets reeking in dirt and filth
and Il diSinCliuaticn on the part of the
people to take any action.