The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-02-14
ODD PORTO RICAN WAYS
ALL TIE ISLAND ToPSY.rURVY IN
THE AMERICAN EYES.

What 1t Is not, but might be. 1t IL an
sland of negation. Its people should
De- marked with minus signs. Its laws,
ustoms and manners are the opposite
u everything in the American code.
Every thing upon the islands. writes
.he Arroyo correspondent of the New
York Sun, is the result of q struggle
igainst nature and natural methods,
rom the mountains whose broken
peaks tell OF the eruption which left
hem high above the sea TO the DOOR
,st iittle razorback pig, which for gen.
srat!ons has been struggling to be Il
zeal hog; from the men who were
)nce straight bred Indians. Africans
Or Spaniards. and are now all three.
20 the little. inch-through tomatoes
which would be ruddy, succulent fruit
4 they had the least encouragement.
The mountains alone seem to have
finished their struggle. The other ele-
nents are still In the throes. Every
thing on The island Is done in the
wrong way. In order to do anything
tight 1t must be done wrong What
seem TO he the fronts of the city
houses are really the backs. The
backs Of the houses, which are the
zeal fronts, are in the front yard
which Is at the back, and the fronts
of the houses, which are really the
oacAs, face the alley which is called a
street.
The front yard in the back usually
contains what is called a garden This
garden is paved with bricks or fiat
stones, and variety is gained by max
.ng raised concrete circles or squares,
In each of which is placed 4 little
hump of dirt, and from the hump
grows bush or shrub as luxuriantly
~ the scant nutriment and the re-
llected heat from the brick pavement
will permit. There is never a spear OF
grass or an inch of lawn.
The windows of the houses in this
island violate all the traditional reas-
ons for the establishment and exist
snce Of openings in the walls of dwell
lngs for purposes of light and ventlla-
alton. There are no glazed windows.
few rich men have glass in the front
doors Of their houses, but It is merely
4 decorative matter and indicates opu-
lence. The matter of light and air
has been the subject Of earnest consid-
aratlon on the part of the municipal
authorities. Every municipality has its
official architect who supervlses the
construction of all buildings and is
sues all building permits. He sees
that all the laws are strictly complied
with, and the laws have been care
fully framed with a view to compel
ling all the city buildings to have
plenty Of light and air. The ingenuity
with which the laws have been framed
is equalled only by the ingenuity with
which they have been nulllfed.
1t is provided by law that the cell
ing of every house shall not be less
than thirteen feet high, and that each
house shall have an open court yard
one quarter of the size of the building.
The airiness thus obtained is offset by
the manner in which the building is
constructed. Next to the open court
is built long hall. In the rooms
which open from this hall there are
no windows. The rooms are without
ventilation except what comes through
the doors. They are, therefore, most
delightful for sleeping; an absolutely
close room Is esteemed a great luxury
in land where sixty-slx degrees Fab
renhcit is ley winter weather. The
nom. f,ngTlO VIII ,.o ttDahIa tn uItrf
thc mir completely out OF their miser-
able shacks swathe their heads in
blankets when they sleep,
The window novelty has caused
much discussion among the Americans
and the arguments caused by the
Porto Rican habit of keeping the
front shutters closed when the wind
, blows have been heated and frequent
One prying Americana attempted to
sccute positive Information, and put
mild native TO the torture in this man
ner:
Say, Spisgoti, why don't you have
windows in those rooms opening off
Tie hall?"
"The law forblds,' replied lhe native
"Forbids what"
Having the window"
"Why:'
The native shrugged his shoulders.
WHY does it forbid having win
dows, Splgsoti?" persisted the Ameri-
can.
"Oh. don't know. It's an old law" 4"
But why IS It law? What IS to pre-
vent "
I'VE might get through the windows
on our neighbours property"
We'll, what II you did? Would you
harm the properly
Il don't know, suppose they
might not like g, ehf"
"Ain't yop honest:"
81 think 80; yes"
Eyes, don't think, you mean, n
you've goJ such Il fool law. why didn't
you build the hall on tho dark sldeY"
"Oh, | done know"
"You don't know, Ell? l guess that's
no jest. II you'd put the rooms on
this side and the hall on the other
you'd nave got light and breeze,
wouldn't you:'
Yes. suppose So"
why didn't you do it, then? 1t
wouldn't have cost any more"
Il never saw one built that way"
Don't you like llght%
30 ss1s fv,f