Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-01-11
The Marietta Daily Leader.
FRIDAY, JANUARY ii, 1901.
QUEER CUSTOMS
Of Queer People In the Island Of Porto
Rico.

Hon. R. S. Wilson has written tht
: following very interesting communlca
cation to the Ironton Register from
San Juan. Porto Rico:
have Just returned from trip t.
Abonito, city that occupies the high
est altitude of any on the island. 1t i
SO miles from San Juan, and we gC
the entire distance on the military
road. thoroughfare as fine as the ole
national road through Ohio used to be
when it was in its prime. The Mill
tary Road begins at San Juan on the
north coast and ends at Ponce on the
south. 1t is 81 miles long, while the
distance straight across is perhaps not
half that 1t winds about the noun
tains in gentle slopes, so that some
times one goes "a mile to make only a
few hundred rods of progress. But
one has no reason to regret the SER
pentine route. for every rod discloses
a scene of surprising beauty. The
deep valleys and the great mountains
that hover around. green with waving
palms and Dlantain and dim in the
purple distances, keen ones emotions
leaping into exclama tions of admira-
tion and awe.
The road is well built and kept So.
The culverts and BRIDGES are of solid
masonry, and around the short curves
and along the dizzy sleeps, strong
stone walls, ornately finished, are
constructed, Every mile or so is an
attractive structure of brick or stone
with a sign marked "Oamineros, 3"
which is place where the foreman of
the workers on that section has his
headquarters, The road was built by
the Spanish government and cost S.
100000, and it requires large sum an
nually to keep 1t up. Daboreres are en-
gagged on repairs continuously and
they not only mend the fractured plac-
es, but also keep the road beautiful by
planting trees at the side. | saw
many poems trimming the grass with
machetes. Much of the road is beau
tifully arbored with palms and formo-
sas
The verdure along the route is so
massed and variegated that it is indie
scribable. Providence deals with
lavish hand everywhere on this island.
SAW the Abutus, HeliotroDe, Clema-
tbs, Primrose. Wild Rose, Sweet Peas.
Cosmos, Bell Flowers or CamDanos,
or the Cleo atra Flower,
Castor oil plant, Bamboo. Banana, Or
ange, and many varieties of palms and
ferns. In fact, it is one crush of flow
ers and foliage along the roadside from
to end. Everywhere the
earth is teeming with green and
sprinkled with tints of all shades. Ev-
grew in a very bedlam of
confusion and Tecklessness. except
things to eat. and these. God in His
wisdom has ordained that man should
abOr to produce, which man does not
10 down here, as one may judge from
he prevalence of sullen, emaciated
aces, that one sees in a ride across
he island. 1t made my heart ache to
zee the misery of man amid such prof |
igacy of nature. One hardly ever
misses human face on the military
Dad, but it is nearly always a pinched, |
Jloodless face that looks up at you |
With sunken eyes from an empty stom-
oh, You cannot mistake the sign.
weak, III cooked. insufficient diet |
oes not make men and women. The |
highest duty of craftsmanship is to |
zee that people are well fed All, if
his tangled luxuriance of flower and |
ronde could be changed into cattle |
md corn and Dotatoes Will the Am
of the island do it? Will !
hat great event give them something |
,esides yams and plantain, and teach |
hem to mix with it the pure oxygen
If Gods sweet skies?
1t was the day of the Winter Sol
'tice that we Travelled over the road
our in a carriage with four relays, in |
he 80 miles to keep our horses on the
ump throughout the journey. We start
ID at II a. m. and arrived at Abonito |
1t about .. m. Had long delays |
Iwice in changing horses. Passed |
through Rio Piedras, Caguas and Ca
,ey; all languid places, filled with peo-
Jle, doing nothing particularly, except
casting in the sun and jabbering
pbouIt Murioz Rivera's trial. One busy
)lace l saw at Oabuas was in a cigar
'actory. In a big room were about
| hundred young men making cigars.
Attracted by a voice. as if some one
we're reading, entered the room, and |
Jaw young man mounted on a high |
'hair, in the center, reading aloud from
! newspaper. He thus entertained the
.igar workers who Esfane1 cIncnIv