Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-24
San Juan, Porto Rico, May g..

two weeks more he will be straight
overhead at noon. Then it will be the
hottest time of the year, really hotter
than in August when the sun, retiring
southwark, is directly overhead again.
In September and October come hot
days again for the heat is not so much
controlled by the sun as by the ocean.
At any time the sun is hot enough.
Get where the breeze doesn't strike
you, and thrust your hand into the
suns rays and they will burn you like
the interior of an oven. The ocean is
the salvation of the island. From
that. almost all the time, a cool breeze
comes which neutralizes the heat of
the sun. At high noon, when the sun
fairly blisters one can walk in it if the
breeze is stirring vigorously, and not
feel the heat. But the breeze is not al
ways brisk enough in the right direc-
tion. and then MONDAY walk is like
going through a fiery furnace But
withal it is healthful here. Scarcely
any real sickness; only little ailing
for indiscreet eating.
Just now the orange crop is grow
ing slim. and it won't be long till this
fruit disappears for few months. But
the pineapple is coming in and the
fruit is luscious. A fine pineapple can
be bought for three cents, or even less,
when the season is at its height. The
aguacarta. another fruit unknown in
the states, is just appearing and will
be with MS for six months. 1t is
shaped like a big Bartlett pear; in
fact, the name in English is alligator
pear. 1t has a seed as big as walnut,
and the meat is rich. tender and oily.
II can he hardly classed as fruit, and
! is used on the table as a salad. With
/ a little French dressing it is superb.
| With a nice piece of bread and butter
| it makes a delightful meal. The aqua
| carta cannot be sent north. An ocean
voyage spoils it. There are dozen
strange sorts of fruits now on the mar
! KPIS, Dul llUllt VI tllCAl NOliipuAN W ibiA
the strawberries, peaches and pears of
the states. The tropics excel in orang-
es. pineapples aha bananas, but for all
else, give me the good old fruits of the
states. The watermelon grows here
but the quality is poor. The musk
melon cuts a sorry figure and has a
sort of a drug taste to it. The rasp-
berry loses its zest here.
There are some queer customs at
weddings in Porto Rico. The maid of
honor dresses in black. When the
preacher asks if "any one knows any
reason why this man and woman shall
not be joined in holy wedlock," the
guests vocferOusly respond, mo, no
mol" They don't seem to be satisfied
with a silent negative-it must be out
spoken This is a Jolly feature and
relieves the bridegroom, from the sol
emn apprehension that some one may
shout out, Yes, / do" Most of the
weddings are, however, at the priests
house or church and the social festiv-
tiles with several kinds of wine follow
at the brides home.
The other night, while our house
hold was sitting on the big front porch
we saw the great gate open and a
crowd enter, dragging a big cart up the
carriage way. They carried three OF
four lighted candles, and it looked like
a mob dragging a cannon; but as they
approached we saw something huge in
the cart, and all the crowd intent on
these objects of interest, which we OBJ
served to be two great sharks which
the men had captured in the ocean
near by and were taking them about
for exhibition purposes. After we had
an opportunity of looking at the mon
sters for few minutes, and on depos-
iting a few centayos in the hat which
was passed around, the peon proprie-
tors went forth to make another show
stand and to get further income from
the carcasses before they spoiled.
We had funny case in court the
other day. Over near Fojardo lived q
Frenchman who owned a vast estate
He kept as his housekeeper coloret
woman. In course of time he wen
back to France, but before going hi
gave his estate to the colored woman
in consideration of the payment o.
$1,000 she had saved up and 10000 co
coanuts to be sent to him every year
She took possession of the propert!
and sent the cocoanuts for few year!
and then stopped, and subsequent!
sold the land to other parties. Tht
suit was by the Frenchman to recover
, the property, but he lost. But thinl
of consideration in deed of 1O,OOt
cocoanuts every year. And yet, if on
could see the number of cocoa tree
about here, the great number woul'
not appall.
Some days ago | sent deDuty on