Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-04-03
WHOLE NO. $50

- 'N> any pl'NS VI tnlS ClOS,l y
bread. At noon or II little after, they
have what they call breakfast. meat
rice, beans and bananas, all strongly
seasoned with garlic and onions
Dinner from six to ten at night, ac-
cording to the occasion. ALWAYS SCUM
ut that meal with several courses. and
how they get them cooked on these
4, X. stoves remains mystery to a
foreigner. Pie or cake i'm the Amcri-
can acception of the word is unknown
I The great majority of the people,
both whites and negroes. go ba,efoo,-
ed, The Porto Ricans call themselves
whites, although to an American the
most of them do not look it, their
complexions are any where from a
good rich color to dark mulatto.
In town, the better class, merchants
officers OF school or state teachers.
policemen, their families, and most Of
the children in the public schools
wear shoes and stockings, hut all the
workers aud some of the wclltodo. go
with bare feet. 1t looks strange to
one unaccustomed to the sight, to see
on Sunday morning perhaps. Young
ladies' passing, in beautifully starchcd
and ironed white or lawn dresses AMI
rutiied or embroidered white petticoats,
n ribbon bow, or bright flowers in
their nicely done hair, when, one of
them airly lifts her skirts, shows more
or less of n bare brown ankle. and
rather coarse foot. OF course in this
climate it must be more comfortable
IN bare feet, and probably would fe
more conducive to health, as well as
comfort, should northern people. who
live here, do as did Robert Louis
Stevenson and family ut Samoa. weo,.
one loose garment and go barefontel
All the people smoke, men, women
ana children, and very many, even
women, chew tobacco. 1t is not ak
all uncommon to see girl of twelve
or fourteen passing the house with n
cigar IN her mouth. The boys smoke.
from the cradle. And ! have seen "A
pretty young negro girl almost white.
wearing lace trimmed pink shirt waist
ana white skirt, talking coquettishlv.
TO "a trim young policeman in the
crowd at market on Sunday morning.
turn away her head every other min
ute to eXpectorate from the quid of
tobacco in her mouth Among tl.c
welItodo class, most of the houses
work is done by negro servants, but
the poor whites work side 10y side in
the fields and other places with tho
negro, and they are in the school t.,
gether, no repugnance being maniitrt-
ed; still there is good deal of racs
prejudice when it comes to those who
call themselves the upper class.
There is a marked contrast TO bn l..
ness methods in the north. Instead
OF the rush and yigor Of the North.
there is the leisurely easy method
which makes one wait impatiently
while the salesman takes ten or fifteen
minutes to wrap up for one little
arllcle, which over northern counter
would be handed you in three mia
utes. And one general merchandise
store in any little town in western
United States would contain eycry-
thing found in the ten or fifteen shops
OF Santa Isabel, and hundred article.
besides OF which these people never
heard. And so with drug stores.
Any small drug store at home would
exhibit everything sold here in all tho
pharmacies IN town. 1t needs bic
importation of American vigor and
enterprise, to show these "way back"
people what might be done in the
way OF business.
Santa Isabel with several miles
reach OF the surrounding country.
eight or ten / should Judge from what
information | can Obtain under the
difficulties consequent upon not un-
derstanding Spanish, is called the
municipality and contains 1920 in
habitants Governed by the Alca'de
or Mayor of the city and a counci! OF
nine. Also there are six of the six
hundred insuar policemen serving ON
the island, detailed TO this town.
There are in addition. local magis-
trates in different communities about
the country to keep the peace in their
Immediate neighborhood. On the
whole these people seem to be law a.