BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-26

When the young King OF Spain eX-
pressed his desire to break the 1nonot-
ony of his summer season at San-Sebas-
tian by visits to the northern provinces
of his kingdom, sefior Sagasta and his
colleagues thought that this would be a
good occasion to put the sovereign into
contact with his people. 1t was agreed
that Alfonso XIII, should be accompa-
MED at each stage of his tour by Ca
binet Minister. The principal part in
representation of the Government was
played by the Minister Of War, Gen.
Weyler. He it was who took Alfonso
XIII, to inspect the Government arms
manufactures and foundries, where
Spain is casting heavy guns for the
defence of her coas.s and for her new
navy. In the same districts the King
was shown over mines and factories
that contain thousands of workmen
very much tinted with socialist, anar-
chist, and republican propagandas.
He went about among these turbu-
lent elements with the local authorities
or with the engineers and forernen of
the works declining all escorts and pre-
cautions. His quiet, fearless, easy-going
way; his kind, youthful curiosity, his
sharp, repartees, now and then his
merry boyish laugh, won the hearts Of
the working classes, as much as they
surprised and pleased the thousands of
peasants and mountaineers, who focked
down from their distant villages and
hamlets to see their King for the first
time. Many of these simple-1ninded
folk confessed that their legends and
traditions had led them to expect quite
different display ~of royalty and its
pomp than this tall, slender, good -lcok-
ing prince, wearing his undress uniform
of captain-general, often covered with
dust, and stepping forward gamely up
and down hill with a few officers and
very fatigued looking attendants.
What frequently interested and anus
ed his subjects was the inveterate habit
that his Majesty has of carrying his
kodak, with which he takes snapshot
of everything or anybody that attracts
his attention, from popular shrine, a
monument, to a group of lovely peasant
girls in their picturesque provincial cos
tunes. Once don Alfonso gave orders
fol hio t~ain n he nulled up at a place
where he had been told that the Alpine
scenery was worth notice, and he took
several views. On another occasion
the young monarch, having observed
that Bishop vas trying tc induce the
representatives of illustrated papers to
refrain from photographing inside a
church, he good-humoredly came up
and quietly said, ''Sefiores, I also have
left my kodak outside"
Eager To Meet His People.
The royal traveller startled his at
tendants by the anxiety he showed to
hear from the peasants the miners, and
the workmen themselves, the tale Of
their grievances their necessities, their
aspirations. He had a kind word and
a pleasandt smile for the few who dar-
ed to present him written petitions,
which he put into his pocket, and we
are told glanced over, before he handed
them to his ministers.
Gen. Weyler does not seem to have
objected to this direct intact Of the
King with the masses, and much less
when their Mayors approached royalty.
A few of these village magistrates kiss
ell their Kings hand, others krelt before
him and he raised them most encourag-
ingly. Even the most rabid adversa-
ries Of the monarchy cannot deny that
Alfonso XIII, thus made bimself very
popular.
Continued on page 4.