Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-28
INTERIOR PORTO RICO
SIMPLE LIVES OF PEoPLE-MILL
OF BIBLE TIMES USED.
Country Side is Green With the Foliage
Of the Orange, Banana
and the Coffee.

From the Missionary Chronicle.
Lares il situated In valley in the midst
OF beautiful hills. ever green with the foli-
age OF the orange, the banana and the cof-
fee. Naturally shut in from the outside
world by the mountains, crossed only on
ponyback over the narrow mountain paths,
the people here continue in their accustomed
ways. unaffected by the influences which
have made 50 many changes In the towns
and cities of the coast. Life In such place
Is necessarily simple and the missionaries
find it easy to do without many Of the So
called necessities Of the homeland and are
comfortable and content, sleeping on the
canvas-covered cots. with dressing tables
made from dry goods boxes and draped
with muslin, and a curtain across one cor
ner Of the room instead Of closet.
After the work Of the day is over the
family find rest and comfort in the pleas
ant, airy living rooms, but for the all-im-
portant refreshing of the body they are
dependent upon the offices of the cook: SO
you. as well as they, may have some inter-
est In our good natured black Candida,
who. when she Is not in the kitchen, Is
holding the American baby, much to the
satisfaction OF both
Stoves in Porto Rico.
The Porto Rican stove is especially in
teresting In shape it is something like a
carpenters bench. about two feet wide, five
feet long and as high as an ordinary table.
The outside frame is of wood. and when
the kitchen is being freshly painted the
stove must not be neglected. The top and
inside are made of bricks and cement, SO
arranged as to leave an opening running
from end to end below the fireplaces for a
draft Along the top and at regular inter-
walls are four iron fireplaces, five inches
square and four inches deep, SO set into
the stove that the tops are on level with
the top of the stove. A maid who often ne
elects one fire would feel overburdened with
the care Of these four separate fires at the
same time, as Is necessary with these
stoves. The American housewife who pre-
fers to have her food baked can use gas
oline oven over one Of these fires, and the
result is quite satisfactory
But even this stove. however crude and
inconvenient. is seen only in the better
Candida has finished her days work and
has found her way down the hill along the
steep. narrow path that leads to Shack
town." where she lives, If she wishes to
prepare an evening meal for hungry chill
dren she will bring out from the corner OF
the room an empty oil can, which has been
given her by the missionary and which has
been fitted up by the tinsmith with crate
near the top and an opening below for
draft. The making Of the stove has cost
her 20 cents, and she possesses a better
outfit for housekeeping than many OF her
ne1gnborS Inc writer nao one VI .hese
stoves made for her own use. and as it can
be easily carried about it is very conven-
lent Many times has she sat on low
bench and popped corn over the Goals in
the oil-can stove while one or more wonder
Ing natives stood around seeing the opera
ton for the first time, and afterward some
of them would try to pop their own corn.
Charcoal is the fuel used in these stoves,
but many Of the poor people are too poor
to buy charcoal and make their fire with
bits Of wood and sticks which can be picked
up.