Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-11-25

Out ne cannot make new Plantations or
sugar mills. He is Ingenious, however;
he seldom begs; he prefers to steal--per-
haps not like us, from reasons OF pride,
but because he knows 1t is more success
full. He has also inherited all OF his
Spanish fathers sbrewdness and lack OF
honesty in trade. Ne stranger can deal
with him and get any more than half his
moneys worth.
The other day man came on board
with handsome, tiny cur, and sold 1t to
one person for city cents; he then went
around the forward house aud sold bin to
another party for pound of tobacco.
| Now il is doubtful IL any two full owners
OF one dog ever did agree, aud iniorder to
save disagreement the dog was put on
shore, and without any doubt he went
straight home. ff-that dog holds out,
don't see why his master cannot make a
| fair living from him, and perhaps lay up
something. But, of course, a whole peo-
| pie can hardly get trade enough OF that
kind to MAKE the island really prosperous.
The common people, like those in all OF
the West Indies. have always been poor,
are poor now, and will be poor for long
time to come; until they are more edu-
Gated, which always brings ambition,
i until there is some unex pected change In
nature. OF the people classed as white,
not half OF them are purely whites, nor
are any OF the colored people black.
IT has been so long since any Africans
were imported that the original color is
entirely lost, through unhallowed mix
ture, and the shade has become very
| generally about that OF the Monaghan;
| while on the other hand. the most OF
those who are classed as white, and
should be so, have caught little strains OF
the virus until their complexion quite
| vel. agrees with those clsssed as coiored.
But anywhere in the West 1ndies,
among the common people, there is no
distinction OF race, or any objection to
amaigamation, and but very little among
the higher classes. Owing to the extreme
early human maturity, and animal-like
fecundity, wherever in the tropical world
this abomination OF mixture has pre-
vailed, the production OF humanity has
always entirely exceeded the correspon-
sive requirements of the soil; and this is
the simple reason why the people are so
miserably poor.
On this voyage we first went to San
Juan-"San Whom. | never did know
why we are taught to pronounce some
places In Spanish and other Spanish places
In English. To be consistent we should
call Cadiz "Khardy" and Havana some.
thing like "Ah bsrn-yah".
San jew ann, I mean San Whom, Is
rather a nice, clean little place, mostly
fort. 1t will take n long time to Ameri-
canizs the town. The buildings are Moor
ish, painted in Creo'e taste. There is,
however, one large and conspicuous build
ing with a sharp roof--the theatre, be-
lieve. Among the things that ought to be
American but are not, noticed the clerks
In the postoffice smoking at all times.
What would we thinE at home, on max
ing inquiry at the delivery window, to
see the clerk, while shutting letters, have
a big cigar in his lips?
In the custom house there is English
spoken, but the entry and clearance clerk
with whom ] dealt spoke no English.
The harbor- master, a pleasant American
gentleman, is still, in the vernaculsr, "the
captain of the port". Over the fort, on
top of the town, there is still a mast and
squaresail yard from which various sig
nals are displayed to denote what kind OF
! vessel is In he offing, Inward bound; that
is decidedly Latin custom.
Among things American that saw was
q factory where many females are en-
l Ill,
Another thing was ladies alone, in pairs
or in groups, 10 be seen on the street at
any odd hour of the day. 1t is not good
Spanish for ladies TO be dressed or seen
much before evening. But many OF those
now seen are Americans and teachers. 1t
is cay to know them; they have light
hair and wear sensible shoes aud specta-
eies. Native ladies wear nose glasses, but
never spectaces. But no doubt they are
learning some questionable American
I. ways. On Sunday, at the park, l saw
young women comfortably sauntering
around with their best jbeaux, with no
, mot her in sight, in just the same shock
ing way hat Americans do.
However dull and Improbable that
trade may be, there are consldera bic hustle
and turmoil in San Juan. There is an
electric road to Rio pedros, eight miles
away, and large jail, both of which are
very we'll patronizsd. As our vessel lay in
the street, we needed and employed a
policeman on board day and night From
his fierce appearance, and from what l
learned OF him, IL needed to hire a muir
derer, would have no hesitation in offer
ing him the work.
Mayaguez is a more sleepy place, but
the people do not all steep at once, and
though we lay off at anchor half mile
from land, we still have aight- watch
man with strict rules that no boat shall
be allowed to come alongside aftsr sun
down. This may not be quite fair, and
certainly not generous encouragement to
those natives who may have an honest