Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-16
PORTO RICO CARNIVAL
Gay Times Attend the Mardi
Gras in February.
EXTENDS OVER 10 DAYS
SPECIAL "AMERIcANo" DAY is
TO BE SET APART.
Festival Ushered In With Din Of
Horns and Bang of Crackers and
Day Fireworks.
EXTENDS OVER 10 DAYS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

SAN JUAN. p. R.. February 1, 1908.
February brings to Porto Rico the hap
piest days Of the calendar-the carnival
fiesta or Mardi GCas. This season it is
probable that the Americans will participate
more than ever before, and there is a ten
dency to act upon a suggestion that an
American girl be made queen and that
there be special Americana" day set
apart during the celebration.
A local paper is conducting voting con-
test in which score Of American and
Porto Rican girls, including Miss Hunt, the
governors daughter, and Miss Buck of New
Haven Conn.,, recent debutantes at the
Dewey ball at the executive mansion, are
mentioned. The presence Of a couple OF
hundred business men from New Orleans,
who will visit San Juan on trade excur-
sion during carnival time, will add to the
gayety Of the OCCASION
The carnival Of 1903 will be ushered in on
Sunday, February IL, and will continue
through all the succeeding days and nights
until midnight of Shrove Tuesday, or fat
Tuesday, February "a. Then comes peni-
tential Ash "Wednesday and Lent. Mardi
Gras day proper is Shrove Tuesday.
While the carnival in Porto Rico Is not as
pretent1ous an affair as is the annual fiesta
In New Orleans, it is nevertheless well
worth seeing. Its long continuance, how
ever, IHdkeS IL a Dlt tlreSOne When one has
once been through it, and it tends to de-
moralize business while it lasts.
stu. the children enjoy 1t hugely and the
older folks have lot of fun. To a stranger
many OF the doings seem very foolish; but
when one remembers that tine Porto Ricans
are simple minded. pleasure loving peo-
pie, with little to amuse them except sports
Of their own invention the celebration as
sumes different aspect 49,
Starts With Din of Horns.
The carnival starts with the din of horns
and the bang of crackers and day fire.
works, and nearly all the 5000 boys of San
Juan are In the streets. Many of them
wear grotesque costumes and hideous
masks. and most of them carry something
with which to add to the noise of their
tongues
Squirt guns, from Which a stream Of
water or cheap perfumery is sent flying In
to the face Of the 1uckless pedestrians.
are freely used by the youngsters and the
greater the amount If Hour a boy can Sc
cure the more joyful he, is. Nearly every
store Is turned into market place for
the children at penny bag, but which
adults buy by the pound.si
These tiny disks OF acolored paper soon
cover the streets like snow flakes, being
an immense sale Of papeMtos, which Is
rolled like the tape, OF a brokers' ticker.
These rolls are hurled across the streets
from balcony to balcony, high In air, and
soon the rainbow-tanted network is worse
than 1.-The tangled web we weave when
first we practice to deceive"
But 1t requires a strong arm and an &C.
curate eye to hurl these 30 that they will
land just right and as every one does not
possess such qualifications the rolls often
fall short and trail down to the cobble-
stones, adding their share to the pictur-
esque effect as they flutter In the breeze
The waste by many makers Ia the wealth
OF the small boy, and soon after the car
nival is fairly under way he easily pro-
cures his supply of confetti and papeleta
By raids on what has already been thrown
It is just as good for him, and it costs
him nothing; but 1t Is not as nice for the
person at whom 1t is thrown. especially
If with the confetti the boy has scooped
up plenty Of dirt. The effect on white
clothes Is distressing.
Chase the Decorated Carriages.
Another delight of the boys is to chase
the decorated carriages. On the day of the
carnival parade every coach in San Juan
is covered with bright paper and artificial
or real flowers and filled with merry
makers, who throw confetti and make the
air ring with their shouts.
The line Of march covers several miles,
and even the humblestT "shacks" adong the
route are decorated for the event. The
Spanish colors predominant the natives
easily recall former days and Americans al
most forget they are not in a Spanish
colony.
The children's ball, or 'baile," in the big
theater is the most artistic feature Of the
entire celebration. Many of the Gust oms
are elaborate and costly, and in not q few
instances historical accuracy Is observed.
And it may very truthfully be said of
thousands Of Porto Rfcan children that they
easily rank with the most beautiful on
earth. .t'
The effect. therefore, under brilliant lights,
may be imagined. Many Of these tots dance
like the fairies they initiate, and the spec
tacle is an enchanting one. There are other
balls for the grown-ups, where special
color schemes are observed very strictly
the costumes and the confetti correspond
ing. At the red ball all the dancers attend
in red and throw red papeitos; at the blue
ball, blue; and at the white, white.
Assault parties also add to the fun.
They are the capture of private houses
Of "bombardment' by score more or less
of friends. When the hacienda Ia taken q
dance follows in honor Of the captors, who
usually are accompanied by native musi-