Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-02-04
TRIP IN PORTO RICO.
Randolph Boy Tells Of interesting
Holiday Journey.

Randolph Boy Tells Of Interesting
Holiday Journey.
| Henry P. Lewis of Randolph writes
home from Porto Rico of holiday trip he
has taken on horseback, with friend,
through part of the island, where he is
stationed at Patillas instructing the
natives in the English language. The
letter is written on New Years day and
says
| any vacation began the 2ith OF De
cember and lasted until the 18th OF Janu-
airy and my friend and ] started December
20 on our trip. We got wet about five
minutes after we left the town but that
did not dampen our ardor and we kept on,
reaching Guyana, where we visited the
| English folks and took dinner at the
house OF the Methodist minister. We
were soon off again and after a very
pleasant ride came to Aguirre Central
somew hat tired and hungry. Mrs. Mones,
an American, lives there with her hus-
/, band, who is superintendent OF railroad
used to bring cane from the miles OF cane
| land round about. We took tea with this
family and ] had the first piece of mince
| pie have seen ON the island.
ssThe next day the sun was so hot that
| we dropped off our horses when we came
to good place for sea bathing and re-
freshed ourselves that way. Mounting,
we passed through two villages OF
matched shacks and arrived at Ponce in
the middle of the afternoon, having made
rs miles since morning and about 20 the
day before.
aNew Years Eve in Ponce we met in
the streets procession of negroes carry
| ing flaming banner with the inscription
in Spansh-"The light of the sun ~ just
to see what was going on we followed to
the house OF the mayor and listened to a
serenade to which he responded by invit-
ing them in with the assent led musicians.
They shook hands all around, and for the
fun OF ii we went in and shook hands,
too, with the mayor of the largest city on
the island. They soon began dancing in
the front room and after watching ia
Danzah-a slow half waltz, half two-step,
| with occasional promenades, we left and
went to the Episcopal church for the serv-
ice read by the English principal OF the
High school The next morning we
strolled about the town and went into the
Catholic cathedral for the fifth mass.
There we saw crowds OF devout people at
the altar rail awaiting their turn to kiss
the feet OF a waxen figure, representing
the infant Saviour, in small cradle,
which the priest carried as he received the
gifts OF those present. In the dark alcoves
on each side OF the main aisle Others were
4 kneeling The little gifts here are called
tom to give presents on New Years and
less on Christmas Eve.
| 1Ieaving Ponce, we rode through Juana
/ Diaz and as we began to climb the noun
tains the moon rose lsrge and very bright,
and we Travelled in its light over some very
pretty roads. The people in the few
| houses along the way were either having
a little dance or sat in the front yard in
the cool OF the evening singing and play
| ing on musical instruments. When we
reached Aibonito the place was all closed
up and enveloped in a cold, dense fog, 80
on we went till morning, riding slowly
4 for the horses sakes and for our own. In
the morning about we came to Cayey,
having travelled 20 kilometers, or AZ miles
We took dinner there and rode on in SIM
liar fashion, arriving at Patillas IN the
night.
s.The scenery was very beautiful all the
way, The mountains are as high as oul
own in Vermont and much more broken
and sharp. The road runs along the edge
oftentimes cut from the solid rock, leaving
an oyerhanging mass above and yaWn-
ing little gulch below. There are many
ssoxbows' and one perfect letter ). AT
one point the road has to turn at right
4 angles to itself, and as we approach the
enhancement looked like a fertilization
for there was wall rising above the road
with places in which guns could be put
/ like portfolios. From TINS place rapid
firing guns could sweep the road below
rendering passage by an army impossible
A little farther on were hundreds OF moon
flowers, making the air heavy with theii
perfume. They are large white flowers
4 fully six inches long, and the line par
TALLY separated petals spread to dame
ter OF six inches also. They wilt almost
as you touch them.
@As we began to descend the mountains
again the fog had settled in the small val
leys, and in one appeared, as we looked
down, like large lake lying smooth and
white in the moonlight. In the morning
in Cayey the people sat shivering with the
cold. 1t was really damp and little cold,
| but il never approaches frost. The paper
said the coolest place and temperature on
the island for the last week was 81 at
Cidros in the mountains; the hottest VI
in valley.
1--WE also visited an American man OF
war In the harbor and met the officers,
one OF whom had been in charge OF the
training ship. "Enterprise," in Boston
harbor for three years. To him we gave
the war news, etc, from Panama, san
Domingo and Manchuria, for he had been
out cruising and was little rusty"