Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-02-15
LETTER FROM PORTO RICO
What Christmas Means to the Porto Rcans
Entertainingly Told In Letter from
{ Miss Patton at Humacas.

4. p . =
NJ Another entertaining letter from
Miss Patton to Mrs. Hoskins is as
follows: FslssI :ss5y III. h ,.,s..Y +. 4
b Humacas, p. R., Jan. 24.-Time is
as uncertain quantity down here as
distance. Not one house in hun
bred possesses a clock and everybody
goes by the town clock in the church
steeple. The church is old and the
clock is old, and the wind, think,
must blow the hands around some
times for we are treated to some
strange variations. do not try to
keep my watch with the town time
any more. 60 to bed, rise, 60 to
school, to dinner, and to church ac-.
cording as the clock strikes, which
generally. approximates the correct
time, at least by half an hour. When,
one asks the distance to q place here
the answer is. always in hours-so
many hours ride. AS the little Porto
Rican horses always trot and never
walk, on good roads at least, perhaps
you can tell better than I what an
hours distance is. do not know and
am not likely to learn until do more
riding. =.
No, do not get homesick. l enjoy
every minute Of my life here when I
can spend time to think outside Of my
work. It is winter now and the
weather is cooler, that is to say, one
can sleep under cotton countetrpane
some nights very comfortably and
take walk without suffering from
undue perspiration. In the states it
would be called June weather. We
have frequent showers here always,
being so near the coast and at the
eastern end Of the island. Some parts
of the island suffer from long
droughts but Momacas, never. We
are In the midst OF the strawberry
season now, great luscious berries,
having a distinctive flavor of their
own, and resembling the raspberry
in appearance more than the straw
berry and they are larger and more
nearly scarlet than the raspberry,
Another fruit that looks like Cali
fornia plums but is very unlike them
in taste is called the caimito. these
and the nespers are about the same
in shape and size but the latter is
very sweet. There are many kinds OF
bananas and as many Of oranges. All
are delicious and all grow without
cultivation. The breadfruit is just
budding now, the cocoanuts like the
bananas, are always with us, but the
other fruits have their season. We
had large. deliciously sweet musk
melons in December, but have seer
none this month, SO conclude they
are no longer in the market. Roses
lilies, morning glories, and dozens o.
other beautiful flowers are everywhere
and the red, yellow and green foliage
is; something I never saw anywhere
else. Some Of the leaves are spotted
some are striped, all are brilliant IL
color,I suppose it lis tropical. VIVA
you have in foliage plants for colorini
we have here in profusion in tn
shrubs and small trees. ! will mex
n tJR ", 49, Il
time send some leaves from the COTE,
tree. This is a part Of the islam,
where there lis more sugar cane thai
coffee hut there are q number Of COT
fee trees in this place. You aske'
me to describe Christmas down here
will try. but It was not SO strikingl
different from other days. In ever
house III Porto Rico, no matter no,
poor, there Is an attempt at banque
on Christmas eve. II they canno
have turkey or q roast pig they ca
have . chicken, for the island abound
In hens and chickens The roast pi
4 here was served for breakfast o
Christmas day and 81 ] never Cd
u pork and missed the turkey I some
what felt badly used. But they CAV
SMELLS PEN POPULATION.
Judge 5i<neeshaw 4 Grafton Help
swell Tho Force Il the Twin
Plant.
AT Grafton Judge Kneeshaw seI
fenced Christy currie, charged wit
conducting blind pig at Mimic.
four months II Jail ana fined him 800
allowing - per day Tor sewing out Il