Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1905-03-14
Letter From Porto Rico.
Casa Blanca, San Juan, Porto Rico.

NV Dear SPIRIT.-ln my letter OF yes
terday to the Free Press. | mentioned
my return to San Juan from Ponce,
Mayaguez, etc. and how | enjoyed the
home feelings of old Casa Blanca. The
next day, Saturday, | had visit in the
forenoon from native barber who gave
me nice shave, but most of his time
was devoted 10 cutting my hair, on which
he spent quite a long while. will let
others decide whether this long time was
consumed in removing large quantity
Of HAIR from my head. or in seeking
enough TO justify his charge OF so cents
for the whole Job. From the barber's
hands went with DR.. Lipptt as inter-
prefer. to inspect the Spanish ship, Julia,
in which / expected TO sail for Santiago
after leaving here. We were accom-
panied by Mary IT.. who never goes down
street alone, IN con formty to the custom
of this country. The ship seems suffici-
emily good. but have seen much better,
and | may be embarrassed to get some
thing to eat during the voyage of 5 or 6
days, as there is no English spoken, but
don't expect to starve, though may be
nearly devoured. and not by mosquitoes.
There is another pestilence that walketh
in darkness, neither fees nor mosquitoes,
that is sometimes found on ships even in
the States, and the Julia has the reputa-
ton of being infested by them. ! do not
expect much from the Julia. whose name
even is spoiled by being transformed by
these Spanards to " Hooleeah. lust
think OF that. What would some of our
Charles Town ladies think if | were to
call them Mrs. or Miss Hooleeah so and
so !? | think the French oil Julia much
nicer, Julie. and the French for Mary,
Marie, is also sweet especially when it
deslgnates a sweet girl either in France
or in Charles Town.
This trip on the Hooleeah will enable
me to see a little of Santo Domingo,
about which there is so much talk in the
newspapers and elsewhere. We will also
cali at one of the ports of Haiti. and then
go to eantiago IN Cuba. From Santiago
the next move will be to Havana by rail
aud then across to the States.
In the afternoon of the same day
went in blackboard drawn by two good
mules and driven by Virgnian from
Richmond, black as the ace of spades,
and very nice man too, as all Virginians
ought to be, and most of them are. My
companions on this drive were Perry and
DR.. Lippitt. who wished me to see their
San Juan beyond Rio Piedras. Their
trees are in good condition and the land
excellent, but the trees are to young too
produce fruit as yet. In or years
there will be an abundance of oranges
and they will be making money out of
their shipments to New York and New
Orleans. 1t may be that then the Brown
Brothers and Mr.. DUNN may be selling
Lipptt oranges in Charles Town l can
promise one thing. that Charles Town
has never seen better oranges and pine
apples than Porto Rico can produce.
We are told here that the cold has much
injured the orange crop in Florida and
Mexico. If this be true it will add to the
value of the oranges and other fruit from
this island where frost is absolutely
unknown.
We continue to hear of Billiards and
snow and low temperature in the States.
not only at the North. but also in the
South. as far down as middle Florida.
1t has even been cooler down here than
usual. but nobody objects to that state of
affairs, as it is really more comfortable.
The only evidence have had personally
of GOODNESS is found in the fact that at
night | draw up thin spread in addition
to the sheet which was last winter my
only covering in bed. | notice that some
others find it too cool to indulge in bath
ing in the surf down here this winter
Has anybody been bathing in the Shen-
andoah this winter? | think | hear an
echo saying, mot any for me. If you
| please" The sunsets continue to be
very fine here. and we all enjoy them af-
ter dinner from the balcony which looks
over the bay and cut to the westward
The clouds are exquisite in the variety
ard intensity of their coloring The
twilight is very short in this tropical re-
gion, and the evening shades prevail very
soon after the sun has disappeared. But
Venus appears at once in all her beauty
and Jupiter comes on in his turn and is
almost as bright. The consultations
here are very fine and we see some that
are never seen in West Virginia.
l generally wake about or in the
morning and always rise from my bed
to see the beautiful Southern Cross. The
first time saw it was about so years ago,
wheD | was stationed at the Tortugas,
and / do not remember ever to have seer
it north Of that place. Almost ever,
night before retire I open my window
to take look at the familiar old NORTH
star. and it is pleasure to do this be
cause my face is then turned toward
some whom / most love. all in fact ex
cept those who are with me here. / car
then oettor understand why Daniel, il
the old times took pleasure when h,
prayed. in turning his face toward.
Jerusalem. the land of his nativity ant
of his love.
The big Dipper is very low in th,
heavens here and sometimes in consider
able part below the horizon. and tn.
north star is never high up as with US il
Charles Town. Orion, Arcturus and th,
Plades look down calmly upon us her,
as they do in Charles Town and as the
did upon Job and Abraham and Jacol