The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-02

terested to wager n half peseta upon the
result. II he loses he may finger hong
enough TO deliver mild homily upon
the sin OF gambling: IL he wins a bene-
diction Will not be lacking. In either
case. the father OF his flock" Is followed
by words OF warm affection and cheerful
smiles. He is the domiuat ting spirit OF
the piaee-the confidant. adviser ana
preceptor OF his people All this because
he is thoroughly human and one OF them
selves, poor they are poor. Joyous
and easy-going as any boy among them.
When the tagged and fretfui man or
affairs turns for relief from his business
into the hustling paths OF tourist travel
he little dreams OF the opportunity for
regeneration offered by our lovely garden
spot in the Caribbean Sea. II he be
willing to throw of the barnacles OF arti-
fciality for awhile he may here secure
complete rest from his cares under the
most healthfui and enjoyable conditions.
Should be be an artist by practice or
instinct. he will here find supernbun-
dance OF material for the brush. or food
for the eye. Nor need the mind stag
nate. Nature and mankind in unaccus-
toned aspects afford ample and interest
Ing study.
Porto Rico has been little affected by
the emigration from the old Castiilian
families that formed the aristocrncy OF
Cuba. This. 10 a great extent. accounts
for its peaceful history as compared with
that of the sister island. The island
was in the early centuries OF Spanish
occupation a military post. and the
troops by which 1t was garrisoned were
permanently stationed there. The officers
In most cases married Creoles OF the
island. and settled there for life ~he
descendants of these persons. and of
French and Spanish refugees from the
neighboring islands, In the revolutionary
times of the nineteenth century. are the
genie ilustrada, or aristocrats of Porto
Rico. Their numbers are insignificant,
and are represented in the literacy ex-
hibits by one-half of one per cent. OF
the population. which il something less
than one million. This class supplied
the merchants. planters and professional,
men of the island. They have accepted
the change of sovereignty with ready
acquiescence. mainly because of their
strong love of the soil and pronounced
domestic tendencies Furthermore. al
though Handicapped by the universal In
dolence OF their countrymen. they are
shrewd and intelligent and fully nppre-
ciate the prospective advantages or
American rule. They are much like the
similar class In Cuba-well-bred. hos
pitable. intensely proud and generally
prosperous. They are sociable In their
sedate fashion. and fond of amusements.
such as dancing. the theater. music. and
the inevitable bull fight Their business
men are honorable and honest. II lack
ing in enterprise. There is In this class
splendid material with which to build
in the formation OF n new race or
nationality, SO to speak, but 1t Is too
scanty to indulge the hope that II may
In time leaven the whole. What 10
probable, however, 10 that intermarriage
with Americans Will eventuate In the
production OF a class possessing the best
characteristics OF both races. and that
this class will In the course Of the pres
ent century make Porto Rico what 1t
should be, one OF the most prosperous.
as 1t Is one Of the most inviting coun-
tries in the world.
c. II. FoRBEs-LINDsAY