Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-09-19

terested TO wager half peseta upon the
result II he loses he may finger long
enough to deliver mild homIIy upon
the sin Of gambling; II he wins a bens-
dlction Will not be lacking. In either
case, the father Of his flock" is followed
by words Of warm affection aud cheerfuI
smiles He is the dominating spirit OF
the pace-the COMPLIANT adviser ana
preceptor OF his people All this because
he is thoroughly human and one Of them
selves, poor as they are poor. Joyous
and easy going as any boy among them.
When the tagged and fretful man OF
affairs turns for relief from his business
into the bustllng paths OF tourist travel
be little dreams OF the opportunity for
recuperation offered ~ our lovely garden
spot In the CirItjean Sea. II he be
willing to throw or the barnacles Of arti-
iciality 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. be viii here find a superabun-
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 Castlliian
families that formed the aristocracy Of
Cuba. This, to a great extent. accounts
for It's peaceful history as compared with
that Of the sister island The island
was In the early centuries OF Spanish
occupation military post, and the
troops by which II was garrisoned we're
permanently stationed there. The officers
Ia most cases married Creoies of the
island, and settled there for life The
descendants OF these persons, and of
French and Spanish refugees from the
neighboriuR islands, In the revolutionary
times OF the nineteenth century, are the
genie iiustrada or aristocrats OF Porto
Rico Their numbers are insignificant.
and are represented In the literacy ex-
hihits by one-half OF one per cent. Of
the population. which Is something Less
than one million. This class sur plies
the merchants. planters and professional
men OF the island. They have a, cepted
the change of sovereignty with ready
acquiesceuee. mainly because ~ their
strong love Of the soil and pronounced
domestic tendencies. Further acre. al
though handicapped by the I'M gersai IN
doience of their countrymen, they are
shrewd and intelligent, and .ully appre-
eiate the prospective advantages Of
American rule. They are Iluch like the
similar class In Cuba vell-bred, hos
pitabe intensely pror1 and generally
prosperous They ere 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
ting IN enterprise. There is In this class
splendid material with which to build
In the formation Of a new race or
nationality, SO 10 speak, but II is too
scanty TO Indulge the hope that II may
In time leavsn the whole. What In
probable. however, Is that intermarriags
with Americans will eventunte In the
production Of a class possessing the best
characteristics OF both races. and that
this class will 10 the course Of the pres
ent century make Porto Rico what II
should be, one Of the most prosperous
as II Is one OF the most inviting coun-
tries In the world
c. II. FoRBEsLlNDsAY.