Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-24

Queer Things i'm Porto Rico.

dropped like n dish cover over bush
AT distance IL looks almost
ghastly-likc a woman sawed off at
the waist But By evening when It's
ready to be folded and taken homo
snow was never winter
And It's Joke the way It's done"
supplemented the bridegroom. "Thcy
only have one smoothing iron.
"Thc kerosene oil goes down there
In sealed cans. When tho can Is
empty 1t is secured and 1t does for
wator or milk as long AZ II holds to-
gethcr. When II begins to leak hole
Is cut near the bottom.
"a few wires arc run through Il and
Ii Is a stovc--a charcoal stove. On
that tho single iron Is kept hot.
When piece is being hung up or
folded tho iron goes back on the char.
coal. Tho woman fans herself few
times and then she's ready to 60 on
again" n
"Shc doesn't fan herself" said the
bride, because she perspIrcs. No
ono pcrsplres In Porto Rico. It's a.
funny climate.
Tho air Is damp; know It. for
my hair wouldn't keep In II was rs
straight as n bunch OF flax all the
time was there"
ITS the wind" explained the
bridegroom. at blows all the time
so lrisldy that YOU feel cool and your
skin Is dry.
Another oddly of the climate Is
that On tho north side Of tho island II
rains every day-somctimcs two or
three showers--whilc ON the south
side II never rains Mt ALL or II never
did while we were there. You notice
the difference az YOU conc to the di.
vide on tho military road on the way
TO Ponce.
ION one side everything Ia fresh
and things grow Of themselves. Onl
tho other they work hard irrigating.
yet everything is yellow and dried
up"
Some people complained OF the
food said the bride. "One woman
almost cried for Joy when she got
back to the steamer. She said she
had lived for two weeks on bread and
bananas"
"The meat Is tough and has a queer
taste because They cook u right after
killing. and you have to reconcile
yourself to some garlic. Then they
roast the coffee until all tho coffee
flavor and essence arc burned out OF
II. 1t won't excite your nerves or
keep you awake. but l don't see why
beans wouldn't do as well as coffee
this was the husbands complaint.
81 had no trouble" the bride de-
ciared. 'The Spanish soup was fine,
The beans were a dream: Boston isn
In It. The meat I didn't care for;
they mixed up things too much; you
never knew what you we're eating.
but the crusty bread was all right
and the ice cream was the most de-
licious ever sampled, and never
found that there was any limit TO 1t.
Oh. yes; there's plenty OF ice.
81 saw barefooted child with one
dirty garment on carrying a chunk.
as big as her head. in a basin. She
saw me staring so she lisped 'Nfadre
sicka' couldn't help asking how
much for that 1t was three cents,
she told me.
"Thcy all learn English. They
don't want TO learn anything else. We
went to school exhibition and n lot
of tots from 8 to 12 sang the Star
Spanglcd Banner When The ap.
plause came they started to do a
grand march Off lat the leaders lost
their bearings: they got all tangled
up and ran off tho stage in scared
bunch. II
Then there was real applause.
Some way 1t came in on every one
that the little children there were
Just the same as our own even If they
were all Drowned up"