Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-02-02
AROUND PORTO RICO
Description of Auto Trip Around The Island of Porto
Rico at Christmas Time Concluded Beautiful
Scenery-The Ancient and
Modern Combined
BY MRS. F. E. KENYON

1t was after five o'clock before the
car was repaired and everything pack
ed in again ready for starting We
stopped at a tea room, where they
had no tea, but very poor coffee, for
were served We realized that night
was coming on with heavy clouds
which threatened rain, so concluded to
stay another night in our comfortable
rooms and start early in the morning.
A picture show just around the
corner afforded a pleasant evening.
The violin and piano music was lovely
and the films told a sweet story in
which there was good acting and
many beautiful child pictures.
In the morning there were occas-
ional showers but these did not hin
der an early start. AS we circled
around the bay over the new carretere
the early morning sun peeping from
behind bank of clouds and spread
ing its mystic light upon the noun
tains away toward the south, painted
a picture of a vision beautiful.
AS on nearly every other drive,
there was the climbing of the sleeps
and the descending into valleys.
Part of the fifty-three miles from
San Juan to Areclbo is quite Ameri-
can in appearance. Many Americans
live in this section of the Island and
there are nice little bungalows with
lawns and surroundings beautiful
with all attractive fora so abundant
in the Tropics. l was told, soon after
coming to Guayama, by Porto Rican
young man, that the northern section
of the Island is ten years ahead of the
southern.
Many groves of orange and grape
fruit were passed, with trees well
loaded with fine fruit. Hedges of ma
guey, our century paint. were often
seen and fields of pine apples; the
fruit however was seen but seldom as
it was only beginning to form.
We stopped at the best hotel in
Arecibo for dinner and were more
than thankful that we were not COM
PEELED to spend night there. The din
ner wasn't so bad though, in fact it
was rather good Porto Rican meal
although there was nothing about it
suggestive of Christmas. But Christ
mas you know almost does not exist
in the Spanish Calendar. It is sup
planted by New Years and Three
Kings Day, January 9th. If it had
been considered a feast day, we prob
ably would not have had turkey, but
roast pig, instead, which is the favor
ite dish here.
Arecibo, founded in 1916, is right
on the coast and there is a splendid
view of the ocean from the terraced
Water Front and Place of Recreation
1t must be wonderful to be there on a
moonlight evening. There were gor-
geous poinsettias in very many yards
along the way. They were most
beautiful and the only thing suggest
ing Christmas.
Some of the views on this days trip
are unsurpassable, they are mile ports
in memory. We caught our first
glimpse of Aguadilla from high hill
We left the car and climbed to the top
of the hill where we had magnificent
view. The coast line forms~a bay with
the city at the center of the line on q
narrow plain at sea level. High noun
tains rise steep behind the city. In
the middle of the bay big ship lay at
anchor.
| We drove down the very steep hill
into the city and stopped at the spring
where Tradition says Columbus fillec
the water casks for his fleet in 1893
We did not linger here for some small
boys amused themselves by throw
ing stones at the back of the automo
bile. On the western end of the Is
land is the only place where I have
seen anything of the kind. There il
Catholic Church in Aguadilla o.
plain but striking architecture, beau
tiful in its simplicity.
Every city and every town has it
Catholic church and it's Plaza, some
times separated by street but the.
usually occupy the same block. TIL
plaza is generally the beauty spot o
the town, with its cement walks, it
trees, it's lovely flowers and often
fountain playing in the center.