St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-05-30
LIFE IN PORTO RICO.
Henry N. Pringle Gives Interesting
Description of Conditions There.

~~ASO' ~
said that Porto Rico and Havana
have the two strongest fortresses in
Central America. \ The former was
never captured during over three
centuries of Spanish occupation, and
finally changed to United States
domination by treaty. To take Ell
MORO it would be necessary to cap
ture three Notifications in succession,
each stronger than the former and
separated by moles and notes The
older houses within the walled city are
built on the line of the narrow streets,
have thick walls, rather small and
few windows and the arch is common
over doorways. In the middle Of the
building is the square patio, admitting
air, sun and rain, from which the half
dozen or more families enter their
separate dwellings. If wealthy
family occupies the whole house, the
patio is apt to be beautifed with
plants or even trees. Scores OF OK
carts may be seen in all the cities of
this island. The Jokes are dashed to
the oxen's heads, SO that they draw by
| the horns instead of their shoulders.
The rawhide thongs are drawn over
cushions of straw or other material,
which protects the animals forehead.
! Under the tongue of the cart is a
! hinged stick, which assumes the YER
| tical position and supports the tongue
| when the cart is at rest. In Ponce.
| horse wagons are like ours; but, in
| San Juan, one horse is between heavy
thills and the other, harnessed with
only collar, names and tugs, pulls at
one side by an outrigger. There is
much saddle riding with large wicker
saddle bags, and the knees are in q
position as high as the seat. AS the
horses weigh only about $50 pounds,
the combination looks top-heavy. All
these little horses are immune to
CHAMBERS, which quickly disposes of
the large horses brought down from
the north. An experiment station
official told me they had one left OF
the five which they imported.
Tuesday, May THE 'Insulal
Police" of whom there are about 500
take their authority from the governor
and in every city and town appear ir
the same uniform. Few of them car
speak English, but they are a fine 10
Of officers and would appear we'll il
New York or Boston. Race gambling
Cooking mains and vice districts Eek
cept the last in San Juan) have gon
out, since the United States took pos
session. Previously the decease'
relatives of those unable to longer pa
| cemetery rentals, were dug up an
| | pitched into big bone bin in tn
! cemetery Our government stoppe
such exhuming. Extremes meet i
/ Porto Rico, which has 5000 automo
| biles, While a majority of the adult
/ go barefooted and thousands Of child
Il rem go stark naked until about fiv
II years old. Passing a house, I saw
woman, neatly dressed ironin
/ clothes, with big cigar in her mouth
II The Porto Ricans are polite an
II peaceful, and for several years the
II consumption of liquors has been DE-
H creasing. Not half so many men,
II proportion, are seen smoking as
/ northern cities The people are s
L accustomed to carrying burdens O
! their heads that little children may /
seen coming from school with sever
| books on their head, and to the san
II position goes a valise, 200-pound sac
or piano, which you request to ]
taken to any place.
iii Wednesday, May To-day 4 lie
III The 'Coamo," onJwhich was the on
III passenger around the island, and we
III to reside a week with a Spanish far
III lily, whose house faces the nor
shore, where the open ocean CO
stantly breaks over coral reefs SO fe
III below. The white surf, clean bea
"A sand and palm trees are a beautif
Ii picture. Goats and kids, a little bla
ii pig and small fowls of the fight
III strains (the only kind of poultry tn
III have SEEM contend for verdure
III the slope to the sea. Chamelions &
III seen everywhere and there are liar
III more than foot long, which run
III fast over the lawn that only a ST
III boy could catch one. Porto Rico, Ii
III Ireland is said to be without snail
III and frogs. Vegetation is generous
II the tropics. Bamboo grows in ma
ii places. [ saw a hibiscus plant,
HI gorgeous bloom, 15 feet high.
III ceiba tree at MaragueZ was about
1T feet in diameter and supported V
III nine inches in diameter, which col
III around the tree like a serpent {
II filed the topmost branches. Lign
III vitae is plentiful, but there are
III trees for sawn lumber. A cedar, ht
ii ever furnishes the wood for ci
III boxes. DR.. Bailey r. Ashford in
III discovered hook worm disease