The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-27
SPAIN.
The City of 1Tainga-The Fruit and Wine
Understanding Prospects Under n Re-
publican Regimc-Iibcrty and Its COnse-
Quences-The spanish LabOrer.

quences--The spanish Laborer.
MALAGA, Nov. q, 1858.
Malaga Is not one OF the prettiest and most STIR
ring OF the commercial cities OF spain. It has GER
tain interest for more Americans than any other
place In this country because IL sends the United
States the raisins without which Thanksgiving pud-
dngs and Christmas mince pies and even New
Years cakes would be STALE nat and Improbable.
How dreary would be our holidays without the
toothsome and indigestlbe ralsinl Where would
the American youth ind his future con.
ISOLATION In the absence of the dried fruit
Of Malagas BY its fruit alone should Malaga
be judged, because in little else has it claims the
attention of the world ! have said 1t is not the
prettiest city I'm Spain, but II one views 1t from the
blue Mediterranean or from the lofty SUBMITS of the
mountains that surround 1t on almost every side 1t
presents some features OF beauty. One day or
other in the distant past there must have been
fine bay here frequented by Roman or Carthagenan
traders and alive with the quaint craft OF those early
days. But the shore has rapidly encroached upon
the sea, and in the memory Of men now living where
the beautiful Alameda is the waves OF the
Mediterranean flowed and small craft rode
at anchor. The old Moorish citadel, now 200 yards
from the beach and well in the town. was once en-
tered by vessels Of small sze which sailed through
its elegant portal and unoaded their cargoes within
its walls. As it is there Is but little harbor left
protected by means Of a small mole, behind which
ships lie t0lcraby secure moored stem and stern.
The city fronts the sea, and beyond the huge cathe-
dra that has come down from the middle ages there
is little striking in 1t in the public buildings On the
lofty heights behind the town are the old Moorish
Notifications, picturesque and imposing with their
towers and curtains and battlements, which are now
being torn down, domineering over the place.
Through the city flows mountain torrent,
sweeping everything before IL, but generally pretty
brook scarcely large enough TO furnish water for the
washerwOmcn who seem to inhabt its rocky bed.
In the short valley through which 1t comes from the
mountain are the summer houses Of the Malaganas
and the most delightful gardens Of spain In the
At present there is no excitement in Malaga ex-
sept on me subject OF raisins and politics The sea-
begin 70 pay more attention to the latter as Its sea-
cannot complain OF the present fruit season. Ii has
been an extraordinary one. The fruit has been
abundant, OF good quality and flavor and the drying
The crop Is mostly gathered and packed and already
shipped. over 100000 boxes of raisins have thus
far been sent TO the United states and two or three
ships will probably find cargoes yet. America alone
consumes over tw0-thirds Of ali the raisins grown
In this province the balance goes to every part OF
the globe. England takes all the No. fruit and
clamors for more; the second quality goes there also
and to the Continent, while the Americans consume
for II and labor under the pleasing delus.on that
they eat the best which is as baseless as other dclu-
SUNS theS ShClish WIN TeIiru wines, DfduuleS
and many other things to drink ana eat
rfr H,9 not LOCO boxes of second rate
not single pound Of the best IL seen there excent in
the shape OF present or a curiosity, The first grade
OF third quality raisns sold In the United States
az a choice article, but none or the genu-
Inc first rate rasins. The rasps cost here
about ~ 80 TO 81 so per box, ready for ship
ment. what they are sold for in the United States
at retail, have no means OF knowing, but probably
the consumer pays very handsomely for the luxury.
the Malaga rasins are always packed in layers, tie
a nln hafx fhAss.
and are generally presty carefully cleaned before
shipping. They are grown IN all but the most noun.
famous parts OF TINS province and Andalusia gene
rally Tthey are picked before they fully ripe aud
are dried ON tue ground by the sun alone.
:, The raisins from Valencia aud Tarragona and In
the eastern provinces are cured by dipping them first
In strong I've, which shrlnks them up, ana after
wards dried either by the sun or artificial heat.
These are never packed In layers and are unfit for
any other than cooking purposes When the process
oil drying the Malaga grapes Is completed they are
lad between boards ana pressed IN layers After
raisns cut out but this process is again repeated by
the houses that purchase them for Shipment be-
not slow TO sell bad fruit with the good. When this
process completed the producers pack them plain
boxes. put them on the mules back and send them
to town, when they are unpacked. sorted, pruned,
repacked with new and fresh paper. labelled with
the sellers marks and sent TO foreign ports The
great houses hgve no vineyards OF their own, but
buy where they Can The reputation OF houses rests
entirely the care they take in preparing the fruit
for packing. As the season Is short Malaga Is
rather lively when the crop begins TO come In.
Country women flock In by hundreds 10 sort and
pack, and the men find employ ment In boxing up
alone are iD port, load and sail away In the space
OF two or three months, and "a many more are here
S Gs G's MaSgs es e o the
people: The daTfces. songs. merrymakings
and low making go ar ln... hig snes
pressure. Everybody works ana. everybody p.~-s
ana everybody Is happy a they ought 10 va ~ ".
cause they arc al making money. Besides the raj
sins sent from here. no small quantity OF oranges
and lemons, nuts wine &C., are exported several
large cargoes OF oranges aud lemons have already
been sent to the United States and more are goinr
the fruit does not equal that from Havana or sicily
In sweetness or delicacy OF flavor: hui rs Il ripcns
earlier II always inds ready market In The United
States and England. Now that q railroad has opened
up some OF Tire back country, which produces spleen
uiu VINE, Maasa ~ beginning 10 rival CadH IN the
shCrrics. Mucn Of the Malaga wine. so called goes
TO Cadiz, where Is liked up little and - then sent
ih,o tue Nora - pure sherry. AZ i can be bought for
sonG ana as people. In England especially, who
are oil born natural tastcrs seem ike their
peculiar An0nti.iado IN that way, no one can blame
the enierprSlng houses III Cadz for seling Malaga
under another name. 4 peculiar wine called Mon
THO, made IN The province, Is coming greatly M
fashion 10 has mi the best Qualities or the sherry
" IS Dry, iutaayofei. with q splendid bouquet. and
contains but small per centagc of spirits u eau
DC bought la Malaga Tor about a dollar gallon. AMI
y y wine thGt can stand ny the choicest article
that Jercz produces. 1t viii run sherry ont OF the
market one Of these days The sweet Malaga Is 100
Wen Known TO require notice here. II Is cheap and
plenty, aud Is greatly used as a dessert wine.
IN politics Malaga Is like her sister cities In Anda-
iusia Inc people OF the lower classes are fiery DEM
ocrat3 anu are impptuousy active IA demanding n
republican form OF government They do not eN-
actiy understand what republic Is, but they expect
That 1t Is ~ some way or other TO he or great goo to
them, particularly Il Tie republic Is what they I'm
a4lnc H. lhcY really believe that when they gain
Tue REPUBLIC that there VIII be general division OF
property between the rich and the poor his lail
dOtTuc vi socialism viii work great damage 10 the
people anu y the c0unrJ. II ~ 50 FIRMLY rooted IN
w. ihs = thc lower Glasses thai nothing but
bIo0dy lesson WIN eradicate II. u was only yes
tcfdu thGt | saw baud OF more than 100
tough athletic, sunbusut fellows assembled 10
we Alameda, warmly DISCUSSING subject