Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-28


Edward E. Hale, in the Boston Advertiser
All the ladies' and gentleman who ar
interested in the 'coffee-house move
ment in Boston would be delighted will
the Spanish arrangements of cooling
drinks" which cheer, but do not inc
briate. On the Prado, the elegant prom.
enade of the city, which now extends fol
miles, at distances of not more than fifty
feet apart, under the shade of the trees
are large and well. devised stalls, which
can be locked up and left at night, where
thirsty people can buy lemonade, or eat,
ce-cream, and many other temperate re.
freshments of names unknown to Boston
and at prices fabulously small. The
Spanish national drink may be said to be
sugared water. The business of the deal
er is to sell his water cold, and with il
furnish an a<ucariiio, which is sugai
which has been so acrated that it readily
dissolves on reaching the water. The
dealer also provides chairs and little
tables. While the King and court, the
nobility OF birth, of fashion, of wealth
and OF dress drive by in their elegant
carriages, s,-the citizen who can command
two cents sits in his chair in the shade,
sips his azucarillo water, and "assists u
thus in the spectacle. If he be more
lavish in expenditure lie flavors the water
with lemon or other syrup or acid. Most
lavish, he pays seven cents for an hor-
chata de chufas, sort of ice-cream OF
sherbet. and for the delicate water-roll
through which he sucks it. The chairs
Oh the edges of the Prado are close to
each other for miles. The dealers supply
additional chairs in perhaps equal num-
bers. For every mile of this beautiful
promenade there must be thousands OF
persons sitting every evening to enjoy the
cool air without intemperate or stimulat-
ing indulgence. OF this system the
practical merit is, that the stall, or booth
and its equipage are supplied for rent
by some higher authority, which super
vises the whole. A company or society
could easily do it.
The Prado is not disigured by inele-
CANT structures. And there is easy super
vison to see that illicit drinks are not sold
"on the sly" In nll the cities of Spain,
which l have seen, are enormous coffee
rooms. as, large as the largest billiard
saloons of New York. Every evening
these rooms are thronged with people
who sit slipping coffee or other beverages,
but who seek the club life of such an
assembly rather than the physical re-
freshment of the liquid imbibed.
1t is not the habit of this people to
stay ut home when at leisure With us,
almost every man has some home to stay
in, and it may be hoped that that home
habit will not be weakened. All the
same, there are with us those who choose
to spend some evenings in other amuse-
ment than that suggested by Mr.. Bright.
In providing cheerful, even gay, coffee
houses for them no better models will be
found than those of Seville aud Madrid.
l have seen no cityin America of which
the principal streets are kept as clean as
those of Madrid. Washington approach
es them, but the administration here is
better even than there. The street.
sweeepers begin work, at least, as early
as three Ill the morning every day. A
great part Of their work il done while the
streets are free from passengers. There
Is no large force ut any point, but they
may be seen almost everywhere. The
city government waters the streets. In
this hot climate the refreshment of evap-
oration is very desirable relief, and it is
everywhere supplied. They have water
carts like ours, but their principal re-
lance is on the street aqueducts, which
are served for watering by n staff of men
who have attained great skill in flooding
the streets without touching the passers
by. You see such man, with two at
tendants, who carry hose perhaps six
feet long. The nozzle is 80 large as to
send a stream of three-quarters of an
inch. The head of the Madrid aqueduct
ic htnh Int thi, "A 4
livered with great rapidity. These brisk
fellows pass up and down the special
streets entrusted to them, screw their
hose on plug, and watch their chance
to food pavement or sidewalk. You
would say that they would duck every
body, But, as said, they never touch Il
lady's ilounce or the wheel of carriage
The instant that there is gap in the cir-
culation, plash falls the cool water
But no ccachman or foot passenger lags
for them. 1t is their business to keep
their water out of the peoples way and
they do. But the street is kept cool.
The great square of the Puerta del Sol is
always thronged, as with us great
square is thronged only ON a holiday
These water-fellows somehow keep
the pavement wet, by watching their
chances between the omnibuses or when
no foot passenger appears. ! would say
that the thing was impossible but that |
have seen it done 80 often.
In this hot climate men go to work
much earlier than with us. / wonder
that our outdoor trades in cities do not
initiate them in Summer l have seen
the whole body of builders on house ut
work at six in the morning. How much
earlier they begin I do not know. or
course they take-aa thau naad-a lonn