Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-01-01
EVEN TIE BEGGARS RIDE.
ODD THIE 81 A oRREsFoNDsNT
SAW IN URUaUAY.
HE cry of NOnteVideO-A CurIOuS
Wavfn yHnya sFufsor ReOgnrs nm


William L. Curtis writes as follows
from Montevideo to the Chicago Inter
Ocean: There is no city more delight
fully situated thal the capital of Uru-
quay, aud viewed from any direction
the prospect of Montevideo is a lovely
one. Vital statistics give it the small
est death rate in the world, and the eli
mate is mixture of June and October.
Were it not for those dreadful gales
called "pamperos, which, during the
winter season, sweep the whole southern
half of the continent from the Andes to
The sea, searching every nook and crevice
Tor dust to cast into the faces of the people,
and parching the skin, this place might
be made an earthly type of Paradise. But
H0. hing can afford shelter from these
searching winds, and even strawberries
the year around are no compensation.
Montevdeo is built upon limestone
reef like II turtles back, which extends
about two miles into the Rio Plata, an
slopes from the center in either direction
to the wa er's edge, so that the drainage
S perfect, and the streets in the midd c
Of the town are 200 feet higher than
those along the beach. This ridge shell
tiers hemispherical bay from the storms
that come from the Atl intic, but against
the pamperos, which are more severe,
The shipping has no protection whatever,
and when they come vessels prefer to
run outside, where they can have plenty
Of sea room, to taking the risk of COLI
sons in the harbor, for an anchor is of
very little use in a pampero. Around
the curve of the bay, fronting the water,
are series Of beautiful villas, or "quiu-
ias, as they are called pronounced kiu.
tas) the suburban residences of wealthy
men, built in the ancient Italian style,
with all the luxury and lavish display OF
modern extravaganza, and reminding
one of the Pompe an palaces, or the
Roman villas in the golden age which
Horace pictured in his odes. OF the
most picturesque architecture, these resi-
lences would be anywhere attractive,
but here they are surrounded by per-
petual garden and thousands Of flowers,
which preserve their color and their fra
GRANGE winter and summer, and give the
place an appearance of everlasting
sFring.
Uruguay is as progressive as the Ar
gentine Republic, and is quite as full of
modern Improvements. There are many
beautiful residences and fine stores in
Montevideo, aud the people proudly
BOAST that anything can be found there
that can be bought in Paris. There are
three theatres and an Italian opera, a
race course, and any number of clubs, a
university, public library, museum, and
all the etceteras of modern civilization.
The ladies dress in the height of Paris
fashions, and among the aristocracy
social life is very gay. The people are
highly educated. are making money fast,
and spend it like princes. The Hotel
Oriental is the best in South America,
being built of Italian marble and luxuri-
ously furnished; AMI there are more
daily papers in proportion to the popula-
ton than in any city in the world; an
illustrated weekly journal is published,
aud monthly literary magazine; there
are hospitals, asylums, and other beneVO-
lent institutions supported by pubic and
private charity two Protestant churches,
several Protestant schools; fifty live
miles of street railways, carrying 9,G0o,
900 passengers vear-which is a re
markably high average for q city OF
12O, 900 people; boulevards and parks,
gas and electric lights, telephones
without number, and only now and then
does something occur to remind tourist
that he is not in one of the most modern
of cities.
One of the curious customs is the
manufacture of butter. The dairyman
pours the milk, while still warm, into
an inflated pig or coat skin, bitches it to
his saddle by long latso, and gallops
five or six miles into town with the milk
sack pounding along OIL the road behind
him. When he reaches The city his churn.
ing is over, the butter is made, and he
peddes it from door to door, dipping
out the quantity desired by each family
with long wooden spoon. Though all
sorts of modern agricultural machinery
are used on the farms of Uruguay, nc
amount of persuasion can induce the
natives to adopt the wooden churn.
Some of the foreigners use them, but
the butter is said to be not 80 good as
that made in this curious, primitive
fashion. Fresh milk is sold by driving
cows from door to door along the princi
pal streets and milking them into the
lars brought out by the customers.
The standing army of Uruguay con
sists of 5, 900 men, mostly concentrated a.
the capital. Their uniform is of tht
zouave pattern, with the exception o
the presidents dy-guard, battalion
of 300 or 400 men, dresaed in move
and striking costume of leopard skins
There are several fine bands connected
with the army which give concerts OF
alternate evenings in the plazas, which
are attended by all classes of people
and furnish opportunity for flirtations
. Everybody rides. No one thinks o
walking. Each family has its carriage
and saddle horse, and even the beggar
go about the streets on horseback. 1t i
common thing to be stopped on tn
street by a horseman and asked for
"centavo." which is worth two and
half cents of our money. These Incl
dents are somewhat startling at first, ant
suggest highway robbery but the appea
is made in such humble, pitiful ton
that the feeling of alarm soon vanishes
"For the love of Jesus, Senior, give
poor, sick man centavo. I've had n
bread or coffee to day." Aud receiving
the pittance the beggar will gallop o.
like a cowboy to the nearest drinlzin
place.
/ The national drink is called cana (prc
nounced canyah), and is made of the fel
mented juice of the sugar cane. 1t cor
tains about ninety per cent alcohol, an
is sold at two cents goblet, so that
spree in Uruguay is within the reach c
the poorest man. But there is yer
little intemperance in comparison wit
that in our own country. On ordinar
days drunken men are seldom seen upo
the streets, but on the evening after