The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-06-07


Madrid's river Of ,high-sounding
name. the Mazanarcs. Is a spatter OF
wet from the Guadarrama Mountains
In winter. a muddy torrent 10 spring. q
sand blown ditch In the summer, and
hardly capable sewer at any time OF
the year. II comes down from the cold.
gray heights 10 the north Of Madrid.
and winds half way around the city
from the northwest 10 the southeast.
What water flows through IL breaks Ia
sandy shadows, forming innumerable
little islands and curiousiy bounded
strips of land. all accessible By any bare
foot boy or girl.
Ten thousand women soak and splash
and souse and beat the linen OF Madrid
within it's scant waters every day. Not
an article OF clothing is elsewhere
washed. No other than these Mazanares
lavanderas are permitted 20 labor as
laundresses; and for three miles up aud
down the stream. from opposite the In
fantry and artillery barracks, upon the
heights of Montana del Principe. past
the windows Of the Queen Regents
apartments in the royal palace, and
circling around away beyond Toledo
Gate. the moving dots OF red and blue.
yellow and gray, comprise this great
army of Amazons. with arms and legs
on them like tree trunks; with yoluptu-
Gus breasts and shapcly necks; hard
muscled and bronzcd rs Turks;the most
arduous toilers. the wickedcst black
guards, and withal the sunnicst tenn
pered souls in Spain.
There are three grades in this labor
They are the mistresses, or amas the
overseers or ayudantas. and the lavan-
deras themselves. All arc women. The
first are the agents who receive the
work from the hotels. great houses, and
the city agencies, In huge lots. and are
responsible for its safe return. The
ayudantas or oyerscers are really the
forewomen of from dozen TO score
of layandcras each; and they are re-
sponsible for work placed in their
hands by the amas. AZ in the morn
ing. winter and summer. the lavanderas
will be seen. many of them with chill
dren trundling beside them. creeping
along from the barrios abajos or lower
quarters of the city toward the Man
zanares. Near the river is an asilo or
asylum. refuge for their children.
BY q O'Clock YOU might count from
1900 TO 5000 of the strange creatures
at work. The entire sloping. sandy
banks are covered with drying poles.
AT this time of the year the water from
the mountains is of icy temperature.
But il seems To make no difference with
their labors. Here and there huge
cauldrons contain boiling water. From
time 10 time a trife of this is poured iD
the little hollow where each one tolls ia
the sand and water; but this seems 10
be done more from habit than neccssi-
~. Each lavendcra brings her own
huge roll of bread. perhaps a bit OF
cheese, claspknife 10 prevent undue
liberties from the Struggling soldiery
near rs well as to use in Cutting bread.
and, just before noon. they breakfast in
huge wooden sheds on salt fish. pota-
toes, and coffee. with a measure OF red
wine provided by the anna. duplicat-
ing this meal at = dinner at in the
afternoon.
They eat like animals, and the mo-
ment their food is disposed of tinkle
OF the guitar is heard. and you or any
kindly disposed passer may dance with
them as did. until the thirty minutes
allowed them for food and refrosco
have expired. On those occasions every
one dances. girls OF Is and women OF
so. and the scenes along the Manzan-
aresar very picturesque and interest
ing But when tell you that one of
these iron-framcd wcnchcs must wash
ard dry ready for the ''starching,"
which is done by the criadas in the
eity,pieces of linen cqualling the cleans
Ing of seventy sheets in order to earn
- cents per day, the poetical sense in
1t all Is with the interested onlookcr
rather than with the drudging lavan-
deras of the Manz9narcs. ~ lfttSburg
Dispatch.