Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-04-09
A SOUTH AssERlcAN PARK.

Outdoor RecreltiO1s Of the People OF
1sCsnos iyres.
Buenos Ayres has its Bots de Bou-
logne Or Rotten Row in the Parque 8 de
Febrero, situated TO the north of the
town. and close to the river. On our
way to this rather distant park we have
an opportunity of seeing some of the
handsomest nOaern houses in the capl-
tai, in the vicinity OF the Gale Juncal,
Avenida dc Ia Hepublica and Avenida
General A1year, the last fine broad
and long road. destined some day to vie
with the Partisan Avenue du Bots de
Boulogne. Few Of these speci-
mems of domestic architecture
are remarkable for good taste or
originality; the models. as we have
already observed, are almost invariably
borrowed from France. and adapted to
Argentine needs with little discern
ment- One millionaire wants a small
Pitt palace built; another prefers the
chateau OF Blois: q tiaird requires copy
of a neat Renaissance villa that he saw
in the Pare AionceauX at Paris, always
with the addition Of a little more orna-
ment; and as there is 10 building stone
in the Argentine, caryatides, capitals,
pillars. balconies, coTDices. and every
molding and detail, are made of stucco
by Ingenious Italian worlzmen, who
build up reTDarlza bic monuments of in
sincerity over a simple framework of
brick and iron.
The Parque de Eebrero. commonly
known as Palermo, IS prettily laid ont
and covered with fine trees and shrubs,
but, with the exception of the two ave
nues-planted. the one with palm-trees,
the other with firs-yShere the daily
show of carriages takes place. the walks
and roads are not kept up with all the
care that could be desired. In double
file the procession OF carriages moves
up one side and down the other, under
the superintendence of mounted police;
a few horSeinen canter in the interven-
| ing space between che lines OF carriages,
| amaZOnS are very rare; lCungerS and
spectators on the sidewalk are also rare
| There is really little to distinguish the
| promenade OF Palermo from the usual
| dull staring match which all great capt.
| tails have in one form or another. Its chief
| characteristic IS q want OF animation: it
| is silent and funereal: the women in
carriages, mute and expressionless. seem
fulfilling a doleful duty as they sit in
| their coupeS. landauS or victOriaS often
drawn by fine Trabenen, English .or
French horses. imported. like the carri-
ages, at great expense. The latest ma
MIA amongst the rich Argentines is to
| have imported carriage horses and hand
/ some carria ges. You even see young
'sbloods,' nlarvellously clad in putty
colored of cream coats, adorned
| with broad seams and buttons as
| large as a saucer, perched on lofty
English dOg-carts. and trying to drive
tandem. In short, so far as it concerns
horses and carriages, Palermo makes
an excellent display. AS for the
ladies, you see many girls OF stril-
| ing beauty, but very few mature WON
en- who are not disfigured by excess of
adipose deposit, and both old and young
abuse poudre de riz and veloutine The
costume Of the ladies of Buenos Ayres is
entirely la Parisienne.
Still to the north of the town-the
one near Palmero and the other at Bel
grano-are two pleasant race-courses.
the Hippodromo Argentine and the Hip
podromo Nacional, with fine and
picturesquely-s tracks and
tastefully-designed tribunes. On one
or the other courses there
are races on Sundays and fete-
days during the winter months, under
the direction OF Jockey cluD. and
with all the formalities and apparatus
of the race meetings of Europe. The
Argentines are becoming great buyers
of European stock, and they already
have their stud-book and important and
well-stocked racing stables. As races
are usually 4 preteXt in civilized coun-
tries for gatherings of elegance and
fashion, / went to the meetings at
Buenos Ayres OF several occasions, but
my observations were each time iden-
teal In the tribune OF the members
of the jockey club l counted about
dozen ladies: scattered over the
other tribunes and on the lawn
might be seen about the same num-
Der of cocottes: the rest of the public
was composed OF men ard boys For
this rough horde OF human beings the
only interest that the races offered
was the betting, conducted in the Ar
gentine. as in Europe, by means of the
mutual pool or pari lnutuel system. On
each race the totals amounted to fifty
or sixty thousand dollars, and the mo-
ment the race was over there was a
roar of many feet and a stampede from
the tribune to the paying Offices
Theodore Child. IN Harper-s Bazaar.