Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-04-15
LIFE IN BUENOS. AYREs.
Scenes in the Streets of the Old Spanish
Citv.


Scenes in the Streets of the Old Spanish
City.
The Gale Florida is the most fashion
able street in Buenos Ayres. Here are
the finest shops for the sale of objects
of luxury; the swell jewellers, milliners,
dress-makers, tailors, matters, shoe
makers; the fashionable restaurants,
Mercer Rotisserie, Franchise, Sports
man; and, above all, the crack Confte-
ria del Aguila. A confteria, it must be
explained, is shop for the sale of bon
bons, confectionery sweetmeats and re-
freshments, and at the same time sort
of cafe and bar-room where all kinds of
drinks and liqueurs may be obtained; it
is the Argentine equivalent of the
French cafe. Such shops abound in Blu
enos Ayres; there is hardly a block in
the city that has not it's confteria. The
one in the Gale Florida bearing the name
of del Aguila has facade Of white
marble, surmounted by an eagle
and two allegorical figures, and
it's windows form recesses along
the sidewalk capable of accommodate
ing each half dozen handles. The
doorways of the confiteria can also ac-
commodate a considerable number, and
those who find no room at the Aguila
struggle along the streets and seek
shelter in other dOor-steps, for it must
be added that the Gale Florida is an
old-fashioned, narrow street, and that
the sidewalk will permit only two per-
sons to walk abreast; hence the neceE-
sity for the handles of finding recesses
where they can stand without impeding
the circulation and mourning the wrath
of the police. And so here they con-
gregate, the rich young creoles who
pass their days rambling at the Club
del Progreso, and the hard-workeG
counter-jumper, and the dude who has
dined at the Cafe de Paris, and the dude
who has dined at tenth-rate italian
''hash MILL both are armed with cigar
cites and toothpicks, both wear stupen-
dOus high-colored cravats and enormous
diamond pins, and both are well
dressed and prodigal of immaculate
shirt fronts. They stand and they
smoke; they address each other with the
word che, of universal use throughout
she Argentine in the Specification of
IMAM" they converse in husky or gut
tural tones, pronouncing the words with
monotonous precipitation; and when
ever woman passes they look at her
and say: ''Hermosa rubia' beautiful
blonde); "Que cabecita tan linda!'
(What pretty little headO; ''Que bOca
tan adorablep' (What a lovely mouthD;
and other insipid or indecent words.
That is all. They stand; they smoke;
they make their silly observations; and
at ten O clock they dispense and Florida,
like the other streets Of Buenos Ayres,
remains empty until midnight, when
the people returning from the theater
give it momentary supplement of
animation. There is rush for the last
horse-car, a Gathering of the hoofs of
Russian trotters, banging of the doors
of elegant coupes, and then once more
all is silent and deserted; the bright
polished tramway rails glisten and
vanish in the long prospective of the
dark and narrow streets: and with the
moonlight silvering the blue and white
glazed tiles OF the church domes and
towers, and forming strong contrasts of
sheen and shadow amongst the irregu-
lar masses Of the houses and shops,
Buenos Ayres becomes for a moment
clothed in mystery and charm, and re-
sumes that tinge of Orientalism which
suggests itself in the distant views of
the town from the river Such is side
walk life in Buenos Ayres, or, as it may
be called in Spanish, sidewalk and
candy-shop life.-Theodore Child, in
Harpers Magazine.