New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25
CHRISTINA.
HER KINDNESS TO THE CIGARRERAs'

Madrid, Jan. Queen CHilstih" Vi 'F' 100
marvellously increased her popularity ny "s' syn
nathotlc attitude toward the cgarreras "heH t'c
great Government tobacco factory at Mad'lu' VIM"
cm,loys II 600 girl, was destroyed b; FIRE the o'er
day. The extent ot this calamity Will be unders'oo"
when IL is stated that the families OF the cIare'aS
dopeud almost entirely for support on 'He 'Hia'! vi
ca cents day maid 20 the girls for making cigarettes
and that the utter destruction u the factory lcaHc'
them absolutely without means OF existence Inc
CONFEDERATION IS the most terrible at mas ever
in Madrid both IN It's magnitude and In rs appalling
o,.e,rc,ccs II was impossible 70 discover how the
fire began. and when the fire department reached
bc Mace II was already too late 10 stay the progress
Of the raging flames which had taken iuii Posse''on
% the entire building. Twenty -fonr nouns c'"P'cu
from the first discovery of the fire by the ponce AZ
q O'Clock in the morning before 1t was really got uhoeF
controI and every vestGc OF the hourHhhE ldctorN
was lcvcllcd 10 the ground by that time. Inc
ccarrea IS one Of the most picturesque features OF
Nadrilcur life she IS prOvcrhally GoodlooRlhg' goon
humored and just slangy and merrily inpuueh' as
the Partisan crisette whom she resembles very muc"
Her attire although coarse in texture Is well pun u"
and always includes smart red, blue or SeHo"
silk handkerchief tied with exquisite art on her dark
and silky tresscs. Her step Is quick ana sprlgh'y
and she I, full of what the spaniaIds call graca.'
Yet the prettv "cigarrera' IS the most CONSCIENTIOUS
LITTLE person I'm the world working from early morning
till late at night to maintain her parents 50 long
a, she Is single: and when she marlles' WHICH sue
generally does at an early age, tollng away WIN
rcdoubled energy 20 support her handsome lazy
husband and subsequently her babies.
Thousands # these Interesting creatures were left
entirely unprovdcd for By the fearful catastrophe
and all those who depended on them Tor ther udliS
bread were threatened with absolute starvation lNe
authorities displayed great deal OF energy anu Also
much sympathy with the sufferers. the Lieutenant
General Of Madrid being on the ground even Deioro
{,ts4
Minister we're not long in following and all inc meh
officials appcarcd one after the other on the scene
Of the conNagration. More than 10000 people We're
crowded there watching the alarming progress u ''0
flames but all eyes and hearts turned III d.''"e'
direction when the cry was raised In the Gale Nesoh
de Paroles that "thc Queen was coming Inc Poo'
little cicarrera, who had been wrneins their hand'
in despair surrounded the Royal carriage weeping.
cheering and blessing their Mother and the mother OF
thoir children a. they call the tender hearted Regent
The Young Queen very pale. ana her ueH''''
face was glowing with pity as She Stepp'u rom "c'
carriage and spoke words OF hope ana comfort "
the ,obbiug girls. The scene was an lndescfIOtu'e
one: the girl, pressed forward. knct before Hc'
Majesty kissing her hands and the hem OF her bla'N
do CRYING ont that they knew she would save them
and theirs some Of them holding up their children
to her.
The Oucen was herself crying bitterly. and when
she was at last reluctantly allowed to depart she was
followed BY such blessings ~ II Is seldom inc goo" ~"
tunc Of sovercigns to hear on the morrow depu'a
ton composed Of fifty cigarrcras presented Isei at
The gates Of the Royal Palace for. as they said they
r,rst thank the Queen fi her kindness and mplorc her
IN helm them ont Of their misery The sentry on
guard refused 10 allow the fair delegates to pass mo
the courtyard. and violent discussion crSucd' "hon
was however, cut short by the appearance on ''e
scene OF senior Valba secretary 10 the civil 'Verhor
He sent word 10 the Queen that dcputauon OF tho
,i,i- crtxi ing 81 audience
AZ order came almost Immediately from Her Majesty
that A representative committee should be ahmtei 10
her presence without delay, and ten girls having been
chosen they ver. conducted to the Queens audience
ROOM They took with them lovely lltte boy ol SIN
wears old with great black eyes ana curry haF' a.
representative Of the eighty hvc orphans OF dead cigar
rors who are cared for 80 cndcry by Queen CHRISTINA
in the casa de Carload blouse Of Charity close by the
NOW ruincd tobacco factory. and which narrowly Is
capcd being also burned down on the night oi inc
connagraon Her Majesty took the ntue boy III 'e'
o,vn motherly arms and kissed HIM several times,
SAYING his enraptUrcd aunt VINO "dH sVdiuie o's'
70 her shedding Tears Of delight, What dear ltte
fellow why. he Is Just the size OF the hing enc Ia"
kind word, Tor them all and told them that she would
do all ia her power ~ relieve their dire distress They
then proceeded - explain that what they wanted was
place where they might start their trad" airesh ana
senior Nlialba speaking in the Queens name pFAiScu
Ia have thl, request taken into lmne-
dafc consideration. lie hiNcl lldt tHc iNNh'"'
had opoucd subscription list for the relief OF their
present 30 numerous needs. and that she had oeaed
it with gift ol 10000 pcscta'. which were u oe ioI"
with dletrbuted Al tins announcement IN" girls, ior
getting all questions Of etiquette and social DISTANCES
overw hemcd Her Majesty with such passionate demon
strat0n- Of enthusiastic gratitude thai sh' was 1lo
overpowercI. They shOwered kisses on hcr hahus ana
dress pressing around her with muttered blessings ana
thanks and repeated the expression, Of love ana 10y
had Iesu poufed her the ndY DcOft
They then turned 70 Nillsba and as the spanish
newspapers have H. thl, fortunate mncilohary received
&c eranIcs abIazos de Ia clgirrefas '-Aneicc great
embraces from the cigafTcras This. OF course l. Only
a form Of speech. and the worthy secretary was simply
chcercd and thanked by the overlOyed girls who at
dclicb, charming 10 witness. "You don't know how
c0od our queen IS! they said TO their companions
waiting outside the palace. sic Is 30 simple ana
Kind lust like one Of ourselves IT was all We couI
do not to take her In arms and ss her sweet race
the -pecoh delivered by niue Felix salaLar to the
Regent. Tho child IS evidently not troubled 1y shy
ness for he spoke calmly and collectcdy Isping ont
tho word, that had been taught INN as unconccTieiN
a. If he were talking To his own mOther. lie sdlu
rcr,s because to day there are 1000 little chill
dren like me who have nothing to eat The sovereign
replied this by saying that She had alfeay lhduced
he Government continue to pay the cgarrera, thclr
wages until some final steps had been taken to provide
In the meanwhile the authorities had committed nm
belnown to the Queen slight blurder, which both
egu ana the iEAfltfh~ Tc'tl-tti Ntig Hlt"h
Hearing that body Of over 1000 cgarierae had sur
rounded the ROY al Palace, they sent detachment OF
cavalry 10 keep order while the touching Interview
between the Queen and the dcputauon OF girls was
taking place The offended olga reias turned upon the
soldier, and gave them piece of their minds crying
that they needed keeping in order-which was true
and "a much 10 the point were their arguments and
vtuperatons that the CahalcrOS withdrew without a
mu muir looking very sheeplsh and ashamed of them
selves, and heartily glad t. escape thc sharp tongued
naldcu, who regularly hOOtei them. Personally. Dom
Christina has always had the affection OF her subjects
but the in which she has behaved IN this in
,tancc changed these feelings into positive adOraon
and the effect throughout the country Is beyond any
thing that can be said written.