The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-28

Continuing our tour along the Gale 18th de
Julio-which is pronounced by many
travellers to be the finest streets in South
America, as in the evenings it is one of the
most animated, twenty-six metres wide,
with shops filled with rich Partisan goods
we come at length to the Plaza IRdepen-
dencia, which is hardly second in interest
to that de la Constitution. II is an impos-
ing parallelogram 22l metres long by 233
wide, crossed by broad paved path, lined
with benches. IL is being surrounded bv
lofty colonnades in the Doric style-such
as we have seen in Lima, Irequipa, Santi-
ago and the City OF Mexico-sections Of
which are already completed. On one side
OF the plaza Is the government building
in local parlanCe called "Palacio.D though
IL bears no sort of resemblance to d palace,
being al exceedingly plain affair. In it are
the offices of the various cabinet
ministers, and in front stands
queer little sentry-box, (Which we
at hrsJ mistook for q barber sigp) painted
in blue and white stripes, with simulated
curtains tied back with golden cords-doue
IN red and yellow paint. The barracks
are fronted by one of the newly-completed
arcades, under which the CORPSE de gayde
mostly negroes, loll all day on a long bench
smoking cigarettes and exchanging COM
ments upon passing ladies'. BY the way,
| Uruguay's standing army does not exceed
five thousand men, and they are mostly
concentrated at the capital The Presi-
dents body guard, q battalion 400 strong
sport picturesque forgery OF leopard skin.
topped by scarlet feZ, each feZ with a
black tassel bobblng over the wesrer's eb-
ony nose Inc common soldiers wear
baggy red trousers fastened around the
/ ankle-a sort OF elongated zouaVe costume.
The policemen of Montevideo, as in other
/ Spanlsh-American cities, are detailed
/ from the army; and the army
is mostly recruited from the
/ prisons. Thus 1t often happens that YOUR
nightly safety depends upon an ex-crimi
mai stationed outside the window The no.
lice are armed with ssores instead of clubs
and they know how to use them upon Of
tenders who resist arrest. A few wears
ago murders and highway robbery were Of
daily and nightly occurrence in the citv
and country, till President Santos came to
the force and made an agreeable change by
hanging every murderer and highwayman.
And IL lS but 16lr to add that now there il
no safer Oity anywhere than Monteyideo-
linen there IS the plaza la Carganchs. an
other tayorlte promenade of the people.
particularly for portly metrons and sober
old-tolk, who find themselves more at ease
there than In the crowded plaza la Cousti-
tLtlOn or the narrow sidewalks of the
Gales Sorandi, and Eighteen de Julio. and
that equally splendid boulevard known as
"Calle Vicente Cinco de Mayor the 25th
OF May street. name sanct1fed in the
minds OF the people by deeds of valor per-
formed during the long struggle for in
dependence. The most noticeable object
in the Cargancha is its lofty marble
column and pedestal, surmountsd by q
bronze statue of Liberty holding a flag.
This alleged work of art cost a great desl
OF money, and is the pride of the Mont.
evideoan's heart, who is nothing if not
patriotic; but Mr.. Theodore Child de-
scribes it perfectly by the irreverent re.
mark: 1.-THE pose of the figure is so I'M
fortunate that il suggests a lady in dis
tress, making signs with her umbrella II
. stop the tram-Cars." There are other
bOuLevards and parks without number
which we have not time to visit to-day
There are three theaters and a splendid
. Italian opera house, hospitals, asylums ana
other benevolent institutions, supported b,
public and private charity, museum. !;
public library and a race course that i,
more frequented than either; university
two Protestants churches, several Pro
testants schools and no end of seminaries
Spanish, French and English, male anC
, female, for educating and rising genera
: ton. FANNIE b WARD.