The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-28
LIFE IN URUGUAY
Some of the Sights Of a Luxuri-
GUS Capital.
Rich AND GAY MONTEvIDEONs
Cosmopolitan town, Up With the Times
Though Remote From the
Worlds Centre.

1nOuRu heHlOlo ETOlu Guo
Worlds Centre.
MoNTEvIDEo, Uruguay, Jan. %, 1892
Especial correspondence of THE SUNDAY
HERALD. Let US devote this beautiful
morning to seeing the sights of Montevideo;
and, by the way let US first learn to pro-
nounce its name correctly. In the schools
OF Yankeedom we were taught to say
Monte-ve- di-o, with the accent on the third
syllable; but here on the spot, where peo
pie certainly ought to know how it should
be called, it Is Mon-tay-vay- dee-ho, accent
ing the fourth syllable and remembering
that the letter which we call is rendered
a in the Spanish language, and i is pro-
nounced q.
1t is midsummer now on this side of the
equator, you know. and these January days
are the most delightful of the year, abso-
lutely perfect in point of weather, the heat
tempered by ocean breezes, and dry, pure
winds blowing down the great La Plata
from uninhabited pampas above. The
happy Ricos sit all day on their balconies,
stunning guitars, smoking cigarettes and
los Pobes, (the poor, equally caerless Of
tomorrow if only there be "bite and SUPP
to-day-lol in the sunshine, more thor
oughly contented than any king in his
gilded palace; and in the balmy evenings
all the local world aristocrats and plebians
together, HE themselves to the plaza, to
enjoy music and moonlight to the top OF
their bent.
Let US begin our tour with that central
point the Plaza de la Constitution, which
after the manner of Spanish Americans
was laid out before the town was fairly
planned and
BECAME THE NUCLEUS
around which everything grew. For many
years it was known as the Plaza de la Ma
triz, until lin 1830), the constitution of the
new Republic was formerly proclaimed on
that square; after which event it was
solemnly rechristened. One side of it is
occupied by the great cathedral de la Ma
triz, with it's huge dome covered with blue,
green and yellow tiles, and its two tall
towers, in one of which is fine clock that
strikes the hours, halves and quarters and
is Illuminated at night Modern Monte
| Vidso is much given to stucco, stunning
facades and general freakishness of archi-
lecture; in contrast with which this plain,
old-fashioned pile-grim gray and massive
with its air of steadfastness and indestructa
bility-appears doubly impressive 1t was
dedicated as long ago as the year 1900; but
time and wars have made little impression
upon it. Inside, we find the usual tawdry
ness that distinguishes other South Amer
lean sanctuaries, the smell of candle-smokC
and long imprisoned incunes, q tomb-likC
atmosphere that receives no ventilation ex
cept from the carefully screened main en-.
trance.
Why is it, wonder, that in these south
ern churches the Virgin Mother seems tt
receive so much more alteration than is be
slowed upon either the Father or the Son
, In this cathedral, as in many others, w
+ can find but one or two representations o
, Jesus, hidden away in darkened corners
while saints IN gorgeous vestment Is aboun
and there are at least dozen images of tn
Blessed Mary-Marie Mary o
J Anguish" Marie Mercedes, MARY o
Mersy;" Marie Carmen, MARY Of Blood =
Marie Conception Purlssima," MARY o
r the Immaculate Consepcion; Marie Tran
, site, MARY Ascending to Heayen;" an
t no end of others. AS in many south Amer
icaa sanctuaries, there is a negro her
! among the saints
ST. BALTAZAR;
and Saint Augustine, too, a countryman c
Othello, the Moor, you remember,
painted black as ebony. About the onl
innovation in this Montivedeo cathedral
striking and beautiful statue, near tn
door, representing some long-dead arch
bishop, clad in full oanonicals, kneelinl
/ with head appraised in prayer.
On another side of the Plaza de la Coz
! stitucion is the Cabildo, where congress
q holds its sessions, as indicated by the lab
n across it's front-"Representa NJ
= cional." On another side is the celebrate
Uruguay club house, with it's magniicer
;, facade of white marble, one of the mos
:, luxuriously appointed places of it's kind 0
/ the continent Nearly opposite to it is til
= English club house, an institution dear t
q the hearts of exiled Britons, thong
4 plainly housed and conducted with an ey
- to the solid comfort of the members an
: their guests rather than to ostentation an
" display.
In the middle of the plaza is q super
! white marble fountain, with many basir
|, and much carving, its base inscribed wit
y patriotic sentiments and dates commem
a rating the political history of the couutr.
:. From this central point paths radiste lii
= the spokes in wheel, each path hanke
with Egyptian thorn or acacia trees, CO
ered with blossoms in their season, but
pruned and tended that one pities the
% crippled condition. To the right of IL
! fountain is pretty little kiosque, where
!. FINE MILITARY BAND
4 plays every Sunday morning after mas
o and on most evenings of the week. StoI
d benches outline the paths, set under tt
D. thorn trees; and the rest of the plaza
strewn with smooth reddish gravel. upt
which small tables are shattered abou
= where ices. wines, lemonade, etc., a
O. served.
It On summer evenings all upper-cla
Moutevideo may be seen here, out on Ore
parade as it were in their choicest jewe