Warren sheaf., 1894-03-08
SLOW TRAVELLING IN SPAIN,

SLOW TRAVELLING IN SPAIN,
hut Plenty to SEQ when You Have Time
to Spare.
One hears a great deal about Spanish
slovvness and laziness, and there can
be but very little travelling IN and
about the country without having
those two characteristics brought very
prominently into view. To this general
reputation Barcelona forms q very
prominent exception, and one can
readily realize the applicability Of the
term, he'Yankeedom Of Spain, which
has been applied to this city, IT'S bus
tie and crowding from one end of the
Rambla. the principal thoroughfare, to
the other, and in the wholesale dis
tricts it is as busy as down town in
New York, with quite as much excite
ment, and probably greater amount
OF noise, for the drivers kept up a con-
stant cracking Of their whips and talk-
ing to their teams. They have a very
peculiar way here of clipping the
draught animals, articularly those
that pull the horse cars. These are
mostly mules. aud all the hair is clipped
from their backs except q few patches
here and there, which seem to be left
at the fancy of the clipper. The car
lines run almost everywhere, and one
can quickly find himself out in the
suburban districts, which are beauti-
fully and most enterprisingly laid out,
tar beyond what seems the present
needs OF the city. During the greater
portion of the day these cars are, as q
rule. crowded, and other conveyances,
that look something like our '.black
Marias," are also called into play to
bring the people to their shops. Every
body smokes at all times, regardless
as to the employment or time. The
car driver smokes pipe and the con-
ductor cigarette, or, at least, sue
ceSsion OF them, and all the male pas
sengers are at liberty to indulge.
When one gets off the Rambla and
strikes into the old city he finds mar
row, winding streets, thatare, however,
interesting, and which are quite apt to
lead him into an unexpected square or
close to some ancient building that
has stood the wear and weather of CEN
turies.
The Rambla is fine broad street,
with q continuous park running
through the center. 1t is lined with
cafes and restaurants, which are filled
every afternoon and evening with a
gay crowd, drinking light wines or
beer, slipping chocolate or eating
dulces, all engaged in most animated
and heated political discussions, or be-
moaning their fate as the result of the
last lottery drawing is announced.
An early morning walk through the
streets is sure to be filled with inter
esting incident, particularly on market
morning. IF want to know people
thoroughly always go through their
market, and when see what they eat
can tell you just about what the peo-
pie are like, y said an old traveller who
had had experience in almost every
quarter. of the globe. Here the women
do the marketing, and in twos and
threes they trudged through the street
chattering vivaciously, most probably
telling how they made the grocer or
tho butcher come down half copper
or so in his prices. They all had a fine
healthy look, and are much better
specimens of humanity than their hus-
bands, or at least than the correspond.
Ing lot of men that one sees going
about the street. They wear no head
covering, and at that time of day dress
In simple calicoes, which are, however,
cut with some idea of fitting well.
Then, as one strolls along, he passes
stall after stall of flowers, beautiful,
sweet-scented roses, with girls to sell
them, looking as fresh and sweet as
the flowers themselves. Itstruck me
that there were finer types of beauty
among these pretty young faces than
saw at any of the evening gatherings
where wealth and blue blood are sup.
posed to predominate. Their eyes
seemed to tell with great effect upon
the male portion of the community
hstir at the somewhat unconventional
hour, and they did o thriving bust
hess.
Then after these fair vendors one
strikes whole lot of bird cages, hun
dreds and hundreds of birds, from the
smallest twitterer to the harshest and
noisiest parrot, and such noise and
confusion were unbearable after the
roses and their accompaniments, SO we
did not go further in that direction,
but turned back to look at the roses
or perhaps their accompaniments-
again. In the evening the trees of the
Rambla are thronged with myriads Of
birds, fIshting and chattering for a
comforta BILE perch for the night. Add
to their noise the tinkling of the bells
strung about the necks of the mules OF
some of the car lines and the inces
SAINT cracking of the whips, and one has
an effect that is most truly bewilder
ing. It is at this time that one meets
such q great variety of people and sees
such strange costumes. The Catalans
as this portion of the Spaniards il
called. are quite graceful and pictur
ssque, as well as dainty, in some 0,
their selections of color and pattern
Even the peasant women have small
well-shaped feet, while the working
class about the city wear well-made
and well-shaped foot gear. Almos,
every Spanish woman carries fan
aud the manner in which she uses it il
Che perfection Of grace. IN. Y. Times
NOT GOOD SWIMMERS.
E