The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-07
THE BAs QJES Of SPAIN.

From the Literary Digest,
Whether the Aryan peoples, the Ger
mans, the Celts, etc, poured in over
Europe from the shores of the Caspian,
or had their original home in north
western Europe. certain it is that wher-
ever they advanced they found the
country in possession of a people. who
perhaps, had no more claim to be thu.
first settlers that the Aryans them
selves. This people was of Turania d
stock, and was represented in the stone
are by the lake jewellers of Switzer.
land and of Ireland.
Its best-known modern representa-
tives are the Greenlanders. the E.sqi.
mo, and the Basque people of Spain,
whose little country is On the northern
and southern slopes of the Bases
Pyrenees, on the shores OF the
bay of Biscay. For the most
part the old settlers were conquered
be the newcomers and exterIuinated or
absorbed or driven to the mountains,
where remnants of them survived as
distinct people down TO comparatively
recent times. But in all civilized Eu-
rope, Spain is the only country in which
any remnant of the race has succeeded
in maintaining itself distinct 10 the
present day. This remnant, known as
Basques, has played a conspicuous role
in history, aad something of its story
is told by Eliza beth T. Spring in the
Cosmopolitan, from which we extract
the following:
THE first impression of this people,
as one settles among them, is of ex-
traordinary force, nobility and intelli-
gence- Dignity Is stamped on Their
faces, and an air of high-minded, sim
pie sincerity inspires absolute conf
dence. As the acquaintance rip-ns,
this impression grows deeper. These
people are pure, in spite Of their French
neighbors on the north, industrious
and practical, though they touch
Spaniards on the south. As loyal as
they are independent, they are to the
last degree hospital bic and generous
With al this they are intellectually
keen and discriminating. An acute
observer says Of them:
They have the IL tural active To-
likeness of the Irish, without servIity;
the sagaci-v Of the scotch, without
cuteness; the steady self-rcspect Of the
upper classes OF England without
Saxon stupidity. have seen them ex-
ecute ven geance without an angry
word. resem bling North American In
dams IN the self-possessioa OF their
disDa ssionate conduct. Ono instinc-
lively recognizes them not onlv as men
OF the highest order. but as absolute
gentlemen. even N the TUdest noun
taineer dress. Their manner toward
each other, - toward strangers. -
siDguiarly Courteous and direct and
marked b. genuine kindness and ami
ability. There j. no roUghness what
ever N their forccfulne~s-
The women are VERY 5eautiful:
their phvsioguoJny extremely mobile.
with frequent pay Of eyebrows ana
qlivering ~ lip Their gait j. elastic.
their hands and feet are small ard ex-
Guisitely formed Their glance sone-
times seem Ironicai. half hooking. but
always clear AMI fun % Ere
'-EelaSco. their own historian grave
Il traces their descent directly from
TubalEain- Humboldt calls them Celt-
Ioeriaus. Theory On theory. each one
disprovIug tie last with equal learn
ing. has been advanced . account for
this phenomenon Nothing low seems
more probable than that they arr a
remnant q The trog!odytes OF The age
u stone. tle anne y ltA me men 7rhose
bones are - ~ f0unl a ;Ae cAvsrus q
TIE A. ps AID ne Pyrsnees beside those
% the huge animals they hunted IA
his case 'aeIE uEwri:ten history ds;es
from twenty centuries before lie
Christian ga
II IS from III eighth eentvry. VIXEN
t1er destroyed The F-z1k army. ard
when u tce fEh; against to Sez-
cens, tHer s>ood ost "A the fal. E~ht
a-s.ee TIE >Canls.cs. -tast tbe -