The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-25
A SPANISH CARNIVAL.
EDITOR WISER DESCRIBES So
CJAI LIFE IN JIREZ.
.Joillty Daring tho week BEFORE Lcnt--The
streets of the City Throneed with Merry
nakers-Bnl Town Like IynchburE


an Iynchburg. Mr.. Wysor is Nice-Consui
a.. Jarez. Spain:
Jarcz. Spain. Feb. Z. 1884,
received your letter several days aeo
and enjoyed reading It very much.
Thought ] would defer answering It un.
t1 ] became domicicd ~ nay new quar-
fcrs here at Jarcz. SO as 10 give you some
idea how i am situated. J have taken
board aud lodging al los Cignos' C"fhe
Svsus'D. a neat and vcii-kcpt little hos
terv on the Cola Iarca Cthc main street
of the clty) and almost ia the centre OF
the place The two leading clubs are just
opposite and another principal street en-
fcrs the Cola Larga Immediately in
front, so that ] can see pretty much
everything that IS going on. My quarters
were secured for me by Mr.. Seymour
Davies. the British Nice-COnsul, and fitted
out according to his taste and direction.
one is saloon or stting-rOom. elegantly
furnished. leading out on a gallery II
he'd had IL furnished myself 1 could not
have been better pleased. The other Is
my bedroom. The table fare here Is eN-
collent and nicely prepared. and so Iar
as creature comforts are concerned am
very we'll of indeed.
The I'm .Iish Colony.
Yesterday. sunday ! went 10 the Epis-
conal church with Rev. Mr.. Jones, the
curatc who occupies rooms adjoining
,ninc The church Is ia one corner OF
leaufifil park attached 90 the palace, and
Is attended by the English colony here.
After the services accompanied Mr. and
,fre Davies % their elegant home and
hrcatfastcd with them. and also took tea
I'm the afternoon. spending "a most delight
fni day. IL / did not know that Mrs.
Davies was an English lady / would say
shat she was an American lady of the best
fvnc She has an open frankness OF man
rcr coupled with an absence OF affecta-
zion that Is so characteristic with 50 many
~ our most charming women. Mr.. Da-
,ics S. an only son, and succeeded TO his
fiher's immense business and estates.
DIR. Davies two sisters are both married
fo wealthy men, one TO the Marquis of
.isa.
Opening of the Carnival
The carnival commenced here last night
ana is stu in full blast. and the people
odd the streets are having no end OF fun,
us We say in America. The Cola Larga
cola pronounced as though IL were speit
calyay, is the Spanish word for street,
6. 90 Jarez what Broadway IS 20 New
York. and IL IS as well paved, very nearly
as wide. and has the broad Sidewalks OF
broadway. il IS also as well lighted, Doth
with gas and electricity. ON tins great
fNNfUNEIANAf Auol Il-lAA WOO f'ANA a 49,
ing mass of humanity as you could hardly
. imagiue unless you have seen such a
crowd. one half OF them wore masks
mostly OF grotesQue and ludicrOus de-
signs. and were dressed in all sorts or
costumes. from the hisrlouic sublime TO
the absurd and ridiculous Thirty or for
IS thousand would have been modest
estimate az the number Of people who
were on the street and in the squares
through which 10 passes 10 say nothing
Of those looking down from the windows
aud balconies. Ladies Of all classes mill
gled freely and fcarlessly Ia the great
thronc, and those Who were properly dis
guised and masked could guy their mas
Cuiue acouaintances numerically with
out fear Of detection. Besides, they were
al armed with little paper eggsheils or
packets filed with finely cut paper I'm va
llous white. silver and tinsel most
lv-aud they would lombard any one
they chose with them, scattering the
contents OF the packets over their persons
and clothing The gentlemen would re-
turn the compliment in kind, so that by
10 o'clock r. NJ the street as well az the
people walking in IL. looked as though
they had recently experienced visitation
from the Snow King.
Mingled WIN the Throng.
went out anu tilIBi'N Will TIC AAii 'tNr
for an hour or SO i'm company with Mr.
Nilsson, a young Swedish gentleman resi-
deut here. who speaks and writes English
nuently, and who has been a great deal
OF company for me. For a time 1 escaped
the promiscuous bombardment Uhe mis-
chievous young people having respect for
my gray hairs and venerable appearance.
no doubt, but Nilsson got il right and
left ana / was immensely tickled at his
misfortunes and my own immunity But
woe unto the man that bOasteth unto
himself or thinketh himself secured when
least expected il / heard a fiutter OF
ekirts in my vicinity and a merry laugh,
and felt that ] was no longer a man apart
from my fellows My assaiiant was a
pretty young rOsy-cheeked English girl.
still IA short skirts. and she shOwored me
most prodigally with the gllttcring par
ticles which. with q black overcoat for
o. background and the brilliant light over
head. made me look ike a veritable pa
trarch with snow trimmings. Shortly al
forwards as we were resting in chairs on
the sidewalk, the same mischievous spirit
came along. accompanied by two other
young English ladies' and the three OF
them almost literally covered us up, de-
spite our efforts at defence. Our plight,
however, was in thorough keeping with
that Of all the other occupants of the
long row of chairs, who had been re-
peatedy bombarded in this profuse fash
ION. The young ladies, especially the
prettiest ones. had received the most at
tention, OF course. and from the crowns
Of their heads 10 the hem OF their gar
ments they exhibited the trace OF the
MERRY War"
Spanish Jollity
The Spanish people seem 20 crowd all
the fun and jOllity OF the whole year into
the week before Lent, ana our Christmas
celebrations seem tame compared 10 their
carnival festivities. On all sides can be
heard the twanging Of guitars, the clack-
ing Of castinets. the patter Of graceful
fcct going through the beautiful figures
Of the Spanish dance, the 'lapping OF
hands in accompaniment all minging
with the music of the brass band and the
1oyous hum and laughter of the sureing
thr0ngs. You can hardly form concep-
zion Of the same unless you were here
in the midst OF d.. and If you were hero
sou would be up 90 your neck in IT,
know.
Tho people here are very pleasant.
have never been treated anywhere with
more thoughtful consideration and kind
ness than by official representatives, or
other Governments whom have met here
a. well as by the private citizens
Jarez is a hill town like Lynchburg,
Flrrounded by beautiful rolling cOun-
try. and is one OF the richest cities in
Spain. IL has a population OF siXty-two
fHaueao1 and "A wafer SUNNY thar would