New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-27
DAYS AT MADRID.
A JOURNEY IN THE LAND OF PRO-
CRASTINATION.
THE APPROACH FROM THE soUTH-MoDERN
ASPECTS OF SPANISH C1T1Es-AN ILL
GRooMED TowN-sOME QUEER
DISHES

Madrid. May II.
Spain has needed a popular demonstration Of
the extent Of her own resources; and she has
needed TO make a wider acquaintance than she
has for years been able to boast with the prod
ucts OF the world circular sent to America
by our consul here. Senor F1guerro Hernandez
apprlZed us some time ago that an international
exhibition would soon be held here The Queen
Regent had agreed to lend her influence to the
encouragement of the enterprise and many dis
tinguished personages were quick to follow the
royal example. The opening Of the great inter
national fair at Madrid was set down for April /.
It did not open then. Nobody expected that 1t
would. for they move slowly in Spain. The fast
est things here. the railway trains. make fifteen
miles an hour-upon great occasions. American
visitors felt entirely safe in coming to Madrid
only a short time ago. And besides, to procras
innate is exceedingly tempting since the opening
Of the southern route from Ameaca, which pro-
vdes for an approach to the city by way Of
Gibraltar.
Spain has definite strata of provincial life
which are marked in many odd little ways. The
hats. for example. in Andalusia and CASTLE are
different. The stiff sombrero OF Cadz or Seville
which everybody wears, is far less generally worn
in Madrid, where the derby or English crush
prefer soft, graceful cap like our Tam O Shan
ter minus the topknot. But at the gateway Of
Spain there are no distinctions Of race Gibraltar
is a veritable Midway Plaisance congress Of
all nations. in which the Engshman is no more
conspicuous, spite Of the 1000 garrison, than
the Moor from Tangier the negro from Tim
buctoo The native of Gibraltar Is himself a hy-
brid. One amiable young fellow modestly con-
fessed to me his mongre blood He was neither
Spanish nor English, he said he spoke the lam
Ruage of neither country nor the other but
was in speech and nature mixture Of both.
AS a matter of fact, the accent Of the inhabitant
OF Gibraltar, born of English and Spanish par
ents is distinctly English. You hear some talk on
the Rock. and on both the African and Spanish
coasts. about the ndetermnate position Of the
fortress. The Spaniards hunger for it, and they
will tell you, with air, OF the guns Of great
range that they have mounted at Ceuta, to the
southwest across the Strait. These guns could
carry even beyond the Rock, and It Is notorious
that the English defences are supplied with an
inferior armament al the present time But bet
ter guns are promised for the famous fortihca-
lions. and. moreover the Spaniards have only 10
open the ball from the African side for the Eng
lish to begin making merry with their enemies
at the base Of their great possession. Indeed,
there is nothing funnier by the Pillars Of Her
cules than talk.
one should not be so near Tangier without
paying the place a visit and that is to be thor
oughly done within two days The quickest way
in which to get to Madrid from Tangier is to 60
back to Gibraltar and start from there but It
is wiser to take the trip to Cadiz. Cadiz. If un-
interesting itself save for It's sea front has at
least the advantage of bringing you nearer to
Seville, and in that city the tower of the Cir
aida and the gardens Of the Acazar alone
worth travelling far 10 see From Seville the
path leads obviously west to Granada from
which place there is a diligence ride Of
some seventy miles to Jaen. the nearest
station on the line to Madrid. This dill
gence ride is an experience to remember. The
vehicle Itself dirty like everything In Spain. is
a rickety, faded survival drawn by six or eight
horses as the roads may require. Half "A dozen
changes of horses and mules are made during the
journey, which lasts nine hours. For that jour
ney It is necessary 10 pay only 12ia pesetas II
you sit In the coupe behind the driver or beside
him the box From the box YOU most appre-
clate the noisy vivacity which attends your stop
pages your departures and your passage through
the little groups of houses found along the road.
on the box you can with most good humor
on both sides sprain your powers Of speech in
seat at his side you get the most satisfactory
view Of the beautiful. austere scenery through
which the diligence passes. one hears of sunny
Spain" and Of the fertility of the land. It is
fertile in spots Whole leagues of the country
and a Spanish league Is no small matter-are
very nearly barren. The long TANKS Of the hills
are bare the olive orchards-when you do meet
them-have nothing of the air Of prosperity
which they wear in Lombardy. While there are
farms here and there that appear fruitful and
even rich the prevailing effect is Of lean
melancholy
Spanish cities have some points In common
with the rural districts: the atmosphere of inert
undeveloped places; the absence of bright, vivid
attractiveness. They have their special beau
ties the Jewels that shine in the crown Of tile
peninsula 1t is impossible to see the Alhambla
without being beUitched bv its strange Eastern
magic, no matter how much more decorative
than architectural the arabesques Of the old
Moorish builders may seem 10 Western eyes. And
in a purely spectacular fashion the Generafe.
facing the Alhambra, is one OF the quaintest
little villas in Europe fairly comparable to some
of the smaller villas in Italy. In Seville you
study the tender art Of MurillO in some of its
finest phases. OF the gallery here 1t need hardly
be said that 1t Is one of the greatest galleries
Of the world Ihere Is enjoyment enough ana
there is stimulus enough TO be found in the jour
ney to Madrid here outlined to more than justify
one In taking 1t. But the cities on their modern
side which Is the side most In evidence, are
built with bad workmanship and worse taste.
The houses are commonplace pinchbeck things,
a little more disappointing in Madrid, considering
what one would naturally expect OF the capital.
than anywhere else. The palace Of the Marquis
TJnar here which is famous throughout Spain.
has a facade of which New-York would be
ashamed. In fact Madrid IS most nconse-
quentlal capital, so far as domestic architecture
is concerned and the few important public build
ngs. aside from the Royal Palace. scarcely
more Interesting. The city has often been called
a third rate Paris. Seventh-rate would be more