The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1896-02-25

Granada. Spain, Feb. 1. '96.

The one great charm of travel |
in Spain is the absence of fellow
tourists. The Nectar of rom
ance and adventure" has not all
been drained by curious Ameri-
cans and discontented English
and one finds the people as musi-
cal, picturesque and unclean as
could be wished. The local col
or and life have withstood the
comparatively little invasion of
travel, and though Granada with
its Incompatible Alhambra has
been the goal of more curiosity
and sightseeing than other
Spanish cities, it retains many of
its purely characteristic and de-
lightful features. One of these
is the gypsy camp in the outskirts
of the city. Cervantes alone de-
scribes these people as, Just as
God made them and of ten times
worse" Education has never
laid her rule or ferule on them;
honesty and morality have pass
ed them in despair, and il the
proverb affirming the proximity
of cleanliness and godliness is
true the gipsies are way of.
It has been enough for them that
they live and they have never
asked those enigmaticalq lquestions
whence, why and whittier. Their
houses are caves and we were
allowed to go through one. The
first room was the kitchen and
the last and choicest one the
abode of the pigs. There were
many of these compartments
about the size of a steamer state
room, and as one groped his way
by aid of a small candle into the
depths of the hill, the smell be-
came painfully prominent The
pigs, though like gipsies, were
contented and the fact of being
kept in the parlor or spare room
added no arrogance to their ami
ably manners. Evidences of GER
tain luxurious tastes were to be
seen in the cave such as a piece
of carpet before each bed on the
earth floor, and a stovepipe run
ming up from the kitchen fire
place. Indeed artistic taste was
also manifest, for hanging over
the bed in one of the rooms was
a highly colored advertisement
of a German beer.
| When we left the cave we were
told that we could see the real
Gypsy dance for the modest sum
of 81, but we declined. Our in
terpreters after a consultation
with the gipsies told US that our
economy would be respected and
the dance given for IS. AS we
drove regretfully away we were
again informed that though il
was a great sacrifice and al
thogether unparalleled in the
annals of history we might see
it for s.. We accepted this
proposition though it developed
that we really paid 81, the las
one being in redemption of a
counterfeit dollar that had beer
substituted for the good one We
, had given. The coin was prob
, ably a product of gypsy ingenuity
and so far as I know, the tran
! saction may be one of their estab
, llished ways of making an homes
dollar, so to speak. The dance
however, was quite worth th'
: experience. Accompanied By
[ our two guides and two police
a men who, it was explained wer'
D necessary for our safety and, wh'
: only added to our general feel
) ing of insecurity, we went up
: dark alley, a darker fight o
Y steps and into tiny room wher
e the orchestra and dancers wer
4 assembled. The orchestra con
n sisted of three men who playe
5 the guitar, mandoline and tamil
d ourine. The dancers were fou
3 ugly women and pretty one a
s gorgeously arrsyed in brig cal
4 Goes and with artificial flowers i
!. their course dark hair. Th
Q services opened with a frightfr
S song that nearly deafened tn
S audience, which on account Q
Il the size of the room was with
II two feet of the singers. Then th
1t women danced together-an az
l. tive, spirited dance such as XII
a ally labors in vain to get. Thi
e was followed by sort of dan.
l. du centre. There were sever;
1T graceful figures danced by tt
" women and then one, La Hata
E, by the tambourine player and tt
IS pretty girl which was quite tt
prettiest of all, and would con
S pare favorably with the be
S dances on the American stag
1. During the performance VOL
IN dered that some enterprisir