The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-10
THE SPAIN OF TODAY.
)unOiS," in Philadelnhia RullatIp

The Industry Of the country, never well
handled. has been falling off In an omi-
nous measure since the re-establishment
tered IN fashion half-Asiatic and half
carpet-baK. The party In power must
nave money to pay the great places Of the
state, no matter what department comes
to want Thus the army officers navy Of
ficers and the great aristocratic families.
who give a sort of superficial stability TO
the form of government to which they ad-
here, are really bribed by the first fruits
OF the internal imposts. Indeed, the off,
cials who apparently have the least to do
In the conduct Of the practical affairs of
the government enjoy almost exclusively
the usufruct of the national industries
1t thus comes to pass that every public
tered The postoffice system would shame
the Fiji Island economist. The clerks are
put on starvation wages, and for months
at a time are left unpaid. As a result.
but poor material can be procured for
the government places. In three cases
out of seven the clerks who assort the
letters cannot read the addresses on the
envelopes. 1t has happened repeatedly
within my observation that persons apply
ing for letters were informed, after pro
forma scrutiny of the heaps, that there
were none, and Immediately after the
packet being placed In his hands, the in
quirer has found several to his or her ad-
dress.
Il Il Il
A party of Americans as a case in point,
We're detained in Seville eight days await
ing letter Of remittance. Of which they
had been apprised by telegraph. Every
clerk, and every time were confidently In
formed that there was nothing. Asking
at last to be permitted to look over the
packet, the very letter they were await
Ing was found stamped as having been
received week previously. Most clerks,
however, frankly acknowledge their in
capacity, and hand the packets OF letters
to each inquirer who helps himself.
with Spanish administration the spccta-
Gle Is the same The race Is really kept
In tutelage by the British, who are thus
enabled to exploit the peninsula as un-
restrainedly as il the land were under
British rule.
The moment traveller gets on a Span
ish train he recognizes the incapacity OF
the administration. Never was there
known such q shlftless ineffective rail-
way system 1t is impossible to coun,
on time or food. or even warmth. Com
fort on railway journey Is the last
thing thought of SO soon as the Spanish
frontier is passed. In the DAYTIME 1t ~
even in the dead of winter. Save in
northern Spain, the sun Is q solace and
Joy the whole day through. The rugged
and ragged land. even In the most unin-
the glorious yellow radiance Of midsum-
mer, During an entire journey In the
middle of winter, for example from Ma
drid to Cadiz, seven hundred miles or
sky during the day. In fact, the car
windows were obliged to be lowered just
as In summer. At night, however. the
cold Is intense. So soon as the sun IallS
behind the mountains the air Is like ice.
so penetrating that no amount of wraps
can protect you. after the genial expan-
sion Of the sunshine. Compared TO the
best travelling accommodations IN SPAN
ish railways. even the American enigrant
coaches seem a luxury. In them the pas.
sengers can move about. They are well
heated There are accommodations for
physical relief unknown on Spanish rail-
ways, and there il always plenty or water
to drink and for washing.
In Spain the third.class car Is sight OF
hideolis discomfort merely to look at. The
cars are narrow. there are but three win
dows to sixty people: the seats run length
the body from the conclusions of jolting,
sudden pulling up or starting. However.
there are compensations even against
these drawbacks. In summer the sun
can't burn the sweltering man, and in
winter Just as little travel is done as may
he Furthermore, the Spanish are not
travelling race, as the French and the
German and the English are. They pre-
serve much of the picturesque pnmitiNe-
ness of the romantic era. The peasant
who has a journey to make generally puts
himself astride his fat mule and. by the
way, such fat mules, such glossy mules,
such luxurious mules We're never seen
ont of an agricultural fair as you shall
see in a days ride In any direction in the
kingdom of Leon, CASTLE, Granada, Anda-
lusa, Catalonia and Arragon.
Even the ass. the butt and jibe of time,
,la tn-1n re-
spectability and consideration which
would solace the declining days Of that
race of maltreated quadrupeds that car
ried sherman's warriors . through through Geors'a;
ameliorated. There Is none of that inde-
scribably strident, wheezing, rasping as
of ten thousand "buckboards' dragged
over ironwood knots, which marks the
Nor, so far as | could see, are his heels
so nimbie, his hide SO salamandarine, OF
his conscience 80 obdurate 10 the gentle
insinuations of u well-slung slash. In the
and dull dead green, which make, up the
main features of Spanish landscape. the
country cavalier, prancing gayly over
the narrow road on his sedate mule, - n
sight not to be forgotten. His garb Is the
rarb of the day when the bards sang.
II Won are IN Andalusia. the colors ac
glowing and diverse Velvet trousers, or
plush, ending just DelOW tHe kHcc-cdp Wsu
rartered, oftentimes adorned with silver
bands; silver buttons on the swinging flaps
of the trousers the waist girded as In
Italy. with a scarf Of rich scarlet hue
wound about many times and serving for
braces as well as waistcoat, above this a
pretty jacket Of any gay-colored stun that
the taste may fancy; on the head plush
sombrero. more graceful than the slouch
hat because more shapely. Generally this
is adorned with a gay-colored ribbon or
feather. Nor Is this the custom of the
young and the llght-heartei alone. All
ages are thus habited, and very charming
II is, too. In contrast with the hideous con-