Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26

the courts and the Bolsa or stock exchange
Into ii run some Of the chief business
streets, and from il to the west extends
the AVenida de Mayo, the wide boulevard
OF which the people here are so proud ana
at the other end OF which the future capt.
tol building of the republic is to stand
This avenue has already cost 1o,Wo. 1o gold
dollars and ii Will eventually b- one OF
the grand streets of the world. The part
of the city through which it goes was in
the early Spanish days lighted with oil
made of mares grease. Now electricity
gives the same locality its illuminating
rays.
The Plaza de Mayo covers eight acres
The finest building upon ii is the cathedral
which looks more like a government Struc-
ture or an art gallery than a church. 1t
covers more than an acre and it Will hold
1000 people. 1t is seldom fun, however.
Buenos Ayrcs is the largest Catholic city of
the world. Nnety-siX per cent Of all the
people in the Argentine are Roman Catn-
Ole. Still. the men are not ardent church
Goers, and the women who attend the "a
thedral DO n1t usually I'll 1t. There are in
the city Iwentv-four Other Catholic church,
eS. There are only four which are Protest
ant Protestants are freely tolerated. ana
one of these churches is the Americas
Methodist Church. whose pastor is an Ohio
man, DR.. William Mclaughlin. 1t is wei
attended. being situated within almost a
stones throw of the cathedral, In the very
business heart uf the city.
The most interesting tnng. however, IN
EU,ros Ayres is its people | will write
mole Of them in other letters. They are
like no other people in the world. I have
always thought that New Workers. Boston
ianS and Ch:"1goans Were about as cog
ceited as 10 their own towns as any citi-
zens l had ever met in my travels. but
these ArgentineS cap the climax. Tax TO
a man in Buenos Ayr"s about his city and
his head s~e4lS ont at once I'LL ii Is hi-
Il foot bali. He thinks that the sun
and moon rise and set for the Argentine
alone. He don't care f3r strangers. and
the only heroes he worSlips are thosa who
live here. | VAS talking last night - Mr..
William Bulltin of the Southern Cross. He
is leading editor and literary newspaper
man here.
l referred to the above phase Of the Ar
gentine character. Said he: You are right
about the Argentine seif-ast ncm. / Gun't
believe there il a man n Europe or Amer
lea who could stir 10 lbe averas" person
hCrC by coming to visit as. | doubt If Ii
Hung Chang would attract notice in BueIos
Ayres from any one but :he sellers of lot
terry tickets. who, you know. are after ev-
cry new arrival. All w want 20 know is
whether you speak Spanish ard whether
you are convinced that BuenoS Ayres is
the greatest city in the world
/ think Mr.. Isu!i1n is right; but 5ti!; these
Argentines are not bal people .Bf-er all.
They have a character If their own, md
after associating with them for a while
YOU finu yourself loing they de. At
home | took my meals in good American
fashion and was 4 pain everyday business
man. Here | am satisfied with coffee in
the morning. l eat my breakfast at noon,
and about ; O'Clock in the evening. rather
to my own surprise, / confess. | find my
self walking along the Gale Florida with
the rest of the men, admiring the girls. I
have been tempted a number OF times Ia
buy a ticket in the lottery, and have on
three different days stopped on the steps
of the stock exchange, wondering if / could
not make Il pretty penny by going in and
betting on the rise and fall of gold | think
if | stayed here l should become an Argen-
. milo "a
some of the Argentine character.
FRANK @. CARPENTER.