The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-01
FACTS ABOUT THE
SPANIARD AT HOME
Degeneracy Evident In Europe's Once
Most Powerful State.
REALLY A BLOT ON CIVILIZATION
A Queens Carriage Stuck int the Mud.
Condition of the spanish Roads.
Backwardness of Agricuiture--A
Paper system of Canals Frequency
of Murder--A Country I'm worse
Condition Than Turkey.


Condition rhan Turkey.
From the Globe-Democrat.
A Paris newspaper recently publish
ed a letter from it's correspondent in
Madrid which contained a queer item
Of intelligence from the Spanish capi-
tai. A few days before the Queen Re-
gent was driving in her carriage from
the Escurial to the capital, Il distance
of about twenty miles, when at bad
place in the road the carriage stuck
fast in the mud. Positions swore and
shouted, the officers of the guard stood
about and advised, the Queen frowned
and threatened, but all was of no use,
the horses could not extricate the car
riage from it's desperate plight. and
finally planks were procured and laid
from the nearest dry ground to the
door of the carriage, an officer gallant
ly waded UP to his knees in mire and
proffered his assistance, the Queen
walked on the planks across the mud
hole, another carriage was obtained
and q gang of laborers employed to dig
away the mud and eXtricate the royal
coach from its imprisonment.
The spectacle of the royal equippage
stuck fast in the mud within twenty
miles of the capital, and on one of the
most freQuented roads in Spain, is sig
nifCant of the condition of the thor
oughfares generally throughout the
Iherian peninsula. a recent traveller
says it is impossible to conceive of
worse roads than those in Spain.
Throughout large part of the country
the roads are such only in name, for
across the great plateaus of the inter-
Tor, which are tolerably level. the
roads are mere tracks over the sand.
In many places they are not even laid
out. a fat which is Of no small con-
venience to the traveller, for when the
well-beaten track becomes too dusty
for comfort the traveller goes on one
side or the other, and thus IN many
localities the so-called road is right
of way from 50 feet to 200 yards wide,
one part or another being used accord
ing TO it's condition.
MOORISH ROADS.
In the southern or Moorish portions
of Spain the roads are well laid out
and in tolerably good condition, for the
Noois did we'll whatever they did at
all, and, in fact, although so unjustly
and cruelty treated by the Spaniards
they did more for Spain than ever was
accomplished by it's native inhabitants
The Moorish highways in Granada
Malaga, Almeria and Murcia, are as
well made as the old Roman roads
Huge blocks of stone form a basis
over these are placed smaller blocks
not differing greatly in size from those
employed on the streets of a moderr
city. AS a finish, on the top is placed
a covering of pebbles. firmly set in ce'
ment. Cement is used, however, from
the bottom to the top, so that a we'll
made Moorish road is one great stone
40 to so feet wide and miles in length
Roads such as these need no repairs
and their good condition Is due not ST
much to Spanish industry as to tht
fact that the roads themselves are in
destructible.
There are three classes of roads il
Spain, the government roads, the pro
Vincial and the neighborhood or town
ship roads, and all are alike in one re
spect, that all are equally neglected b!
the government, the provinces and thu
neighborhoods. There is a road ia,
which is cOmmuted into so much wCrl
on the road by each householder, bu
1t seems to be nobodys business il
particular to see that the work is done
and it goes undone. In the mountains
uus regions travel is often impossible
for weeks at a time along a particula
route for in ascending or descendin!
the mountains, the roads follow tn
gnrges that have been cut by IN
stream, and long stretches are Otter
swept away by The torrent. When thi
happens, as it does every winter, tn
-. L 4.
seem to occur to the population. Noun
tain travel is done on mules and don
keys, and as mule can pick his wa,
almost anywhere, so reasons the Spar.
lard what is the use Of repairing
road for a mule: the road therefore
goes unrepaired, the mules and Jack
find their way as best they can, an
work for themselves a narrow pat
which is good enough for them an
satisfies their masters, too.
INTERNAL DECAY.
The roads are a symbol of the inter
nal condition of Spain generally, for
is impossible to conceive that cuuI
try could be in a worse status and ST
remain inhabited. According to th
testimony of travellers who have re
Gently visited the peninsula, the intel
nal condition of Spain is as deplorabl
as that of Turkey. The country is a
most in a state of anarchy; governmer
and authority are little respected. Th
only representatives of constituted al
thority known to the average Spaniar
are the tax-gatherers and the ger
darmes, and for the one he entertain
as much hatred as for the other. II
takes pride and pleasure in disobeyin
whenever it is safe to do so, the order
of the latter and in thwarting the e
forts of the former to collect the SOY
ernment's dues, and hence it is thi
the roads go unworked.
The communication between adjoil
ing provinces is sometimes more NifI
V cult, and longer in point of time, tina
Nbetween Calais and Constantinopl
Whe railroads Of Spain are like i
highways, poor in, construction and /
BAN condition. Spain has 1856, l73 squal
milSs of area, being, therefore, thin
smaller than Texas, new state, an
y d. .MGS