The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-22
BEAUTIFUL BARCELONA.
WATSON LINEI.Y TO DALI. THERE
ON HIS SPANISH TOUR.
The War Is Not Popular in This |
Town of SpRin-It Is the Only Man |
UfacturinE Center and War Affect !
ed Its Business.

Barcelona is the pride Of modern Spain.
II is the country's only manufacturing
center. 1t is progressive. Now. with its
100000 population, 1t has an uudisputed
claim TO being the second city of Spain.
and is likely before long to exceed in pop
ulation the capital, Madrid Every per
son in Barcelona Is more or less engaged
in commerce or business; il has no wealthy
aristocrscy like Madrid. who do not work
Barcelona, in the eyes Of the spaniards,
is the finest city on the Mediterranean. be-
side which Marseilles and Naples are mere
villages. 1t is situated in plain between
the rivers Besos and Llobregal, at the foot
of the Montjuich hill, on which is the ia
nous castle of that name considered by
the Spanish as impregnable. This castle
commands the city and the port as well
as the citadel, fortress built on the sys-
tenn Of Vauban to the northeast Of the
city Barcelona has other works of de-
Tense, such as walls, bitches and batter
les. The walls, however are in course
OF demolition in order TO make room for
the enlargement of the city.
Iona was founded by Hercules long before
the building of Rome; but historians gen
orally attribute its foundation to Hamn-
car Barca, who gave Il the name Of Barci-
no, whence the more modern name Of Bar
celona is derived. From the Carthagin-
ians the city passed into the hands Of the
Romans and Arabs until it's conquest by
then governed untll the twelfth century
by counts, who were really independent
although nominaily subject to the Car
lovingin kings. After this Barcelona
became a part of the kingdom of Aragon,
and reached a remarkable degree of pros
perty through its extensive commerce
with all the ports on the Mediterranean
and even with those Of England and the
Netherlands The first vestlges of the es-
Enlistment of maritime insurance and
the negotiation of bills of exchange are
to be found in the history OF Barcelona.
thus showing the progressive character Of
its Inhabitants
This era of prosperity, however, did not
last very long, for once submitted 20 the
authority of the kings of CASTLE the COM
merce of Barcelona decayed, and was soon
enVeloped in the general ruin of the coun-
try. This gave rise to a feeling of dis
against Spain and was annexed to France.
IL was recovered by Spain in 1852. again
taken by the French in 1887 and given
back to Spain in the same year.
AT the time Of the succession war Bar
celona took the side of the Austrian Arch
duke. In INA II was besieged and taken
by the French under the Duke of Berwick
and once more il was returned to Spain.
In 1909 it was occupied by the soldiers Of
Napoleon and held until 1914 In 1S4l an
epidemic of yellow fever broke out there,
and more than 10000 of its inhabitants per-
ished.
Barcelona has been in this century the
scene of formidable instructions. such
as that of 1897 when the agraviados rose
in arms; that Of 1886. when a rabbie broke
to pieces Statue of Ferdinand VII, and
beheaded Gen. Bassa, whose body was
dragged on the streets of the city; that Of
1871, when the Guardia Nacional demanded
the destruction of the Notifications. and
finally, that of 1872 which could not be
quclled until after the bombardment of the
city by the government troops. Eight
hundred shells, 200 grenades and 100 obus
were then fired on Barcelona and large
portion of the city was reduced 10 ashes.
one can imagine how the population of
this important center Of Spanish Industry
were disguested to learn of the war and
that their nation was doomed to decay"
says an English writer For the PROV
ince of Catalonia, of which Barcelona is
capital, has never been oVerproud Of It's
alliance with CASTLE. and so with the rest
of Spain. They would have preferred in
dependence or, perhaps and alliance with
France. II was chiefly the attitude of
Napoleon in the war of independence that
forced the Galatians definitely TO throw In
their lot with Spain.
"Barcelona lacks much Of the swaggcr Of
81 -
orS, moreover, are far less conspicuous than
in the capital. Tho shop windows do NOT
abound in portraits of the little king and
the Queen Regent. Even the mantilla il.
self IS compare lively rare. Save only IN
church, the smarter ladies wear hats Of A
French pattern; the rest ore contented 10
90 about with heads uncovered, except by
their hair which Is often brought up on
the top Of the head In fashion that is al
most japanese"
Despite its advantages OF situation and
Its commercial Importance. Barcelona has
always been famous as turbulent town.
Revolutions, combined with barbados and
fighting in tine streets, il has seen many
1t is indeed, stlll looked upon as a hotbed
of sedition-an opinion confirmed by The
anarchistic disturbances of a short time
ago. 1t is just two years since bomb was
thrown a a religious procession on Corpus
Christi day, which killed twelve people out
right and wounded some fifty others. At
the present moment there are many in
Spain who are anxious lest their CONNER
cial capital has further and imminent trou-
bic awaiting IL.
However little the good people Of BARGE
Iona may worry about the adventures Of
their navy and army in the distant and
long rebellous colonies, il seems more
than possible that one result of the war
VIII trouble them a good deal, and that
before very long. Prices. including that
Of coal, are steadily going up while the
value OF the national silver coinage has
sadly deteriorated. Before the Cuban re
volt pesetas were as good as francs, dur
ing the past few weeks they have been
about one-half their former value, the ex-
cdange at the present moment being forty
ave pesetas for twenty-five francs or an
English sovereign.
Consequently. the great textile manufac-
turing firms Of Barcelona can no longer
run their factories at any appreciabe
profit Trade, however, especially 10 the
colonies, has now fallen away to nothing.
The warehouses are vastly overstocked
with manufactured goods, for which At
present there Is no demand. In many cases