Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-27

rooms. You see here and there a black
stovepipe coming up through the roof.
Those pipes are connected with the kitch-
ems, not with the parlors.
The Plazas.
There are a few open spaces in the city
Of roofs. These are the plazas or parks.
There are twelve in the city. varying in
size from four to twelve acres. That one
near the river is the Plaza de Mayo. 1t is
the ecclesiastical. governmental and finan-
cial center of the city. Upon it face the
cathedral, the presidents house, congress,
the courts and the Bolsa or stock exchange.
into 1t run some OF the chief business
streets. and from it to the west extends
the Avenfda de Mayo, the wide boulevard
of which the people here are so proud, ana
at the other end of which the future cap
ltol building of the republic is TO stand.
This avenue has already cost 10000 gold
dollars, and it will eventually be 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.
A Great City.
The Plaza de Mayo covers eight acres.
The finest building upon it is the cathedral.
which looks more like a government struc-
ture or an art gallery than a church. It
s.vW people 1t is seldom full. however.
Buenos AyTes is the largest Catholic city
OF the world. Ninety-six per cent of all
the people in the Argentine are Roman
Catholics. Still. the men are not ardent
ch~urchgoers. and the women who attend
the cathedral do not usually fill it. There
are in the city twenty-four other Cath
Ollie churches. There are only four which
are Protestant. Protestants are freely toll
Grated. and one of these churches is the
American Methodist church, whose pastor
IS an Ohio man. DR.. William Mclaughlin.
II is well attended. being situated within
almost a stones throw of the cathedral. in
the very business heart of the city.
A Word About the People.
The most interesting thing. however, in
Buenos Ayres is its people. l will write
more of them in other letters. They are
like no other people in the world. l have
always thought that New Workers, Bos-
tonians and Chicagoans were about as con-
ceited as TO their own towns as any cit
these Argentines cap the climax. Talk to
a man in BuenOs Ayres about his city and
lis head sweliS out at once till 1t is as big
as a football. He thinks that the sun
and moon rise and set for the Argentine
alone. He don't care for strangers, and
the only heroes he worships are those who
William .Bullfin, of the Southern Cross.
He is a leading editor and literary news
paper man here. | referred to the above
phase of the Argentine character. Said he:
You are right about the Argentine self
esteem. / don't believe there is a man in
Europe or America who could stir up the
average person mere Dy coming 10 WISH US.
1 doubt If Ii Hung Chang would attract
notice in Buenos Ayres from any one but
sellers of lottery tickets, who, you know.
are after every new arrival. All We want
to know is whether you speak Spanish and
whether you are convinced that Buenos
Ayres is the greatest city in the world"
l think Mr.. Bullfin is right; but still these
Argentines are not bad people after all.
They have a character of their own, and
after associating with them for a while
you find yourself doing. as they do. AT
home 1 took my meals in good American
fashion and was a plain everyday business
man. Here 1 am satisfied with coffee in
the morning. 1 eat my breakfast at noon.
and about 5 o'clock in the evening. rather
to my own surprise. l confess. l find my
self walking along the Gale Florida with
the rest of the men, admiring the girls. ]
have been tempted a number of times to
buy a ticket in the lottery, and have or
three different days stopped on the steps
of the stock exchange, wondering if | could
not make a pretty penny by going in and
betting on the rise and fall Of gold. 1 think
if 1 stayed here l Should become an Argen.
tine boomer. and might-God forbid-ab-
serb some of the Argentine character.
RAM G.. CARPENTER