The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-27

80 20 ride and drive every afternoon. You
may see . thousand carriages a. a tine.
To the cas-; beyond that ta.cSas u r,sasss
and spArs lining the docks. extending On
and o. until they meet the horizon. are ire
muddy waters q the Rio lie In Plata. which
connects Ruenos Ayres with the rest o. me
world. The river here is tweuty-stch. niles
wide ana in the <oxgy. misty air We cauna.
see It's opposite banks
Buenos Ayres is only sorty-elxht zee.
above the Atlantic ocean. and hack around
and beyond II extends the vast plain Of tie
valley Of this river, as rich here as that o.
the Mississippi. Il Is cur I'D by railroa ;
and spotted with farms. SEINE Of which
support cattle and sheep IN herds Of thou
sands.
AS you Jock more closely a. the roofs b.
low You you see that many ce them sur
round little courts o. pa,,os. This - the
Spanish style of building. There are no
gardens in front or behind the houses. and
the masses here 1--we without plants, flowers
or trees. Tasre are no chsnlreyS. The Ar
gensines do not think fires health.gl in their
living rooms You see here ard there a
black s,ovep!pe coming up through the
roof. Those pipes are connected with the
kitchens. nc. with the parlors.
The PIaxas.
There are a few open spaces in tire city
OF roofs These are the plazas o. parks
There are twelve In the city. varying IN size
from four 10 twelve acres. That enc near
the river is the Plaza de Mayo. II is the
ecclesiastical. governmental and financial
center OF the city. Upon IL face the cathe-
dral, the presidents house, congress. the
courts and the Boisa or stock exchange.
Into 1t run some OF the chief business
streets. and from il 20 the west extends the
Avenida de Mayo the wide boulevard Of
which the people here are so proud. and at
the other end OF which the future capitol
building Of the republic is 20 stand. This
avenue has already cost To- 900 coo gold dol
lars, and il VIII eventually be one Of the
grand streets OF the world. The part Of the
city through which 1t goes was IN the early
Spanish days lighted with oil made Of
mares grease. New electricity gives the
same locality It's Illuminating rays.
\ Great Catholic City.
The Plaza de Mayo covers eight acres
The finest building upon 1t Is the cathedral.
which looks more Ike a government struc-
ture or an art gallery than church. Il
covers more than an acre ami Il VIII hold
9,eoo people. II is seldom full, however
Buenos Ayres IS the largest Catholic city Of
the world. Ninety-six per cent. of all the
people In the Argentine are Roman Cath
ole. Still. the men are not ardent church
goers. and the women who attend the ca
the city twentyfour other Catholic
churches. There are only four which are
Protestant. Protes,ants are freely toler-
ated, and one of these churches is the
American Methodist church, whose pastor
is an Ohio man Dr. William Mclaughlin.
1t Is well attended. being situated within
almost 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. I viii write
more of them in other letters. They are
like no other people in the world. l have
always thought that New Workers. Boston,
ians and Chieagoans were about as con-
ceited as to their own towns as any citizens
had ever met In my travels. but these
Argentines cap the climax. Talk to man
In Buenos Ayres about his city and his
head sweils out at once TIL X 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 he
roes he worships are those who live here.
I was talking last night TO Mr.. william
Bullfin of the Southern Cross newspaper.
He is a leading editor and literary man
here. ! referred TO the above phase of the
Argentine character. Said he: you are
right about the Argentine self-esteem. l
don't believe there is a man In Europe or
America N1O COul1 SUI up the average per
son here by coming TO visit us. doubt II
Ii Hung Chang would attract notice in
Buenos Ayres from any one bu. the sellers
OF lottery tickets. who, you know are after
every new arrival All we want 10 know is
whether you speak Spanish and whether
you are convinced that Buenos Ayres Is the
greatest city In the world
think Mr. BUllfin IS right: but stin 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 horne
took my meals In good American fashion
and was pain everyday business man.
Here I am satisfied with coffee in the morn
Ing. I eat my breakfast at noon, and about
o'clock in the evening. rather 10 my own
surprise, / confess find myself walking
along the Gale Florida with the rest OF the
men. admiring the girls. l have been
tempted number Of times 20 buy a ticket
In the lottery, and have on three different
days stopped on the steps OF the stock ex
change. wondering II ! could not make a
pretty penny by going in and netting on s.e
rise and fail OF gold. / think II | stayed
here should become an Argentine boomer
and might-God forbid-absorb some OF the
Argentine character.
FRANK G.. CARPENTER.