Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-02-02
SPAIN EXCITED OVER PORK.
Spanish More Interested " Their ston
achs Than in Their Colonies.

achs Thnn In Their Colonies.
Madrid correspondence of st. Loul,
Globe Democrat: 1t is difficult for an.
foreigner who lives among the Span
iards to understand how they have
come by their reputation for gravit!
and seriousness. Throughout the re
cent disastrous war the people herr
have manifested the most amazing in
difference to the misfortunes OF thei
country, have declined to permit th'
interruption of any of their amuse
ments or sports. and have displayed :
frivolity beyond all conception. From
what l hear 1t has been the same l.
most of the provincial towns ans
cities of the peninsula.
Within the last few weeks treat,
has been imposed upon Spain by he
victorious foe. which marks he
eclipse as a colonial power, and the un
happy kingdom is menaced by bank
ruptcy, ministerial crisis and civ.
war. Yet in spite OF all these subject
Of patriotic concern, public opinion ha
been monopolized by question o
pork, which has been productive OF {;
condition of popular excitement whicl
not even the news of the defeats
Manila and Santiago had been able t.
arouse. If there Is one species o
meat which the Spaniards prefer t'
every other it is pork, and there il
probably no people in Europe tina
consumes such an enormous qnatity o
hog meat in the shape of ham, pig
liver, black pudding and PARTICULAR.
sausage.
About four weeks ago n quarrel tool
place between the sausagemakers an,
the pig dealers. in consequence o
which the latter declined to furnisi
any hogs to the Madrid market, an'
the lament of the expiring porker wa
no longer heard in the metropolitan
slaughter yards. A dearth OF pork
pigs liver and sausage ensued. whic!
brought dismay into the homes OF botl
rich and poor. and created the mos
intense popular excitement. TIL
newspapers have been devoting fa
more space to the pork and sausag
famine than to the Carlist conspirac.
or to the Paris treaty, and the mos
extraordinary and extravagant storie
have been in circulation, according T.
one Of which the famine was due t.
the artifices Of philanthropic societ!
organized for the purpose of regener
ating the hog. and for preserving hin
from the knife in order to become t;
useful member of each domestic es
tablishment. Finally popular exas
peration became so intense that infiu
entail deputations waited upon tn
premier, the ministers, the civil gov
ernor and the alcalde, or mayor, In
voking and demanding their interven
tion to bring about the termination o
the pork famine. The mayor. indeed
has received numerous letters from In
dignant persons actually threatenini
him with death II he continued T.
show more concern for the life OF TIL
pig than for the welfare OF his fellow
citizens.
These menaces, ridiculous thougl
they may appear. alarmed not onl.
himself, but also the government,w ,whicl
perceived therein the imminent DANCE
Of popular disturbances, and of porl
riots. that might ultimately result IL
tHe OVeTluTO" VI Tic thlOhe. soo III
minister of the interior and the alcad
and a number of high and militar.
dignitaries put their shoulders to tn
wheel, and after no end Of negotiation
and the distribution Of some decora
tions. finally succeeded in reconcilini
the dealers and the sausage manufac
turers.
The pork famine came to an end Oh
Christmas eve. The advent nf Christ
mas day was heralded in more pop
ular than harmonious fashion by tn,
squeaks of the dying hogs. and tn,
Madrilenes. quite happy and contente'
again. feel that they are once more ii
n position to face with philosophic res
ignation any further national disaster