Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-26


self her godfather. as it were he had her
sing fur him at tne reception and later OH
she took the mandolin and sang the national
arr OF Paraguay in Spanish and o pinutn-
tiun song or TWO In our own durkey diaiect
with great applause shortly after this the
president left The room and we, ufter Ehak-
Ing hands with our hostess and the fifty
utbsr people remaining, departed
Lnte Hours in moutcvideo.
j wus twenty minutes pugt 10 ,. N. al
this time This however. is early FOR Mon
teviden. whence invitations are often for
midnight and dances and parties last till
/ davbreak So If was not TOO late 10 make
another call That same night we visited
/ Ir salterain, who Until Recently was sec
retury uf state and who is one Of the most
accomplished and influential men Of the re-
public We remained there until j. clock
having tea music and q general chat
/ ] am surprised 10 fud that 80 many Of The
people Of Uruguay speak several languages.
Most Of the women ! met at the presidents
spoke French, Spanish and Italian With
equal fuency. Mrs salterain spoke Eng
lish and pr. Shlteraln is a fine English
scholar. The people OF the higher classes
are, as q rule, Eood musicians. and every
Other man you meet can play either the
piano or ruitur. or both. During our call
when Mrs salterain was at the piano she
was asked TO play q certain air, and upon
saying That she did not remember II her
mother took her place AS she played there
was q dispute as to one Of the parts and
lhe doctor himself sat down and played II
of from memory, drifting at its close into
the "Marseillaise"
The Orientales fur that is what the Uru-
EuuyHns call themselves are noted for their
beautiful, cultured and fashionably dressed
women. They vie with the Portenus or
Buenos Ayres women as 10 beauty. and con
slider themselves much more aristocrHtic and
hiEh-born They call Muntevidep the Paris
and the Madrid of South America. II must
be confessed that they have some reason for
the claim The city is one OF the best built
on the continent. il has magnificent homes
and d great many wealthy inhabitants. II
has its fashionable 400 who are as well
dressed and US well bred people Rs you will
find anywhere.
They have fine houses and well padded
poOketbouks. Many Of them trace their de-
scent from families which came to Uruguay
hundreds OF years ago. Their possessions
are in great estates, rented houses and cattle
and sheep. They have their palaces in Monte
video whose floors are marble and whose
frescoed ceilings are upheld by marble
columns from Italy. They have vast one
story buildings upon their estates, where
they entertain like lords, with horse for
every guest during the summer. In the
winter their surroundings are grand, hut
very uncomfortable.
The houses Of Montevideo are as cold as
the white marble with which they are
finished. The people believe artificial heat
: unhealthy and in this city, which is ms big
as Washington and quite as cold there Is
not furnace nor steam heating plant.
During cold snaps q hostess often receives
dressed in furs. with her hands in nun
and her feet on q not waiter bottle, and
men Gnd women come to state dinners
in uvs~coRts and fur capes.
wnres and Servants
Such families have hosts Of servants. They
have their coachmen and footmen, their
huusemaids ladies maids and serving
women Men cooks are often employed and
in such cases it is customary to give the
cook certain amount per day, allow MIN
10 do the marketing and take his wages ou'
of his allowance. Even where he is given
the money for marketing only II is expected
thar he will steal little every day.
The wages of servants are high. Cooks
receive from S14 to S25 per month, or about
as much as they do in Washington, anc
housemaids are paid from $40 TO SlS pei
nonth. These figures are in gold, for Uru-
guuyan money is worth even more thal
2 American
Uruguayap families are large Nhen
child is married ii brings tts better nan u
D live with the old folks, and often half 6
E duzep families will live in one house Al
= n rule the girl goes 10 the husbands family
II vnuld surprise many Americans wht
e link 1rnon society south OF the equator at
f hal. savage TO know that there are man!
g Nnntevideun women who wear evening ahl
s visiting dresses which cost 500 apiece ano
y that few of the upper ten have Single
e dresses in their wGrdrobes for which thel
s huve paid from $500 to $1,000 in gold. Iheh
best dresses come from Paris and 'he!
/. have the styles soon as New y ork. Ou'
d women may also be surprised TO learn tha'
= the South American cities are among the
u best diamond markets Of the world an'
= TINT III great receptions fortunes in din
v munds are worn. The use OF jewels Il
- more common in MOntevideo than in eiLhe
l. New York or Washington.
e Take the instance of q recent dinner here
1t One Of the best dressed women present wa
e the wife Of the vice consul general Of rh
,e United States, Mrs. Thomas Howard MI
k Howard is an American who came to Mon
e tevidso years ago and who is now one o
h the wealthiest men Of the republic. Hi
6 wife is IN Orientale Of one Of the best fam
.e lilies At This dinner she wore q gown O
Is hrocaded white satin trimmed with q via
e drapery Of point lace, which festooned uh
e whole skirt and its long train. Her corsRg
ii was trimmed with q row Of diamond nut
terfies some OF which were quite large
q and these diamonds ran from shoulder l
ID shoulder At this dinner there were Othe
z costumes equally fine. among the most com
mon OF the ornaments being aigret plume
: fastened 10 the hair with elaborate damon
pins.
uruguayAn women Rre OF the Spanisl
type. tall and well formed verging on tn
vouptuous. The sCrawny girls are few AM
the average maiden is laree-bnned, wei
rounded and plump. AS the women groy
older they run TO adipOse tissue, and not
few Of the elderly danes are fat. The typ
is uniform. The eyes Of most of the womel
are dark but fun of lusteT, and their com
plexiuns are clear. dark and rosy. Bot
young men and young women look oleal
and healthy and show great animation q
face and style. The men are as careful q
their dress as the women, and those Of tn
upper Glasses are very particular as 10 jus
what they wear upon every occasion
White gloves you know, always go with ful
dress. ! am told that our minister wor
yellow ones when he was presented TO In