Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-29
BARCELONA, THE
PHILADELPHIA OF SPAIN
one OF the Most Beautiful and Prosperous the Medi-
terranean Ports, With Many Manufactures and
Population Near 100000
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| voted mainly to light opera OCcupie,
the site OF an ancient monastery o.
Trlnitarian monks, and the TeatrC
| Principal, said 20 be the largest In
Spain, is an immense barn-llke affair
with seating capacity OF hive thou
sand.
Remains Of the formal royal state of
Barcelona are found In the palaclc
| Real OF the kings OF Aragon, and the
| Palacio de Ia Reina palace of the
| Queen, both IN the old town. The present
| palace of the captain general was built
| by the municipal authorities for a
cloth-hall In the year iil4 The only
| thing of interest about Il Is the archives
| Of the patrlmono Real, deposited here
| since a fire az the palace a few years
/ ago. The records OF Aragon and Cata-
| lonia, some of them dating back to the
| ninth century, are considered among
| the most valuable documents Of their
/ kind In existence. Then there I'm the
| Lonia or Exchange dating from 1888;
| the Aduana, or custom house, the Casa
| de Conslstorlal fine old Gothic build
| ing. and. most important OF all the
| Atarazanas. or arsenals-a very large
and ancient structure at
THE sEAWARD END
Of the Rambla, said TO have been built
a little more than eight hundred and
fifty years ago. The irst bank Of eX-
change and deposit In Europe was es-
tablished In Barcelona, IN the year 1867.
one Of the most remarkable buildings
is the old Casa de la Deputacion, where
the cortes OF the province used 20 hold
its slttings. 1t is now called the Au-
dencla, being occupied by courts OF
law The administration Of Spanish
iustice-sO-c alled-is everywhere IN.
credibly corrupt; but to Barcelona Is
given the negative praise that its law
courts have the least unsavory repu-
tation OF any I'm the kingdom. The pro.
ceedings are conducted with such dig
nifty and ceremony, that a casual on
locker would never suspect the exist
ence Of the sinister influences which
control the decision Of these solemn
tribunals. only Well-dressed spectators
are admitted and never women, The
morbid curiosity that frequently at
tracts American ladies' to our criminal
trials would be considered scandalous
In a Spanish Audiencia. Judges and
clerks wear black robes and caps. as In
opera bouffe. and are attended by
alqua2ils bearing the wands of Office.
and clad IN tn quaint costume Of the
sixteenth century, When any one en-
tiers or leaves the court room. he bows
low to the Judges on the bench. who po-
lltely return the SALVATION though IN
the midst of the gravest deliberation on
which a mans life or liberty depends
so far Is courtesy set above every other
consideration In Spain. The lawyers
remain seated while making their ar
guments; and, of course. nobody
~ Int.vftstper hffsae.ff 90 "a
moment Of his comforting cigarrtO.
The business Of the court seems TO be
entirely In the hands Of escrbandos. n
class who discharge the duties Of at
torney and notary and share with the
alquazils. the universal detestatiOn Of
the people, The common appellatlon OF
the escribano Is Don Judas" and his
character Is an epitome Of all that Is
odiOus and mercenary The most con-
temptable mischlef-maker who. IN the
qualification ~ a spirit Of petty malice.
sets a whole community bv the ears and |
involves his neighbors In veNatlous law. /
suits. is novice In his art compared /
with the escrihano II he learns OF a |
quarrel even though the parties may /
have since become recOnciled he draws /
up nm information. and. before filing a. |
privately notifies the offenders Of the I
amount necessary 10 buy him or n /,
they refuse 20 accedo 10 hts demands |
they are prosecuted. and when the case
comes 10 trial both are morally certain
10 he ruined No character In this sin
cursed world can be meaner than
THIS SPANISH DIsTURBER
Of the peace-unless It be the feminine
gossiper Of American villages. whose
NnnAUunfIua fDnofIa r4UfeRuo frf.gsH n 81 ]
alike. Even In ordinary civil actions
I'm Spain shameful methods Of extor-
tion prevail. The continuances are in.
terminable and very expensive. and
oddly enough he who gains the suit Is
taxed TO pay the costs probably be-
cause II Is well known that the other
party VIII have no money left with
which 10 pay them.
Among other queer institutions OF
Barcelona are the Monters De Peldad
mountains OF Pity. conducted Ike
those IN the city Of Mexlco
and really great pawn-sh0ps. sustained
by the government The biggest
Monte Is that Of Nuestra Sonora de
Ia Esperanza. "Our Lady OF Hone"
and all tourists who wish 10 carry home
Of Spain win do well 10 visit
H.. The PECULIARLY there Is that
loans on deposits are made without
interest. IN this land Of gamblers idle
hidalgoes and broken-down nobility.
thousands yearly avail themselves ~
the advantages offered by Our Lady
OF Hope and II Is unnecessary TO add
mat Of the vast amount Of
ANCESTRAL JEWELS.
family plate and so on down Ia the
meanest articles, annually loaned IN
me government for small "consdera-
Ion comparatively little Il ever re-.
Iaimed After a certain length Of time
7s In other pawn shops. me articles
are so'd-aud somebody gains greatly
by the transaction.
Barcelona Is the see OF bishop. and
PIE most ~ the older Spanish towns
'a' q grnt many ecclesiastical bulld.
nss-2' churches an told. some Of them
very ancient and elegant. and score
" converts etill undcvoted 10 secular
uses. while hair as many more have
'9ssed into worldly hands.
h.ou,fh barcelona no longer makes n
p''laiV N tnding with the low :
al