Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-09

elderly sonoritas, IN narrow street
near the cathedral Wherever you To-
cate, sleep is almost out Of the ques-
ton, except during the middle Of the
day Whcn men and beasts are taking
their slesta These narrow alleys. with
IN high blank walls, carry sound Ike
trumpet. Not only the serenos. yelling
the nouts and the state Of the weath-
en- make night hideous, and people re-
turnite from late from club or opera.
pounding upon their doors TO awake the
SLEEPING MoZo,
or calling the policeman with his du-
plicate keys-but ordinary CONVERSE
ton has the effect OF shouting and the
passage Of a mule sounds like the
tramp OF an army.
Setting out from the Fonda Imperial
20 do the town you find yourself al
once IN the old Moorish Plaza de Coco
doVer-suk IN Arabic. zoco In Spanish.
soke IN English sgnifying market
Lazarillo de Tonnes VIII recall this
place. Readers OF Cervantes, and
zocodover as the haunt Of rogues and
those proud but poor Don Whlskeran-
dos, who staggered and starved with
their capas y espadas. For years II was
the site Of national sports OF fire and
blood, the auto de r. and the bull-hght.
Now IL is favOrite promenade and the
general longing place OF idlers, IN
GLIDING many a naughty and hungry
Don, wrapped I'm his picturesque capa,
with his sword clanking at his heels.
You have no need TO hunt for novelties
In Toledo, for they meet you az every
turn-quaint old houses. picturesque
groups OF buildings, hooks and corners
crammed with historical and tradition
al Interest, the marks Of Romans,
GOths, Saracens and Christians, who
have In turn reigned In these lordly
towers and left mementoes Of their oc-
cupation. Before coming to Spain YOU
read much Of the wonders Of Toledo,
and perhaps. agreed with the writer's
that the old city ought stlll to be. as
formerly, the capital OF the country.
once on the spot. you find its objects OF
Interest more numerous and wonderful
than Imagination had pictured
but at the same time. you probably de-
eide In mind that a place so inacces-
sible. so medieval, so hopelessly out Of
touch with the lie and spirit OF the age
is not fitted for "a nineteenth century
seat OF government, even In slow going
Spain. Everything shows the extreme
age Of the city. and the impression II
creates OF sadness and solemnlty, in
tenslfies as time goes on. Never was a
town more beautifully situated than
this
"CRowN OF SPAIN"
upon It's granite peaks. eighteen hiiJ.
dred feet above the encircling Tagus-
the tawny river that bursts Ike a Wild
thing through the nearby mountain
gorge and foams at its feet. Some un-
known writer says: Toledo has the
color, the roughness the naughty pow
erty Of the sierra on which II is built.
II Is less a town-a noisy affair yielding
to the commodities Of life-than a sig
nIhcant spot for the soul Secret and |
with It's vast cathedral |
springlng skyward, rs alcazars and |
palaces with their hidden, mysterious |
patlos, Il appears In this harsh, over |
heated land. like an image Of eXalta- |
ton In solitude-a cry in the desert
Tourists come 20 gaze upon the dead |
city as they visit the sphinx. antquah-
ans prowl among its ancient monu-
ments and shrines, poets and painters
ind here rich material for their art,
and the builder suggestions FOR his
modern designs. Though there Is so
much 10 attest its former glory YOU
eel that infinitely more has vanished
inder the hand Of the spoier-that
lothlng ever was, or ever could have
,een young In this skeleton city,
where the voice Of the Goth echoes
mid Roman ruins. and the steps Of
he Christian tread on the heels OF the
Moor" The place abounds with noble
Examples OF Saracen architecture, for
he reason that few OF its ruins have
been restored heaven save the mark.
or disngured by whitewash Turn
where you will, the eye Is delighted by
ornate facades, carved gateways, quaint
windows with balconies and cross-bars,
aZuelOs and the horseshoe
,rch with It's beautiful curve; and upon
an Is the mellow hue u a withered
Time was when Toledo's
me hundred and eleven churches, in
'ludlng the
MAGNIFICENT CATHEDRAL,
we're crowded with worshlppers. now
inly sixty are used the rest being
Mostly In ruin. Out Of "a hospitals only
wo remain. and the former population
II more than 200 600 has dwindled 10 less
nan IV.uOV. But the poor Ola place rs |
fitted for lts present role-a
depository OF departed grandeur. hid
ng-place for impoverished mobiles and
genuliiy-and also for
OF that reminscence OF
,ast ages, the Toledo Blade
one Of the first things that most
ourists do Is 20 visit the celebrated J
Fabrica d'Armas." which for centuries
urned out swords as strong and fleX-
BILE as those Of Damascus. IL stands
N the right bank OF the Tagus, about
mile northwest of the city. The pres
mt huge rectangular. unsightly build
ng was erected FOR Charles III IN i7SS
nd Is well provided with FORCES and all
accessories. including a chapel for the
,lous laborers dedicated to Santa Bar
ara. the patroncss of cannons. All the
rmas blancas for SPANS soldiers are
made here. but
MOST OF THE SWORDS
low manufactured have neither the
cmper nor the beauty Of the antique
pecmens displayed In the museum
iome Of them have notices enamelled