Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-30

shrub, nor blade Of grass. beauties
the enylrOns Of the Spanish capital
Though the climate may possibly have
agreed with equity King Charles, IL has
certainly been the death Of thousands
Of better people Only $500 feet above
sea level, Il has none of the advantages
Of high position, but its unprotected
plain swept by icy breezes from the
Monts de Toledo on one side and the
snowy Guadarrama on the other, is sub
ject to the most rapid and violent Their
mometrical changes fatal to weak
and consumptiye constitutions and par
ticularly TO young children.
Its death rate is the highest Of any
European capital, averaging 40 per 1000,
The Spaniards, who throw most grue-
some as well as trivial happenings into
doggerel have a cOuplet 10 NJ even this
condiuon-"El aire de Madrid csc tan
sutll. Que mate a un h0mbre, no
apaga un candil" -signifying that so
subtitle IN the air OF Madrid II kills
man but will not blow out a candle.
Twenty degrees difference of tempera-
ture is often noticed in the atmosphere
Of the same street, on one side the sun.
blazing down with tropical fury, seems
10 blister the watson the other side,
In the shade. a damp chilliness pene-
trates to the very marrow in your
bones Anon the sky is suddenly over
cast. a deluge Of rain falls, and an Icy
blast sweeps down from the mountains
like q messenger Of death. The natives
wrap themselves In their fur-llned
brown coaks, pull their sombreros down
over their ears and thus mufIled 10
their noses walt tin the clouds roll
by" In another hour the sun may be
out again with burning intensity and
not a breath Of air stirring. The ex-
treme heat OF midday Is always fol-
lowed by cold nights, and naturally,
pulmonary affections are common and
fatal.
Indeed Madrid seems to possess not
a single advantage OF situation, except
the fancied one OF occupying the exact
geographical center OF Spain; end this
happens 10 be the least accessible pOr-
ton OF the country and therefore value
less for commercial purposes. SO diff
cult Is communication with Madrid thar
the cost of conveying merchandise here
from the coast is heavier than the
freight from the coast 10 London. AL
most every other important city OF
Europe Is situated on the banks OF some
stream but the Manzanares, upon
which Madrid stands, IS a dry channel
the year round Among many jokes
concerning this waterless river, which
some say flows bOttom-side up" Is
fhat Madrid is the only European capi-
tai which has neither sea nor river
referring also TO
THE SINGULAR FACT
that n is moi an archeplscopal see and
possesses no cathedral. IL Is related
that when the French troops entered
the city, they exclaimed, "WNt has
the river too run aWay?' To them Is
due the epigram, which yet clings TO
Madrid. concerning men without cour-
age women without mOdesty, and riv-
or without water There are plenty
OF Spanish rivers without bridges, but
this presents the anomaly OF a spe9did
bridge crossing nothing al all. II was
build by Philip " to whom wits of the
time suggested that he would Better
buy a river OF sell his bridge. IN the
reign OF Charles II the court used to
amuse itself by driving up and down
the dry. rocky bed OF the Manzanares,
and local traditions preserve many
amusing mishaps that occurred. Up ~
nifty years ago this great city Of about
$4,000 inhabitants, depended entirely
upon the Gallegos, or human carriers,
for every drop Of water used, and 80
scanty was the supply. and for 80 high
"a price did Il sell. that most Of 10 was
drunk and very little left for lavatory
Proposes. Thanks 10 an English
company. the city is now abundantly
supplled with delicious water. which Is
distributed into every part by hydraulic
works. II Is brought from the source Qf
the river LOzoya, away up IN the Quail
arrama range. more than thirty miles
away through an aqueduct which cost
twenty-five million pesos.
Though Ferdinand and Isabella oc-
casionally sex up their pilgrim taberna-
Gle on the decllvity that overhangs The
Manzanares. and Charles V nursed his