The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-05-03
RAM KILLINGS ROUND CORDOYA
fl SIRANG CONVINCING OF RO- MIN AND ARABIAN,
Gothic and spauish, i'm the Forgotten Capital of the Caliphs.

l
 one day to this forgotten Capital of tn
 Caliphs, and many even take it in" be
 tween trains, getting only hurrie
 glimpses of it's crooked streets an
 splendid mosque These make a gray
 mistake, for there is no city in tn
 world to compare with Cordova in TO
 mantle and historic interest. On
 loses the best of Spanish tour by fol
 lowing too closely in beaten paths; h
 may get his fill of prominent flea
 lures" but misses altogether the tru
 spirit of the countrywide mingled savo
 of romance and antiquity, charmin
 sloth and poetic rascality which distin
 guishes Spain above any other portion
 of Europe Cordova's manifold charm of mellowness and tranquility grov
 upon the world-wearied traveller, unti
 he finds it difficult to tear himself away
 For the worn-out nerves and tireC
 brains of those who have been living the high-pressure life of American cities, it'
 stiffness and solemnity act like a cool
 ing poultice on an inflammation; while
 the semi-invalid finds more benefit 1T
 the simple food and soft Andalusiar
 air than in all the nostrums of the med
 ices.
 To be sure, there is a good deal to an
 noy one here, in the slowness with
 which the smallest affairs of everyday
 are conducted-the universal maxim be- ing, Never do to-day anything that can | possibly be deferred till tomorrow 1 the mama that never comes, Moth | ing seems to surprise and distruSt these good Cordovans so much as the vulgar l promptitude and everlasting hurry of
 the average Anglo-Saxon One soon | learns that it is no use trying to
 change the customs of a thousand years 1 to fit those of New York or Chicago, and that to kick against the bricks of environment only increases the delay.
 By far the better way is to possess ones l soul in patience, remembering that rail- way trains, diligencies and muleteers expect to wait Indefinitely, and that to
 keep business engagement anywhere
 near the hour named is to make the in- evitable waiting longer at the other end
 of the line
 In one's rambes around Cordova he is continually coming upon new-old ob- jects of interest many of which are not
 mentioned in any guide-book. To get the greatest entertainment out of the day, one should cross the Guadalquivir early In the morning, on the pictur- esque bridge that Octavius Caesar has the credit of building, but which is real ly the work of the Caliphs of Cordova; spend the hot midday hours In the marble forest'' of the great mosque, or the cool and odorous Court or Oranges; and enjoy an evening drive or prome- made in one of the plazas. The Cordo- vese are extremely proud of their quaint old bridge, and with abundant reason, for there Is not another like it on the face of the earth. The arms of the city, "a bridge placed on water" re- fers to 1t. Never was a queerer blend- ing of Roman and Arabian styles than It's sixteen irregular, buttressed arches, and huge Moorish gateway leading through tower which was once part of the city walls--the ruins of Octavlus Caesars bridge serving as founda- tion for the superstructure of the Ca liphs, erected A. D. 719. At one end of 1t is the gipsy quarter, the haunt of rob bers, briganda and rascals of every grade; at the other the historic castle of Calahorca, memorable for It's important part in the siege of Cordova by Pedro of Castile Close by standing out con- spicuously in the now shallow river,l are the ruins of some Moorish mills, with open horse shoe arches and time-soft- ened azuelos. Just beyond rises a CO., lossal statue of St. Raphael. the arch angel, who Is believed to be the especial protector of Cordova. He assumed the high office on May ', 157S. in a spiritual materialization to an obscure priest, named Andres Roelas, in course of which the angel announced his purpose in these words, which are carved upon the column: "Yo te juro DOT Jes,i Christo cruzficado. Que soy Rafael angel ouien Dios tiene puesto DOT guarda de este cuidad."
 Nothing can be more entertaining than the early morning scenes upon Cordova's ancient bridge-the huge brown gateway of the Arabs as an ar tistic background for the groups of gaudily-dressed peasants who have to walt with their mules while their bur dens are being closely examined by tax collectors at the city barrier. An equal stream of mules and drivers, flowing becomes congested at the gate-beasts kicking, struggling and braying; men, women and children shouting, gesticulating, swearing or singing; while others improve the shin- | Ing hour of waiting with the ever-pres- ent and always-consoling guitar, im- 1 promptu odes and fandangoes accom- | lD Ia re pr r,1 priy oles are out in force, wrapped in their | agged, snuff -colored cloaks; and lottery | ticket vendors, too, as no Spanish scene 8 complete without them, Priests un- ter shovel hats and monks in cowls and lempen girdles pass to and fro; and | low and then some rural knight comes galloping in, his servant following close behind, for all the world like "the coun- { ny gentleman, Don Quixote" and his aithful Sancbo Panza, from La Man. ha, which lies just beyond the nearest ange of hills. Particularly noticeable s part of the varied panorama are of young priests and stu ents from the convents with their lowing black gowns and broad silken black hats, turned up t both sides like sugar.scoop. Some f the students are intent upon their essonS, coming them aloud, even in the treets, others assuming Dlase, man-of- he-world airs, smoking their cigarettes nd chucking pretty peasant girls under he chin.
 Not least among the sights of Cc do- a are the time-mellowed walls that it, curious combination of iothic and Roman stonework, patched pon the Tapia, or indestructable ee-