The Republican journal., 1900-05-10
~pRouGH THE HEART OF SPAIN,


a, Nen-Au as Cervantes Described
,n4,o. u, Railway over the Sierra Morena
.,r.al correspondence of The Journal
Nj mDA, SPAIN, April 3, 1900. We
er lave gone direct to Toledo, with
IF Change of cars, by the regular
s. .rtWeen Cordova and Madrid. had
tdgrant fancy led us this round
ar way on the trail of Don Quixote.
mul} the orthodox tourist would
visited Grenada next after the
1t capital, as it is only a few hours
.4uD in the south eastern corner of
same province: but we decided to
..tye the greatest show-place for a
of our desultory wanderings in
... ou the way back to the Mediter-
coast
'lUg left Nordova very early in the
ug. on a train that creeps slowly
NE beautiful Andalusia toward the
7Ierra Morena, you feel the JOY
AHg as seldom before. Spanish
> never do more than creep. at a
which an active person might east
u-iun on his own two legs: but
less their sloWness when turning
ack on Southern Spain. Nature
Tier very best in spring attire
singing. peoples and daises Haunt
LA ,.l, ia, L. =
brilliant flowers, plantations of
.,, ling the air with fragrance. and
ning creepers rioting over every
wall and hedge-row. The dark.
green and golden fruit of lemon
vgdnge orchards. alternate with the
liar foliage of peach pear and APP
rees, now past their blooming time:
here aud there a royal palm lifts
+ rumed head high above in truly
@ pride. Cacti and prickly pears,
.0i everywhere for fencing fields and
ritnS, grow wild in dense masses
le the railway embankments. over
I'D hY gorgeous nasturtinmS. All the
atsy roads are guarded by spanish
ouets' bristling with formidable
erS. and gigantic aloes, the highly
prative plant OF Spain, with its base
70, SWord-like leaves. its tall. slen-
wnk rising twenty OF thirty feet.
is broad candelabrum of crimson
4 H., 1 Il
covered with cork trees: and for
the country is clothed with olive
finally giving way to isolated trees
red and solemn aspect. Most Of
ruiive orchards that cluster around
oVa. and form such a prominent
-fUre of southern Spain. are very an
many of them planted long be
Tire Pilgrim Fathers sought Amer
Everybody has heard of the mon
olive tree near Nice. which is said
more than a Thousand wears old.
~r trunk is tWeuty-three feet in cir
terence at the height of mans
and whose yield IN its prime was
Uundrcd pounds of oil per annum.
W. no doubt its counterpart could
luW, many times over. in Andalu
Earring he inevitable exaggeration
watering place tradition. Each
Am has its guard. who tends it
tHIIy the wear round, occupying a
Natched hut under the trees in
lrl-tlne and Il sort of burroW. or
m winter. During the harves
u a watch Is kept up all night. as
as 3} day, for an expert thief-and
are many i'll SPAIN might easily
pe entire orchard in few hours.
l-le vigorous shake dislodges every
ed berry from the branches. which
he noiselessly loaded into panniers
Waiting donkeys As harvest time
caches. the olive trees exchange
melancholy gray for brighter
-' The ripening fruit varies in tint
vivid green to gay reds and lovely
lWcS. while the Willow-leaf foliage,
Fs restless and quivering, assumes
'0lder, shimmering tint which can
,' he described as moonlight green,
" -rrenish-silver-if YOU can imagine
such a color might be. The crop
Manly harvested by young women:
ilen the sombre orchard is picnic
cad all day long, for Spanish girls
their labors into merchandising.
dged trunks form an admirable
Ground for the rainbow hues of
fant costumes, and the air is must
HIth snatches of song and the tinkle
eoukey-bells: while the overseer.
"trhtd on a grassy bank in the sun,
H touble enjoyment in his intermin-
r Cigarettes and the power of con-
"IIlng the drlldgery of others.
Nraring the northern border of
'n.aiusia, you find the whole country
F4rHd with vineyards, far as the eve
e see. This is the famous Valde
In, region, which gives its name to
NJ the best, though commonest,
"' cIaret, with more body and sweet
somewhat resembling the infer
ed grape juice made in New Jersey
extensively used throughout the