Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-05-12
hanging dIzzy preclplces. winding In
and out among
FANTASTIC cLIFFs

hanging dlzzy precplces. winding In
and out among
FANTASTIC CLIFFS
and caverns-an ideal lurking place for
knights OF the road At one point The
train runs through a Wild and sovage
gorge. named Despeuaperros- pitch
the dogs over" Doubtless the singular
title was bestowed M memory OF some
desperate but now forgotten struggle
between Moors and Christians, in days
when these mountains formed "a partial
barrier between The two races.
Descending the other side Of the sier-
ra. we come az last TO the desoiate
plains of La M0ncha, familiar 90 the
reading world as the region whore Don
Qulxote rode his raw boned steed.
While confined In the prison Of one OF
its secluded villages. Miguel de Ger
vautes- Saayedra-the greatest literary
genius that Spain ever prUduced-wrote
his immortal satire on the folbles OF
decaying age OF chlyalry. Better than
a guide-book 20 this part Of Spain. %
a copy OF Don Quixote. which you may
buy I'm any Spanish shop. Ceryantes
sketched from nature, with art intense
by realistic Except In the character Of
the Don himself, which no doubt fitted
those times % perfection, every detail
OF the story written 10 the last quarter
OF the sixteenth century can be dis
tluctly traced and verified az the pres
ent day. such an accurate pcn-arust
Of local scenes was he. and so little has
the country changed IN four hundred
years. that YOU may easily follow The
footprints Of "the knight Of The sor-
roWiul countenance.' Here is Iobasco,
the home OF the acknowledgements
admired Dulcinea." Yonder Us the Nen-
IA de Ouesada. where the mad knight
received the accolade. The lakes OF
Rudyera and the cave OF Montpslnos
are sim the same: and SO are the
muleteers and the wine-skns. the il0cks
Of sheen tended by shepherds. and the
wind mills swinging
THEIR MIGHTY ARMS
as they grind the corn-just as IN Ger
vantes' day In changing cars at
Man2anares you have a couple OF hours
10 wait. In the immediate vicinity OF
QuiXotes most famous exploits. Here
Is the inn where he was knghted and
before its door a swlneherd, who may
be a lineal descendant Of the warder OF
the story. still winds his horn, It's old,
old well continues 20 AFFORD water 10
yagrant muleteers, successors 90 the
unfortunate whose head was broken
for disturbing the madman's vigil Up
on the edge OF the we'll Is a deep in
dcntati0n believed 10 have been made
by the armor OF Don QuiXote. The stone
must have been softer than % is now,
or his armor wonderfully hard TO have
been thrown down with such tremen-
dous violence as 10 make so plain |
mark! SkeptICs may incline 20 the be- |
lief that the stone has been worn away |
in the course OF centuries by the |
constant procession Of animals led up |
to drink. But Il would never do TO |
hint such heresy herel All Spanlards |
regard Ceramics romance as Holy |
Writ. TO swear by" and the more ig- |
norant classes believe It's every detail |
10 be strictly true.
We find La Mancha almost as wild |
and uncultiyated today as In QuiXote's |
time. The railway 90 Merida lies along |
a plateau. two thousand feet above the /
sea. where towns are few and people |
fewer, The native Manchegan wears |
the
SAME SHEEPSKIN SUIT
which has faithfully served his ances-
tors for two or three generations. His
home is a mud howell which a respect
able American mule would refuse 10 en-
ter, and from the cradle 10 the Campo |
Santo his vision is greeted by the same
dull. monotonOus landscape void Of ver-
dure and glaring with sand and mtre.
Yet, despite his poverty and unattrac-
tive surroundings he Is one Of the mer-
riest Of mortals Finding extreme DIFF
iculty IN keeping his thin body and
cramped soul together, one would hard
~ suppose that such a miserable being
would have much opportunity or capa-
city for enjoyment; but, happily, the
good Lord has gagged TO their condl- |
lions the ideas Of races that have al
ways been poor A Manchegan fami-
y feast like kings on n crusty loaf
md a handful Of onions; and the head
hereof can imagine no greater addl-
ional luxury than 10 bask. half asleep.
M day In the sun, smoking cigarettes
hat cost half a cent the package The
women do the little work that Is done
md the children enveloped in a thick
'oating OF dirt that enables them to
dispense with clothing, fraternize on
hummiest terms with the long necked !
ligs that form an important part Of
'ach domestic establishment All the
inhabitants OF La Mantha. old and
'oung. seem 10 cherish an hydrophoblc
version 20 water-whIch Is indeed a
lud too precious 20 be used for lava
DRY purposes. having 20 be brought on
donkey back 10 the villages from |
prings and wells, often miles away.
FANNIE b. WARD
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