The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-25
SCENES IN OLD SEVILLE
WATCHMAN WHO TELLS OF THE
NIGHT, DIsTURBs SLEEP.
n "House of PLATE" and h
Strange Memorials of the Chris
tian Tragedy-Marshal Prim.

Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.
SEVILLE, Spain, Feb. ITO think of the
%serenos, as Spanish nightwatchmen are
called. patrolling the silent streets and
calling the hours to the sleeping city is a
very pretty idea; but when you come to
live with them it's romance suffers consid-
erably. Several serenos p~erambulate every
street from sunset until sunrise. Each is
armed with a long, clumsy spear, and car
ries a lantern, however brilliant the moon
light. His function is three-fold-irst, to
preserve order; second, to open doors, and
third, to sing out the hours as they pass
and an exact account of the state of the
weather. As in other parts of Spain-and,
indeed, many European cities-persons liv-
ing in apartment houses carry no street.
door keys, but depend upon the Waterman
for admission at night. Naturally, in a
country where people sleep through half
the day. late hours are the rule. At inter-
| walls all night long, until dawn is fairly in
the heavens, your sleep is constantly dis
turbed by belated jewellers, going noisily
homeward and shouting "Sereno!" at the
top of their voices, until that worthy ap-
pears with his big bunch Of keys and un-
locks their doors. And then the song of
hat bird of night Every half hour, at
every street corner, he sings fortissimo:
L bora es doce Cor whatever the hour
may be-. La noche esta claro y serene.
Ave Maria Purissima!"
Yesterday morning, after a particularly
unsatisfactory night, so far as sleep is con-
cerned--owing to unusual gayeties preced-
ing Lent and innumerable jewellers de-
handing the services Of the serenos|
| turned cut early to seek consolation in the
ever-satisfying panorama of the streets.
Turning the first corner of the narrow
street I found myself in the midst of a
strange procession. The central figure Of
it was a cow, gaily decked with garlands
of flowers. She was led by a barefooted
girl; and Immediately behind followed a
blind man and a boy, the former blowing
a fageolet, the latter beating a drum.
What in the world it meant I could form
no idea, until 1 asked a woman in the
crowd, who politely endeavored to conceal
her surprise at the dense ignorance of
"those Americans" 1t seems that similar
professions are of very common occurrence,
though this is the first I have happened to
encounter. The animal might be a goat, a
| donkey, or any other creature, as we'll as
a COW; but it is always f1ower-bedecked and
| advertised by music to be raffied for, any,
body who will paying a trihe and taking
his chances. 1t is a favorite way Of rails
ing the wind" as they say in America, for
the people are born gamblers, and even a
| rattle appeals to them strongly.
STRANGE SIGHTS OF THE STREET.
go - -.1@ - or@;ra1 Iff-
ferent procession. First came a dozen
boys, carrying long candles; then a coffin,
borne by four men, whose, heads were
buried under the sweeping black pail so
that only their feet were visible, and 1t
looked as if the coffin were actually walk
ing of itself. Several priests followed. in
| strange black habits striped with red,
whose like 1 have never seen before; and
the rear was brought up by a band. con-
sisting of two bassoons and an oboe, which
made a most weird and melancholy accom-
parliament TO the solemn chant of the
priests. The procession was on its way to
the cemetery. Every now and then 1T
| halted in front of a house-presumably that
of some friend of the deceased-the coffin
was set upon the ground and the face of
the dead uncovered. People came out of
w. $1,000
the house to take a last look" while the
crowd gathered curiously near; and after
a few minutes the music and march were
resumed.
A little further on L came upon a group
Of peasants engaged in the picturesque
industry of spinning the green rope so
much used by Spanish farmers. 1t is
manufactured from the coarse pampas
grass of the Guadalquivir plains. The oper-
alton is a very leisurely and social one. re-
| curing a rude wooden wheel and three
persons. One man, woman, or child, reeds
the wheel; another turns it, and a third
| receives the twisted rope. An in~dispensa-
BILE article of the peasant costume, male
CT female-should an absence from home
of even an hour or two be contemplated
is the alforja. 1t is not unlike the donkey
pannier-a long stout strip of wooden cloth,
With a bag at either end. The alforJa is
onamented with close tufts of blue, scarlet
and yellow wool. 1t is worn over the left
shoulder. and the bags invariably contain
che 4 wine-skin, the other a pot OF garlic,
or a green pudding.
THE CAS- DE PILATAS.
Ny destination was the Casa de Pilatas
House of PLATE" which stands near the
Carmona gate, amid a labyrinth of the
narrowest and dirtiest streets of Seville.
1t is supposed to be an exact counterpart
of Pilates house, in Jerusalem; but as 1t
was planned by Arab architects. in the
year 1900, and finished by Spanish work
men nearly half a century later. the SINH
larity is doubtful Its history is this: In
the year 1899 Senior Don Pedro Enriquez Tin
our language his name would be plain Mr..
Peter Henry, made a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land, and on his return conceived
the brilliant idea Of reproducing In Seville
the house of the Roman praetor. He died
not long afterwards and his son, Don
Fadrique Enriquez de Ribera. first mar
auis of Tarifa (who had not been in
Jerusalem), carried on the good work. A
generation or two later IL was finished by
Alan de Ribera, the first Duke of Alcala,
and a viceroy Of Naples-all related by
blood or marriage, and ancestors of the
present proprietor, the Duke of Medina
Cell. The latter is old and feeble. but de-
lights to personally conduct foreigners over
the structure and explain its manifold
beauties. The largest court is surrounded
by statues of pagan gods and busts of Ro-
man heroes-Scipio A~fricanus, Marius,