The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-04
IN SOURHERN SPAIN.
SOME FORGOTTEN CIIIES-1LI-
 CANT,
EIeche and Jativa-Date-Cultur and
 Spanish Wines.

Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courier)
 Jan. 9-Continuing your journey
 down the Mediterranean coast Of
 Spain, the whole face of the country
 assumes an African look as you near
 the Strait of Gibraltar. Alicante-an
 important commercial port, at the foot
 of it's "castle-crested steep'-presents
 an imposing appearance from afar; but
 like other Spanish towns proves very
 disappointing on closer acquaintance.
 It is one of the dryest places in the
 world--dry as those nitrate deserts of
 western Peru, where, it is said, people
 never die, but in course of centuries
 simply wither up and blow away, like
 autumn leaves. hTe grim reaper has
 mot retired from business here, howev-
 CT, as the two big cemeteries attest
 which we passed on the way from the
 station--their walls pigeon holed with
 tiny nitches, in which a hundred gene
 rations of Alicantans have been filed
 away like moldy documents. Not a { trace of vegetation is to be seen, except
 a few dusty palms in the Alameda.
 Everything reminds you of the Orient
 the fiat-roofed, sad-looking houses, the
 tawny roads, the desolate, dust-colored plains stretching far as the eye can see
 on every side-all gray and melancholy
 Tie huge, castle-crowned mass which
 overhangs the town and port can
 scarcely be called rock-it is rather an immense dust-heap. But it is a very
 1oH 1f S xUb biph tile magic wand of sunshine works ' ever-changing miracles, replacing it's ashy dress for splendors of sapphire and amethyst; while over the nearby mountains whole armies of purple shadows and rosy spectres are perpetu- ally chasing each other, now one troop
 gaining supremacy, now the other.
 The newer part of Alicante has wide and regular streets, which lead gradu ally up the slope to the fine old castle of
 Santa Barbara, which overtops the city. Promenading with the evening crowds along the wharves, beneath the palms of
 the Alameda, and in the central plaza, you are surprised at the unusual pre- pohderance of females in city of tflir- ty-six thousand inhabitants. This Is partly due to the government cigar fac tories, which employ several thousand girls, and also to the fact that many of the men are employed in the neighbor- ing vineyards. Strange to say, the wo- men of Alicante are as famous for ug- Illness as those of Valencia are for beau- ty Perhaps the dryness of the atmos- phere has something to do with their greasy, saddle co1ored skins and mus tached upper-lips; for even the music here-usually so good in every Latin hamlet-has the rasping note of the eeven-year locust, as if it's throat were parched for water. In fact, Alicante has but one thing to boast of, and that is it's truly excellent hotel the Bossio, which exhibits the extraordinary com bination of being one of the best, as well as the cheapest in Spain. Two dol lars a day-Spanish dollars at that will secure the first floor parlors, obse- quiotis attendance and meals, with wine literally thrown in" The long table d'hote presents curious sight, being lined on both sides with voting men, all shrugging their shouIdersand gesticu- lating like lunatics while gibbering ex cited French-generally on the topic of 
 the extent of whose purchases may be estimated from the fact that from Ali cante alone wine to the value of seve- ra1 million dollars is annually exported. Most of it goes to France, for mixing with clarets. But this is only one Of several stations where the wine-mer- chants congregate The whole eastern coast of Spain, from Cartagena to Bar celona, Is one vast vineyard interrup- ted by occasional grain fields vegetable gardens, fig and olive orchards The | number of wines is simply amazing; and as the Spanards themselves, though always taking wine with their meals, are very sparing drinkers. most l of the product goes to Bergundy and 1 Bordeaux, whence it is scattered broad cast over the earth disguised by label ! as French wine So the enterprising Frenchmen get the credit for all that is ! good in Spanish wines, while the excel | lent vintages of Spain, for lack of push | and advertising ingenuity, remain un- known. If wine-bibbers were wise which is not the case-they would insist on getting the pure, unadulterated ar- ticle direct from the Mediterranean GpdlD UT ITOUl our OWL HdclllC cUdSI and Put-in-Bay, instead of second hand stuff from Paris. mixed with poisonous Chemicals and the poorest of sour clar- et, worth about a cent a barrel The average so-called ''connoisseur'' goes on ordering his "St. Julien'' and "Chateau Margary,'' all on account of the spuri- ous label, and turns up his ignorant nose at home wines, which are yet made of the unfashionable juice of the grape.
 Going south from Alicante, It is wise to break the journey by spending a night at Jativa, seven miles across the tawny plains, on the border of the far famed Huerta-the very graden-spot of Coughs of orange-trees sweep the car- windows as you pass and the vibration of the train scatters showers If golden fruit upon the ground Groves of palm trees bend and rustic in the breeze and the air is sweet with the 1dor of heliotrope and wild mignonette. yativa itself Is an insignificant little town. but one would like to finger amid , ts fruits and flowers and clear, rushing waters. Behind the village the dark is dotted with hermit ages and chapels, set amid groves of , ancient careuba trees and thickets of Drickly pear. Next comes Eleehe, the bright little 'itv famous for it's forest of date-nalms ! ,rJ x,ici+od b1v II to,1ri St who wish tp l