Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-01-13

be recovered The officers were very
polite, but they wanted to know my
profession. There are often reasons
why one does not care to advertise
himself as a newspaper reporter. II
sometimes interferes with the success
of mission, and so | told them
was traveller, but they desired
something little more definite. So
for the time being, concluded to be
a gentleman of leisure, explained that
i did not have to work for living
and was visiting Servia in pursuit
of the picturesque. The chief was ex
not put me to any inconvenience
He insisted upon shaking hands. and
bowed us to the door with the grace
of dancing master
The big cafe of the hotel at which
we stayed was filled with blue smoke
Underneath the cloud we could dis
cern a crowd of men earnestly engaged
in discussion, which they kept up
until an early hour in the morning,
and learned the chief occupation
of large portion of the inha bitants
was drinking beer, talking politics
and smoking cigarettes. The next
morning was Sunday, and the cafe
was again filled at an early hour,
with women as well as men, and every
table was occupied all day long. while
| the cigarette smoke hung over their
heads like blue mist and concealed
the ceiling. 1t was always so as long
as we remained in Belgrade. The
cafe was crowded when we came
downstairs in the morning and when
we went to bed at night, and the con-
sumption of beer wine, coffee and
cigarettes must be very large
Sunday morning the king gave an
audience to the skuptschina, as par
lament is called, and it was there
fore one of the great days of the year
The bishops and the clergy in the
magnificent embroidered vestments
were even more imposing than the
generals in uniforms of blue, scarlet
and green with gold braid. The mem
bers OF the diplomatic corps In court
dress were led by the Turkish min
lister. and his suite. The Austrian
and Russian legations were handsome
ly decorated and made fine appear
ance. They We're watched with inter
est because it is supposed that both
are intriguing for the control of the
country
The members of the skuptschina
We're clad in black evening dress.
with embroidered shirt fronts. white
ties and white gloves. A band OF
music stood in the area beside the
palace and played lively airs while
the ceremonies We're going on, and a
battalion of the kings bodyguard. in
brilliant uniforms like those of the
Austrian Hussars, were drawn up in
two lines between which everybody
had to pass. | looked at those troops
with peculiar interest, because upon
their loyalty the life of the king de-
pendes. Most of them are young
men, some mere boys, but they all
have intelligent faces and seem con-
scious of their responsibility.
The palace. which is in the center
of the City of Belgrade, is in two
parts and disconnected One re-
sembles a French chateau and looks
like comfort home, being pleasant
ly and tastefully fitted up. 1t is only
two stories in height, the lower floor
containing the drawing, dining and re.
ception rooms and the uper floor the
living apartments. 1t is large enough
for an ordinary family, and would
make an acceptable abode for a gen
tleman of wealth and culture. The
other part, which is across an area
forty or fifty feet wide, is more pre-
to the street without grounds and
looks like public building. 1t is
known as the New Konak, and was
built by Milan, the gambler king, for
entertaining purposes. The exterior
as well as the interior is very pre-
tentious, being of succeed brick
with elaborate mouldings, four stor-
les high and painted yellow, like
nearly all the government buildings
and business blocks Within is SER
les of magnificent apartments, equal
to those in the palaces of Berlin and
and Vienna designed by French
architect and finished with tapestries
and gliding at a cost that was enor-
nous for the size and wealth of the
country. The guards are thick
around the palace, which indicates
either lack of confidence or cow
ardly king. But the precaution is
well taken.
Sunday morning everybody goes to
market, and the display of fish, meats
and vegetables is large and interest
ing. On one side of the principal
square were butchers, hucksters and
dealers in knick-knacks from Ser
via. while everything on the other
came from Hungary, across the river
Save, and paid duty. The people and
their wares We're much better looking,
and the vendors wore better gar
ments than the Servians, many of
them appearing in the Hungarian ma
tional costume. Their butter and
! cheese We're more appetizing and
were displayed in neater manner:
their yopatahlpS GtInartnr t,,