Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-26
Mrs. A. w. Swain Visits Iowans
In Washington.
TELLS OF SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY
Inhabitants OF Uruguay Are of Clan
nish Disposition and Care Little for
Outside World Except Spain, Paris
and Rome-Enioy Social Affairs.
IBY H. j. MAHIN.l

Washington, D. c., March 26.-The
presence in this city the past week OF
Mrs. A. w. Swain, the wife of Consul
Swain, who for the past six years has
represented the United States govern
ment at Montevideo, Uruguay, has
been source of special pleasure to
many Iowans in Washington who have
been privileged toltrenew the broken
thread of acquaintance. Mrs. Swain,
in speaking of the,5South American
country, gave most interesting ac-
count of Uruguay and its people. She
said: "The area of4this little republic
is about one and one-half times greater
than our own Iowa, and 1T has popu-
lation of only million people. About
one-third of this number live In the
capital, Montevideo,l a city of magnlfl-
cent residences and public buildings,
located at the mouth of the Rio de la
Plata river, which here has width OF
ninety miles. The city is built chiefly
of marble from Spain the mother coun-
try This may seem strange, but
building stone of good quality cannot
be had near Montevideo, and the ma
terial used was largely brought as bal
last in Spanish bottoms and willingly
sold for building purposes at nominal
figure. The people of Uruguay have
but little thought for the great world
outside. They are distinctively Span
! ish and hold clannishly to the Gus
toms, the language and the religion OF
Spain They have profound venera-
ton for Spain, wonderful admiration
for Paris and regard Rome with feel
| ing of religious fervor but outside of
| those three points they are literally
self-centered in Uruguay. They have
not the least interest in and do not
care for London, Berlin or the United
States, regarding anything. outside a
Spanish or Latin range as beneath
their notice. They know very little
about North America, just as we, as a
rule know little, and care to know
/ little, about them. 1t is no Mecca for
Americans, there not being more than
a score of them all told among the
/ 100000 of the capitals varied popula-
ton. There is quite colony of Ger
mans, lured here by commercial ex-
lpectations-and they are making 1T
pay-and still larger .sprinkling OF
italians. All in all, the people of Uru
quay are a pleasure loving, pleasure
seeking population and are essentially
free from the strenuous sort of life
Z that characterizes Anglo-Saxon com
munities They don't believe in the
good gospel of work, that is, those
who belong to the upper caste do not
and it would be considered bad form
for a woman who desires to stand wei
in society to go to market or even t.
go shopping. Servants attend to al
thesa' So-called mental duties. Should
a woman wish to buy a gown or mate
rial from which to make it. she send!
to the store-all called shops in Soutl
America-for a sample book IN Whlcl
are grouped the fabrics for sale, VIII
. price of each attached. Making sc
, lection to suit her needs, the servan
, is sent to make the purchase. II on
buys for ones self, as foreigner i
, ant to do until he learns better, tn
probability is that she will be charge
! about three prices, as she is recognize
} as a stranger as readily as tender
foot" is in California. After an expe
rience or two they are willing to cor
form to the unwritten law of the cour
try"
Mrs. Swain emphasized the fac
that the Montevideans gained a grea
i IDEAL of enjoyment from the social sid
of life. She said: Social function
1 are especially INDUCED in by the higf
: er caste element, and there is ger
: eral round of giving and receiving. Th
Z cares of the people are few; they al
solutely live above worry, and in thi
respect are apparently happier pee