Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-14
THE CITY OF SOFIA.
A Bright and BustlsnE Town That fp Many Respects Resembles
 Paris,

2 A wide, smiling valley, and, far be- yond, the steep incline of an endless mountain range, the Vitosch chain, still snowcapped whom we saw it, says writer in Pall Mall Gazette, against bright blue sky, while nearer the earth was clad with cloak of the softest yer dure, lush green seeming to round the contours of outline here and there Such was the first impression of the panoramic setting within which we found enshrined Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. as bright and modern looking little town as, say, Baden-Baden, and indeed, more reminiscent of some small German "residenz stadt' in style and structure than anything one generally associates mentally with the near east Two days are, of course, not much in which to judge of any place. It Is merely the obvious then that strikes the visitors eye and is retained upon his mental retina, and therefore to our mind the name of Sofia is lastingly as- sociated with sundry broad and shady streets, bouleyards beneath which we watched with untiring interest the con stant flow of traffic, the coming and go! ing of soldiers. mondaines, peasantry and curious semi-oriental figures, very evidently dwellers beyond that towering mountain range, whom q desire to bar ter, or-who knows possibly even the ever-present miasma of intrigue in these Balkan principalities had brought k hither.
 It was late spring and the suns heat had something of the coming sum. mer in 1t, yet these stolid, slowly moving figures wore their fur caps and long skin coats, of which the sheep's wool turned inward forms the lining, with out apparently the least discomfort Most of them led their oxen, harnessed to cumbrous carts, while again near. these the smart electric trans whizzed by--a strange and incongruous mixture of the east and west The most pie turesque element in the street traffic was the peasant women many of the girls being quite beautiful, their gar ments gay with red and blue embroid- cries, and their persons loaded with bar barrie looking silver ornaments, silver coins even glinting here and there amid their long, thick raven plaits. Another touch of color was given to this scene by the numerous different uniforms which distinguished .le militaire, the general appearance of which reminds one of the Russian military dress, al- though the men seemed of better physique. generally speaking. Toward evening this picture became even more animated. for the inhabitants of Sofia love the open air; the.cafes and restaur- ants then assume the aspect of some lesser Paris, pretty faces elegant toilets, music and laughter dominating the scene in the sn1artest town quarter.
 Beyond this actual center of life stretch rows of villa residences. halt buried, at that time of year, amid leafy trees while the ceaseless song of birds here, there and everywhere seemed to attest scarcity of cats in Sofas sub urban districts, and certainly stamped 1t as a veritable paradise for the feath- cred creation. The royal palace, now as correct" a residence as any prince could desire, was, we were told. not al- ways so; in fact, at the time of Prince Alexander's advent it was with some difficulty that two water-tight rooms could be found for the accommodation of his highness, while the unmade roads were then still dimly illumined with lanterns, making darkness visible. Since those days. however. the little Bulgarian capital has certainly gone ahead, and at all events brushed itself up" externally.