The Republican journal., 1903-11-26

| bound volume. AQQIeSS LIZ n. W l AeASei
buffalo n. Y.
an unique building faced toward the
street by wide pavement under a
, series of arches, known as the portales.
which has shops inside and dwelling
rooms above On another side is a big
hotel and two enormous arches crossing
each other at right angles and extend
ing from street to street. The arches
are of white stucco, resembling marble,
with rounded roofs of glass and iron.
One of Sautiago's most peculiar struct-
ures is the adjacent Portalas de Fer
mandez Concfa, the name referring to
it's builder. 1t is a spacious gallery OF
eighteen arches, supporting tWostory
building, the whole being four stories
in height, an unusual altitude in this
earthquake-troubled country. Within
the building, no great stretch of imagi-
nation is required to fancy yourself in
the court of some old-time marble pal
ace-the Alhambra, perhaps, -arched
with glass overhead, besides beautltled
by frescos, carvings, paintings, ana in
Vulnerable inches. each containing its
exquisite statuette. Here is q cave,
apparently as nature made it, beneath a
chaos of boulders, overhung with grow
ing ferns and ivy Penetrate the min
iature cavern, and you,a first startled
by remarkably life-i like stone serpent;
its evillooking head raised as if to strike,
and then by the discovery that you have
inadvertently wandered into a private
dwelling, whose owner has had the
singular taste to thus disguise his front
door. All fanciful doors along both
sides of the Particles de Fernandez Con-
cha lead into business houses, the fash
ionabe shopping places of the elite,
where jewelry, bric-a -brac and Partisan
millinery are chiefly sold.
This is a favorite resort for the fair
Santiagoans, particularly after morn
ing mass, when you meet them by hun
dreds, every one with a black manta
or shawl, drawn tightly over her head,
prayer-book and rosary in hand, and Il
small rug thrown over one arm. The
latter is usually of embroidered felt, but
sometimes it is square of vicuna oe gu
anco fur and it lis used to spread upon the
cold damp stones of the church floor,
1yroolc to her
ers. 1t used to be the rule for a
servant to follow close behind my lady,
bearing her rug and prayer-book; but
now a-days-perhaps owing to the ex-
ample of package carrying foreigners,
though of wealth and high degree-the
fashion has changed and the gentle
church goers no longer disdain to bear
their own. Their duty done at church,
they gaze upon the ravishing display
in the shop windows to their hearts
content, or purchase little bouquets at
the flower stands that are strung all
along the outer edge of the arcade, or
gather in groups to soiace their femi-
ulUc SOulS Will U1to VI SOoolp.
The best shops do not open before
nine or ten O'Clock in the morning. be-
cause before that hour there is nobody
to patronize them; then they are closed
between five and seven p. M, to allow
the clerks and proprietors time to dine
as in many Mexican cities, where the
cd Of ho
afternoon so that the employees may
not be disturbed in their daily long 81
esta Here they are open till midnight,
as the heaviest part of the retail trade
is accomplished after nine in the even
ing. On the north side of the Plaza is
the old "Palacio" Of the government an
irregular heavy-looking pilo, which was
formerly the abode of the Presidents of
the republic, but is now utilized for the
public good in a variety of ways, includ-
ing barrack and prison. Collectively,
the buildings are known as Las Cajas;
and though their glory has departed,
they include some of the most note
worthy of the government buildings.
The handsome new post office is close
by, respondent with inner walls Of
marble, tiled floors and gilded ceilings.
In courtyard of the post office the
North American traveller is amazed at
the apparition of two unexpected ghosts
standing before him-marble statues
of George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln; both of which regret to add,
were brought from Lima, with great
deal of plumber, by the victors i'll the
last war between Peru and Chill.
The President now resides in the
Moneda, or mint, which is generally
considered the finest of Santiago's pub
lie buildings. 1t is quadrangular in
shape. 500 feet long. with a front $50