Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-02-04
SLOW HASTE is RULE.
William E. Curtis Tells Of spain's
Rapid Ten Miles an Hour Trains.


GRANADA, Spain, Nov. 2S.--In the
gets a very good sample of Spanish
railway management. The distance
ia miles. and they rush the trains
hours and forty minutes. The dis
tance from Granada TO Algeciras is
174miles, and they rush the trains
through in thirteen hours and fifty
minutes. On both these Journeys
travellers may expect 10 be late. we
were about so minutes behind time.
although we travelled at The rate of
eight or ten miles an hour and stopp
ed from ten TO fifteen minutes at each
station. There was no particular rea-
son for waiting so long. but 1t is ei
costumbre de la pals tthe custom OF
The country which is to take plenty
OF time for everything You cannot
hustle Spaniard If he wants 10 buy
something he calls on the seller,
drinks n cup Of coffee or glass OF
wine. smokes few cigarettes ana
talks about everything except the pur-
chase. His first call is simply to cnl-
tivate good viii. A few days later he
will go again discover the article he
Is after and begin a negotiation, which
would drive an American business
man insane. Neither party wants
prompt sale. for that would deprive
them OF an opportunity TO show their
skill at bargain, of which they are
very proud IT'S worth losing few
days to crafty this pride. although
they don't get the article any cheap
er And that is the way they do bus
mess at the banks, which is often eS
asperating.
If you want to make a draft against
your letter of credit you may expect
to devote the most OF the morning to
It. You are usually shown into n
comfortable little sitting room at the
bank. which Is arranged like walt
ing room al doctors office. with a
lot OF antiqnated magazines and IL
lustrated newspapers on the table.
Al one side there is IA hole In the
wall through which You express youi
wishes to gentleman, who takes
your letter of credit and disappears,
Sometimes he gives You brass check
bearing number for Identification.
At the bank in San Sebastian ! was
No. 80. and have been as high as 40.
After half an hour or so the gentle
man returns with n draft for you to
sign, usually made ont in duplicate.
so that If one Is lost they can hold
you by another. After he gets your
signature he disappears again and
t,.,l.. ID 3
years magazines and look at the pic
lures of Queen Victoria's jubilee pro
cession, which never seems 10 wear
out You can find them in every
bank in Europe The pictures OF
King Edwards coronation are holding
ON very well also.
You get tired of literature and art
after awhile and become impatient
You walk back and forth several
times until you notice that the other
people In the room are watching yor
snspiciously. They wonder why you
are nervous, and you sink back into
your seat again. 1t seems very long
wait but 1t finally ends. and another
gentleman whom YOU have NOT seer
before. appears and calls your name
or your number. When you respond
he hands you back your letter Of cred
II and lot of money upon tray
All this delay is not entirely due tt
natural and ordinary Spanish pro
crastination. but ii is customary In
the banks over here for the book
keepers to keep mp with every trans
action before 1t is completed. AND
your money is not handed you unit
every record of the affair has beer
made.
These are old.fashipned methods
They have been in vogue for centur
les and are still good enough for
Spain. And they run their railroat
trains in the same way. They usual
ly start them very early In the morn
ing, Four o'clock is the favoritt
hour, or at least that is the hour ad
vertised, and the hotel man gets you
down to the station at least 10 min
uies in advance, so as to have plenty
Of time to weigh and register youI
baggage. buy your ticket and get q
good seat in the car. II takes a good
while to transact all this business
II you happen TO be late of course the
train will start promptly. If you nre
down an extra long time in advance
1t is certain to be held for some rnys
terioms reason However, there are
exceptions to this rule, An American
gentleman happened to he late At the
station the other day, and rushed &c
the ticket Office, where he begged to
he waited upon Immediately. The
sticket seller answered coolly:
you needn't he in such a thunder
ing hurry. the train will not start un
Ill give the word" and he pufed
leisurely at his cigarette.
A few moments before train time
the station master tolls big bell
hanging on the wall of the building
AS formal notice; few minutes lat
er porter in blue cotton jumper
goes up and down the platform ring
ing a hand bell. which Is warning
for the people to kiss their friend'
goodbye again and to get thoarti. The
conductor of the train blows a horn
which Is notice to the engineer AND
brakemen. Then somebody blows d
shrill whistle at one end OF the tr1ifi
which 10 angwarph hy similar W nj e