Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-14
A sLEEFLESs CITY.
In Madrid the People seem Never 10
Go 10 He'd.

w
Go 10 He'd.
The Madrilenos arc the greatest folks
you ever saw for sitting up nights.
Business Is usually suspended for two
or three hours in the middle OF the day
for a siesta, which is the practice
throughout all the Latin countries. In
the old fashioned cities and towns all
the shops are closed at noon. tram ears
stop running, and the streets are en-.
tirely deserted between IL and .
O'Clock, and you would as soon think
OF calling upon q man at 2 o'clock In
the morning Us between those hours.
Madrid. however, Is an up to date
city. 1t has all the modern improve,
ments, the latest fashions from Paris
and all Of the fads, and the people In
a great measure have departed from
the customs of their Castilian ances.
tors. You can usually catch a car and
find a cab at MONDAY. and the big
shops keep open. but the streets are
more lively and noisy between IL and
2 o'clock In the night than they are
during those hours in the day.
All night long. almost until day
break, we who live In the downtown
hotels can hear the rattle OF wheels
over the stone payements. the chatter
and laughter of people passing. the
cries of the peddlers and the newsboys
and the men. women and children who
sell lottery tickets. The hand organs
were playing upon the street nit 3
o'clock In the morning, an old blind
man who blows d flute at the corner
below the hotel keeps ii up until 4
O'clock, and two orchestras Of blind
mcn who stray about from place 10
place and perform melancholy music
under the windows Of the residences
and before the entrances Of the shops
do not give up their game until almost
daylight.
The beggars stay till tine last. and
they are MS numerous here as I'm Con.
stantinople. You Fan see such pitiable
creatures in any city Of Spain or Italy.
and the strange part Of It Is that they
appear to be at their posts all the
time. When they sleep or cat II i
mystery. They were there yesterday
at 4 O'Clock when | aWoke and went
over to close the blinds. and three or
four hours later ! saw them again.
But 1t Is n popularity of this city
that people never seem to go to bed.
You cannot look out upon the great
square called Puerto del Sol, the ren
devious of the busybodies and the
loafers Of Madrid. at any hour Of the
night without seeing 500 or GOO people
standing idly around. smoking ciga.
rettcs, talking politics and gossiping
with u another. evidently without
the slightest intention Of going to bed,
while the peddlers. as a matter OF
course. also remain and are moving
around among them. Human streams
continue TO pour into the square from
the side streets until daylight and dis
appear In other directions.
Coming home from the theater ut 1
or 2 o'clock In the morning, the side
walks are overcrowded. You can meet
women carrying children iii their arms
or leading them by the hand, as if they
were returning home from some pleas.
ure trip or from paying a visit. Tho
are open all night. and the thea.
tiers have plays beginning as late as
1890 In the morning.
The social life Of Madrid Is found at
the theaters. Instead Of exchanging
calls Mt their homes people visit from
box to boz during the plays and b.
tween the acts. There Is a great deal
81 dressing. The theater N thSHbnIy
place that many Women havQ~an op-
portunity to wear their ko0t Clothing,
and the young men and young women
greater freedom there for con.
and Irritation than they can
anywhere else.-Chicago Record.
Herald.