The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1909-04-29
SPAIN IN ANCIENT
AND MODERN DAYS
An Interesting Letter From
k.Congressman Marshall
Who IL Touring Europe.

ID C0akmo0 Oy the N8C0f01 ana
Ancient Beauties Of That
Wonderful Country.
Gibraltar. April 6.-After landing at
Gibraltar On the 22nd ult, and satisfy
ing the officials in charge that We had
neither frearms; whiskey cr, playing
cards, we were admitted through the
gates and stood on British soil, and in
less than an hour We had a trip through
Spain planned.
Gibraltar has been in the possession
Of England since 1704, when they
took it from the Moors who captured
It about 1000 years before. In early
days Spain and Africa were connected
by . narrow neck Of land, which sank
into the ocean probably by the action
of earthquakes.
Gibraltar is tongue of land running
directly south from the mainland of
Spain, to within twenty miles of the
African shore. The rock of Gibraltar
is connected with the Spanish mainland
by square mile of flat plain, barely
above the sea level, from which it rises
on the north an abrupt wall 1900 feet
high. This is the view Of it so familiar
to all. It is also impossible to scale it
on the east side. The English have
spent two hundred and fifty million
dollars in fortifying it and maintain
six thousand soldiers here. The city
proper claims 2O, 600 people mixed Span
ish and English and well sprinkled with
the various inhabitants of India.
Gibraltar is without railroad being
supplied from Algeria three miles
away across the bay and on the main
land of Spain.
We confined our tour in Spain to
Andalucia, her richest province and
famous in history and song and story.
We visited Granada, Seville, Cordova
and Ronda, all cities of great interests,
all thoroughly characteristic of the life
and times when the Moors and Romans
ovekrxf and occupied the country, and
at the same time thoroughly Spanish.
In the midst Of the antiquated palaces
Of the Moors my mind turned to the
people Of today feeling concerned as to
their manner Of living and making a
!: living.
: Beggars are everywhere and while
wages are low according to our! stand
ard there are many evidences of pros
perity, not of course our kind or degree.
On every hand there are plain signs Of
bad government and neglected and
wasted resources. Under proper gov
eminent and development there would
be comfortable homes for the people in
Spain. As it is now the land holdings
are too large. Her people cling to the
cities.
Andalusia is a garden spot, much of
it titled extensively, but by hand labor or
the crudest kind Of machinery. They
are more than a hundred years behind
the times. Transportation is largely
on the backs of burros, mules and horses.
The heavier stuff is moved in huge two
wheel carts with mules hitched tandem,
sometimes six or eight.
Andalucian horses are famous and
are delight to the eye. Their mules
are good, so are their goats, which are
plentiful. The cattle are from very
bad to very good.
Flowers are in bloom. Many that
grow with US are found here. Peach
trees in blossom. There are thousands
of acres of olive trees, some said to be
five hundred years old. And we have
seen some beautiful orange groves,
and the fruit is choice. Grain is from
sixty-four to seventy-two inches high.
The mountains are practically tree
less, having been denuded and nothing
being done to reforest them. An oh
ject lesson to us. Buildings are almost
wholly of stone, brick Or concrete.
Pavements of cobble stones.
The cities are strange mixtures Of
new and old, of the magnificent gardens
and palaces of kings and princes, set
among the novels and filth and slime of
the poverty-stricken beggars. Streets
narrow, eight to sixteen feet, crooked,
irregular, winding among the houses
with few or no windows, thick walls
and narrow entrances to keep out the
heat Of summer, but at the expense Of
fresh air and sunshine. Then there
are street cars and many Of the streets
are so narrow that it is impossible fo1
the cars and teams to pass.
Prices are higher than we expected to
find. The low prices and cheap travel.
ing have kept ahead of US SO far and
we suspect they are always in the next
4 town and we will not be able to catch
up with them.
Wine they give away with ones
meals. and it is cheaper than goot
water and lemonade costs more thar
beer. And in the face of this we never
wanted water so much. When you pay
sixty cents for bottle of apollinaris
it adds wonderfully to its taste, and il
is astonishing how good pint Of plair
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