The Detroit times., 1910-10-05
Writer Gives Interesting
Story Of Life in Portugal

The following story OF Life IN
Portugal was sent to the Chicago
Record-Herald from Braga by Fannie
b. Ward:
The traveller who comes to this
country for pleasure. would better
time his visit TO any season than au-
tumn. He will find here none OF the
calm and stately beauty that marks
the dying year in the same latitude
on our side OF the Atlantic-no srnil.
ing landscapes slowly bronZing under
early touches Of FROST or glorious In
crimson. russell ana gold; no encffant-
ing days OF summer brightness tenn
pered with the breath OF coming win
ter-of winter still warmed and mel
lowed with the sun Of waning sum-
mer. Autumn Is particularly mel
ancholy in northern Portugal, where
every field Is a battle-ground, every
tree, vine and shrub the denuded VIC
| tim of elemental strife The hot LUIS
tanian sun has stimulated an extra
ordinary wealth OF yerduie; and the
| frost continued downpour OF equinoc-
tial rain, accompanied by violent
| winds that break and destroy. strews
| the earth with wreckage OF leaves and
branches, sodden and decaying.
In the most cultivated district the
desolation Is greatest-of naked vine
yards, unsightly stubble and rotttng
cornst3lks. The atmosphere-damp,
steamy. ague-laden-bathes one in
perspiration while chilling to the mar
row. And then the house flies and
mosquitoes. The plaques OF Egypt are
as butterflies and nightingales In
comparison Always pestiferous In
Portugal they grow more active and
envenomed as summer advances and
throughout September and October
render life wellnigh unbearable. To
ward the middle of November. when
the brief summer OF ST. Martin Is
scheduled to begin, bracing frosts dis
perse both the winged pests and the
demons OF ague and malaria
Investigating Agricultural Interests.
Undeterred by weeping skies and
mud hub-deep or to the knees of our
donkeys, we have been investigating
the agricultural interests OF this queer
country, whose social financial. polit-
zeal and even religious interests are
bound up in the welfare OF the farm
ers, the wine-grow ers, the shepherds
and cattleraisers. II political econ
omy had proper sway in Portugal
her population would be almost entire
ly an agricultural one. Yet. strange
10 say, the governing classes, like
those OF her twin sister, Spain, seem
bent on squeezing to death the goose
that lays the golden eggs. encouraging
certain royal monopolies in the way
OF languishing manufactures. while
depressing the people with tariffs SO
outrageous as to paralyze the more
important industries.
The Land Of Donkeys.
Some OF our experiences have been
rich indeed Accompanied by a
good Gallegan guide and his servant
tho upper servant In Portugal Is so
poor as 10 be without his humber
servant, and so on down TO servants
servants), we have ridden about the
province in the curious two-wheeled
carriages OF the country whenever our
excursions led us beyond the railway
routes. and where wheels we're not
practicable we have joined the great
majority on the backs OF dOnkeys. We
had thought ourselves thoroughly &C
quainted with those patient beasts OF
burden from long experience In Mex
leo, South America and other wild
regions. where Balaams long-eared
beast is king, but until now we never
learned the b OF the usefulness
OF those indispensable animals
In this whole poverty-stricken king
dom there Is not a peasant so des-
perately impoverished as to be with
out his donkey. Every human being
In the district seems to own from
one to a score. Even the multitud-