El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-17


American who was court
- dentist to the royal house
Of Braganza when it was IN
a better position TO pay for gold
filings than it is ever likely to be
again says that for years he received
occasional letters from home addressed
to Lisbon, Spain" While a majority,
even of those who have not studied ge-
ography since their school days. know
that Lisbon is not in Spain. there ex-
lists a widespread impression that the
Portuguese and Spaniards are very SIM
liar people and that Portugal is virtu-
ally a part of the larger Of the two
countries occupying the nberian pen1n-
sula 1t is commonly. though igno-
rantly. asserted that the Portuguese DIFF
fers from the Spaniard only in that ne
is a little more shiftless and slovenly.
Spaniards Not Untidy.
Injustice is done to fairly cleaniy
race when it is thus intimated that the
Spaniards are untidy as well as mao
1ent. Inaccuracy of statement is in
dulged in when it is said that the
Portuguese is merely an inferior type OF
Standard Each Of the two reflects TO
an extent the physical charac teristlcs
of his country. The Spaniard has dig
nifty that suggests the gaunt impress
siveness OF the Andalusian uplands
and the cool aloofness Of the Slerras-
The Portuguese is as smiling as the
VINEYARDS of Portugal that cling to the
sunny hill slopes. or the green, palm
studded fields that run down TO the
sea. Shiftless he may be. and mot es-
necfallv neat. but he Is a man with
whom the stranger within\ the gates
becomes readily acquainted, and who
will always go out Of his way to ac-
comnodate the traveller without expec-
tatfon of recompense, He is not with
ont virtues and faults of his own that
give him distinct individuality among
nationals The Scotch are not more
unlike the English than the Portugese
are unlike the Spanish. ard the irish
are no more unwilling to be ruled by
aliens than the Portuguese would be TO
be governed by Spain.
Portuguese Welcome Aliens.
A historian of the Peninsular war
writing nearly a century ago. observes
the difference between the indifference
of the Spanish toward the foreigner
within the borders of the country and
the lively interest of the Portuguese in
anticipating his wants end striving T.:
be of service to him. These respective
attitudes of the people of the two
countries is noticeable today. The
warmhearted. accommodating intense
" democratic Portuguese may not al
ways be respected as an example o.
what a man ought to be. but &c IS
usually liked by the foreigner with
whome he comes In co Itd"t-
The Portuguese as race are kindly
docile lacking I'm the quality known In
America as push" They are much in
clined to let well enough alone in mat
ters personal and government. 1t was
only after very bad conditions had
| been let alone for q very long time
that a small number Of them. compare
lively banded together to inaugurate
new form of government.
The Downy Tipped Women.
The Portuguese are certainly not
| handsome race. Neither the men nor
| the women are of especially prepos-
| sessing appearance. Both are Of indif-
! ferent figure and rather muddy as vel
| as swarthy complexion The young girls
! have the dark down upon the upper III
that is considered a mark Of beauty
| by many Frenchmen and Spaniards
When they grow oder. and rs they
grow fatter. this line widens and the
| down lengthens. The Portuguese ma
tron at middle age often has a wei
developed black mustache- 1t Is no
rare to find an old woman whose CHR
has sprouted a. sparse. but plainly Wis
ibie. suit Of whiskers. and these grow
gray as age advances. The effect l:
decidedly grotesque-
Girls Never Beautiful.
The Portuguese girl at 16. or even 20