The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20

The capital of Uruguay is most charm
lngly situated with the ocean upon one
side and the Rio de la Plata, a river GO
miles wide, on the other. It's name.
Montevideo, signifies Il see the rNoun-
tain" referring to a tall hill Immediately
back of the city. Landing here is diff
'fcutt and primitive. Passengers are low
cred in an iron cage from the ships
deck to a barge or lighter and In their
transit they are swung round and round,
backward and forward, something after
the manner in which milk is eongealed
in an ice cream freezer. When the
barge gets as near shore as possible,
the passengers are transferred to an OK
cart which has come out half mile
ard stands axle deep in water, while
the ladies are placed upon chairs on
the backs of dusky stevedores who con-
vey them to land. In unloading the
osrgo the cattle are lowered by rope
fastened around the horns, which often
pull out, and horses are suspended by
broad leather band and thus let down
into the boat. 1t is odd to note the be-
havior of the cattle during the ordeal
as they draw themselves up nearly dou-
bic, like a mouse when suspended by
the tail. 1t is cruel, but it seems almost
unavoidable
The Montevideans claim that their city
is the prettiest in the world and that its
climate is rnequalled upon the globe
With one exception their climate is more
admirably softened as it is in winter by
the warm breath of the gulf stream and
tempered in summer by the breezes from
the sea, and this exception is the dread
full pamperos, fierce wind which dur
ing the winter season often sweeps down
from the Andes purpling noses and
parching skins. But such favorable
climatic conditions obtain throughout the
entire country as well as in Montevideo
for the birth rate of Uruguay is larger
and her mortality smaller than those of
any other country in the world where
statistics are obtainable Her number of
insane shows a percentage about only
ore-fourth the size of that of the United
States and the birth rate of males is
considerably in excess of that of females
The city is full of foreigners who have
taken up a permanent residence there
and who live like princes. Their villas
called quintas) are veritable palaces and
they line the curving outstretches of the
bay. These residences are of the most
ornate and picturesque architecture and
each one is surrounded by acres of flow
ers and luxuriant foliage. Most of the
owners of the houses possess large cat
tie ranches and farms in the interior
and when we remember that ocean yes
sells can ply up the Rio de la Plata and
Uruguay rivers $500 miles into the very
heart of the country we can easily COM
prehend Why these foreigners have set
tied here and the source of their fabu-
lcus wealth
Clubs, theatres, opera houses, race
courses. libraries for the public, univer-
stiles and museums are plentiful and
Paris supplies the shops with their costly
stocks of goods.
Nor are hospitals, asylums and char
liable institutions wanting
The boulevards are lighted by electric
ity, telephones are common and the city's
los miles of electric trans transport 1e.-
100000 passengers annually
One of the curious features of the city
that attracts strangers is the courts and
vestibules of the tenement houses for
the middle classes, which are paved with
mosaics made of the knuckle bones of
sheep Another is the rows of superim-
posed vaults which inclose the cemetery.
The walls are % feet high, consisting
OF five or six tiers and the vaults are
rented out for number of years. II the
rent is not promptly paid the skeletons
are removed and dumped into a deep pit
in center of the burying ground.
The national drink is cana made of the
sugar cane and while a strong ntoxi-
cant is sold at two cents the glass. Lit
tie machines are to be seen at every
street corner Which press out the juice
of the stalk and at the same time play
a tune as do our hand organs.
The city supports 30 daily papers. but
they consist principally of editorials and
reports of fights and frolics with a few
cablegrams devoted to news from Europe
The boys do not cry out the papers
which they have for sale but lay them
on the street and place stones upon them
to keep the wind from blowing them
away.
Upon the Uruguay river several hundred
miles from Montevideo are situated the
extensive works for the manufacture Of