El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-08

, on the Avenida de Mayo, the land for
which cost s5.000,000, although the
street is not more than one mile IN
length. 1t viii be the same as to the
out from the Plaza de Mayo like the
spOkes Of a wheel. These improve
ments have been stopped for the mo
ment on account Of the war and the
lack Of borrowing capacity, but they
viii surely go on later.
Magnificent Avenida de Mayo.
The Avenida de Mayo is the great
boulevard Of Buenos Aires. It was
nothing few years ago. It has now
an almost even skyline d six story
palaces, with bay windows running
from pavement TO roof. At one end Of
It is the Plaza de Mayo, upon which
race the house Of the president the
stock exchange and the famous cathe-
oral At the other end are the marble
houses OF congress, which have cost so
mucn that the people have dubbed them
the Palace Of Gold"
The avenue is 100 feet wide It is
ilhed on both sides with trees, and YOU
look down between rows Of green to
the great buildings at either end The
street has magnificent hotels and its
stores compare with those Of New York
ana Paris There is a great difference
IN architecture Much Of the decors-
non is Grecian, and the skill of the
!IaIlan mechanic is shown in the cary
The designing Of new buildings has
Deen greatly improved by the munich
panty All plans have to be Submitted
70 the city authorities. Those accepted
s 5tef a competitive class, and the best
pan OF each year receives A gold
medal This medal goes to the arcbi-
Lscb VINO IS thereby put at the head of
ms profession for the year 10 come
IN addition the municipality places a
bronze plaque on the front Of the
nh
II from the building taxes which an
otner structures must pay
me building regulations are strict
No structure can be higher than the
width OF the street upon which IL
stands, and so far the average new
business block is OF five or SIX stories
The skylines Of the new streets are
even, and the effect is delightful. There
are now within the city something like
$4,000 houses OF these about 100 OO0
are OF brick. 5000 Of wood and the
others are Of iron, zinc, stone and re-
inforced concrete. Ninety thousand or
more or them are Of only one story.
Old spanish style Is Disappearing.
Inc vast expenditures Of the munich
panty are Transforming Buenos Aires
II IS changing from a Spanish city to
one like Berlin or Paris, and the old
landmarks are being swallowed up in
the new constructions.
The town is one OF the Oldest OF the
new world. It was begun 200 years
before there was a house on the site OF
our city OF Boston, and 43 years after
Columbus discovered America. The
first buildings were mud huts matched
with straw Then brick kiln was
made and later tiles and bricks were
imported from Spain The first city
was OF Spanish architecture, and that
style prevailed for more than 800 years.
The most Of the buildings were Of one
story They were built close to the
sidewalk and around patiOs and courts.
They had iron-barred windows, facing
the streets, and behind the bars the
senOritas sat and watched their lovers
playing the bear act" or, as ii Is
sometimes called, eating iron" The
girls could admire their suitors an5
cast Sleeps eyes at them, but the bars
were always between.
Now the buildings have changed. The
pauos are fast disappearing, plate glass
windows have driven the iron bars TO
the rear, and the senorita has become
an untodate 10th century maiden.
Nevertheless, four fifths OF the houses
OF Buenos Aires are still of one story
a though there are streets lined with
ST story palaces, and skyscrapers are
gong up facing some Of the parks.
Many Live in Apartments.
Many Of the people now live in apart-
ments; and many buildings have shops
on the ground floor and apartments
above There is extensive fiat build
ing, and IN certain quarters great Da-
laces. each Of which cost more than
100000 to build This is especially so
about the Plaza san Martin. upon which
the Plaza Hotel and our American en-
bassy are situated.
Is a Healthy City.
Buenos aires IS rapidly increasing