Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-24
BY HUBERT w. KELLEY.

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An antique blade from Toledo, bunch
Of radishes. kilo of charcoal, a used
carburetor. an original Van Dyke or a
pUuhII Of tripe? No matter
II you desire fashionable goods at
American prices fixed prices, go to Fl
Centre, the great department store
where half the potential floor space has
been sacrificed for the inclusion of a
patio, a courtyard within, covered, in
this case. with q vast canopy of stained
glass, the five stories, cut through, rising
In a tier Of balconies, over the baniSterS
Of which beautiful rugs are displayed.
But American prices are rather too
much in Mexico. One can get the goods
cheaper II he h::aws where and how to
bargain. In FL Centre, perhaps, one
must help pay for that patio and sky
light, both conventional necessities. Ex-
travagant, senior? What, with such
beautiful glass, such Subtly tinted sun
shine, such a vista Of hazy air? No, no.
senior.
Close your mouth, wrap your topcoat
tightly around you to protect your
clothes and purse, and dive into .'he OF
the swarming streets that lead 20 the
city market. Only six or seven blocks
of approach and you are in tie con-
geSted nd odorous center Of 1t.
Retail stores line the street But they
are almost concealed by rows IF porta-
BILE booths set down at the edges of the
sidewalks. And smaller merchants carry
or set their trays between stores and
booths.
Displays on Sidewalks.
Some of them spread goods in the
streets, when motor cars are not pass
ing, so that the shopper must play hop
scotch to escape stepping on house
dresses, bolts of cloth, little piles of
= III
Of peppers, infants garments, second
hand monkey wrenches and pottery
dishes of things Steaming with rudy
charcoal and red with spice.
What joStling hordeS Of dark humans,
some almost naked, some in filthy bur-
lap and ragged cotton, some in silk and
broadcloth. One rubS shoulders with
the professor and the burden bearer,
the sad-faced sonora with somber and
expensive dress, the toothleSs beggar
woman crying for pennies.
Tiny children, who knew a bath only
ut birth, tug at the coattails of the
well dressed shopper. Won't you buy
q beautiful little Christmas ball, senior,
Rlistening with tinSel, bright with col
ored glass thin as tissue?
In the intersection stands the ever
present patrolman, mounted on his
footstool. head above the crowd. Other
WlcC, O11C WOuAA AACfSA ~ AAAAAAt ~ ~-~-1O
Is the throng.
At times it seems that every member
of the crowd is q merchant. What
would you? A pair Of cheap socks or
a good substantial CONN for only
pesos? An alarm clock, the second
hand Of which wiggles the trunk OF a
black elephant standing among green
palms on the face? Or would you pre-
Ter the clock with the kicking donkey
and the somersaulting peon? They
both make the time Of day very attrac-
tive.
Potatoes Cents q Pound.
There are potatoes, 8 American cents
for a pound, piled up like the stones
~ an Aztec pyramid. Radishes, q vast
bunch for q few penniesl Do you have
dificulty firing your charcoal, charcoal
brought down on burro back from the
Green Mountains to sell at 3lz cents q
hound? Then buy this tiny bundle OF
pitch faSgots, oily yellow and redolent.
Only the price Of an American postage
stamp.
bread. senior, in bizarre shapes to please
the ewes. It is cheap, my friend. From
this gigantic basket sample these
oranges. big as the head OF an infant.
A handful of withered peppers. purple
and red. ChileS of many colorS. FINE
fish that advertise themselves: Drink
from the great glass coolers nileo WIN
ice cold liquids the colors OF the ram n.
how. EXQUISITE. Come, senior. IL Is OF
\ price so cheap as to embarraSs you.
Come. You never can sleep nights
having passed up such a deligntlul
beverage at so debased price.
what? Is the crowd abandoning the
booth where the ridiculously cheap 1rl-
foles are for sale? Indeed. because mere
Is a sight more wonderful than the CWln
volcanoes, Popo and 1xxy, mountains
rf strange and marvelously beautl1ul
volcanoes which the sun sets over the
bone -colored city Of the ancient AztecS.
Behold the little boy with the INTEL
lectual dogs, which, at his command
leap through colored hoops. stand on
their hind feet and pyramid themselves.
Bravo! Here, my exceedingly lnIeres esq,
ing friend, are centavos for your skill
and patience with those flve yellow ours
AS marvellous, senior, as those dogs IS
The bearded Indian with the Shrewo,
Ewinkling eyes, who. through some DC.
cult means, evidently has conveyed
shuman ideas to the minute brain OF
cageful Of canaries.
Come" says he, "and tell the lovely
Noman's fortune"
canary fiutters from the cage, flies
TO the tray on the tripod, and from 1t
selects tiny envelope, which 1t conveys
in its bill to the woman beautiful by
virtue of her centavos. She Is to be
wealthy and well married. Brave.
canary! The canary, stimulated by
applause, return to the tray, picks up
black celluloid doll and deposits 1t In
bathtub. a rare sight in miniature or
otherwise for hundreds OF persons In
the vast market place.
There, in front of the booths where
innumerable varieties of spices are sold,
sits the accomplished beggar, he OF use
less hands and legs. He Is spinning
the toplike cogwheels Of a watch, spin
ming them with his tongue. He presses
his face to the fiagstone, mouths the
top, sits up and elects 1t with his
tongue. 1t spins for . minute. He
can wind a real top with his teeth and
his lips and cast 1t as cleverly as a
schoolboy on a playground. Surely,
senior, such a high achievement deserves
the gratuity OF dime.
ChestnutS, roasting In a tin skillet
over a charcoal stove2 Or would you
prefer q bundle Of old notes, issued by
I provisional government, forgotten ex-
cept for q monument somewhere in the
maze of monuments in the City o.
Mexico? A basket of rusty nails
Here is the place to buy them. Nails
or old bolts, used saws or Aztec idols.
Pass gently, lest you shove the mar
carrying the great basket Of caramel'
on his head. What is this fragrance
in the midst of the great smell? Flow.
ers made of the skin Of eggs and per.
filmed with altar of roses. One peso
senior, for a flower that Will be dew
and sweet for six months. Wear thi;
isemi-eternal flower in your buttonhole
The senoritas will look upon you with
palpitating heart.
Beautiful and dirty market place
Zarapes and tomatoes, wicker bird cage