The Ely miner., 1930-05-16

thing is ''paintable"-every tree, every
building, every mountain top.
The same is true of many of the
lesser-known provinces of Spain,
though each has its own strong prov
incial individuality, not only of land
scape, but also in facial types and
coloring, quaint Old World costumes,
and even in the different trappings
with which horses. mules, donkeys,
and the huge bullocks are decked out.
Malaga has daily paper, La Union
Mercantil, of which in all justice ii
may be exceedingly proud. A large
"double-deck" press of French make
turns out its II to Is pages every
day. In the composing room four limo
types click busily all night long. Mod
ernity in the extreme is the keynote
Of its production; yet in every issue
there is quarter column headed ION
This Same Date" Hereunder appear
items that have happened in the prov
ince on the date of issue, but in prev
ious years. Generally, there are six or
eight years picked at random by the
well-informed chronologist, but often
these go back before the discovery Of
America and refer to family names
still existing in the city!
One reads in quite matter-of-fact
way:
December 9, 1466-King Henry w
conferred the title of Very Noble" up
= 4s% %
Malaga, showing proof of his affection
and consideration for the heroic serv-
ices rendered by it's inhabitants.
December 161S.-After more than a
whole year of drought, 1t rained to-
day in Antequera, but it was only q
little shower, so the hunger and diff
culties still continue.
And these little pictures themselves,
sometimes gay, but more often grave,
bring the distant centuries, with their
odd customs and strange superStitions
very near to US. The narrow streets
in Malaga's center which one passes
every day are mentioned time and
again.
Where Phoenicians Lived.
In the very center of the city is the
GibralfarO, miniature mountain,
which rises straight out Of Malaga's
principal streets to a height Of $50
feet. Halfway up the approach is the
Alcazaba, which was the site of the
original Phoenician settlement. 1t
passed through the hands of Romans,
;e;n hn LOT
turing it in the year III. They made
this vantage spot half palace and half
citadel, and it was not until August
1S, 1887, that the Spanish standard
was flown over it's battlements. The
Alcazaba was one of the very last of
the Moorish strongholds on European
SOIL
Today there are a few tortuous
streets, steep and narrow, leading be-
tween old houses, many in ruins, and
a group of gypsy huts. At one or two
places the streets pass through arch
ways with the houses built over them.
If one looks sharp, there are still
evidences of PhOenician and Roman
occupancy-a column or two, an old
stone doorway, or bits Of retaining
wall.
Formerly this part of Malaga, which
is the most picturesque and interest
ing, was so dirty and the gypsies so
menacing in their demands for "One
penny, please" that tourists were ad-
vised to leave it out of their itinerary.
Now it has been cleaned up to some
extent and the inhabitants are less i'm
Fortunate.
In Malaga, as elsewhere in Spain,
one sees many apprentice boys OF
twelve to fourteen years. Every plumb
er, carpenter, and electrician has a
small boy to carry his tools and help
with the job.
In many cases taxi drivers have a
boy to do the cranking and other
onerous tasks. The hardresSer's boy
accompanies him to the house, carry
ing a little bag, and sits on the steps
while Madame is being marcelled. In
fact, even for the ordinary civilian, to
Garry small parcel of any sort is
not quite the proper thing. A boy
should tag along behind, bearing the
burden, however small.
There comes man swinging down
the middle of the narrow street in
graceful dogtrot, calling shrilly:
"Boquerones Chanquetes Lengu-
ados finos Calamares!"
He is the picturesque, bare-footed
unique, and fast-disappearing Malaga
fish vender, dressed in wide-brimmed
hat. white shirt, wide sash of red,
and blue trousers.
His wares are neatly arranged In
two fiat baskets about two feet wide,
each having long rope handle. He
places his arms akimbo, arranges the
ropes around forearm and elbow. so
that the baskets, hanging within few
inches of the ground. will not brush
against his legs as he jogs along.
He sells an astounding variety of
fish. and most of them are delicious.
Tiny whitehall AN inch long, small
sarti;nes two inches long, and fun
grown ones twice the length. Then
there are red mullet. sole, and slnii
deyiltish. which the local people pre-
fer when ii is cooked and served il
its own ink.