The Coolidge examiner., 1932-07-22

medieval. In this lies the great
city's charm. Youngest, yet might
lest, of Iberian citieis, the Spanish
capital reminds one more of Buenos
Aires than of any of it's Latin sis
ters. Like the far-southern me-
tropOlis, it is not congested and is
surrounded by a practically treeless
agricultural region.
Facing Madrid's Gran Avenida is
the gigantic building known as the
palace of communications, which
houses the postal and telegraph Of
fees. This is one of the finest pub
lie buildings in the world. Among
its unique features are the labeled
locating maps on the outer wall just
above the slots where you mail your
letters. There are eight of these
maps, showing different sections of
Spain, with an additional letter box
labeled army in Africa"
Outside the main post office,
stamps are on sale at tobacco shops
in all parts of the city. In each of
these shops is a letterbox. You can
also mail your letter in a box on the
red and yellow tram car, if you will
run after ii, and be assured of quick
service to the main office.
Near the post Office are the ma
ffnno1 lihrorv- fha orobnoIo,xtool 49,,
scum. and the museum of modern
-painting-all three of great inter
est TO the student and art lover.
Even more famous is the National
Museum of Painting and Sculpture,
better known as the Prado museum,
where are hung those glorious Six
teenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth
century masterpieces collected by
the art-loving Spanish kings.
The Botanical garden next door
provides a breathing place for the
poorer classes, n playground for
those big-eyed. creamy-skinned chill
dren, whose beauty, vivacity, and
good manners impress every trav-
eler who visited Spain.
Madrid's eastern park (El Retiro)
has magnificent trees and lakes
and the famous "Rosaleda," or rose
garden, with it's three thousand and
more varieties. If you keep on the
driveways, you will meet, in the
late afternoon, every manner of We
hicle, from a smart limousine TO a
provincial mule-drawn carriage
but stray afoot onto the shady paths
and you will find even more of in
terest.
In the construction of the splen-
did Gran Via, with it's big hotels,
smart shops, and department stores,
more than four thousand dwellings,
in a labyrinth of ancient streets in
the heart of the city, were demol-
ished. Above all other buildings in
this new quarter towers the Ma
tional Telephone company's steel
skyscraper.
Open-Air Movies.
Moving pictures, screened In the
open, attract crowds on summer
nights, and by this method the tele-
phone company is teaching the
masses how to use the automatic
telephone. And, speaking of the
movies" Mary Pickford, Douglas
Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin are
Madrid favorites.
The Puerta del Sol is Madrid's
hub. This oblong square bears the
name of vanished gate in the one
time encircling town hall. 1t is the
terminal station of many of the 80
odd municipal trolley lines.
In the center Of the Puerta del
Sol is one of the stations of the un-
derground railway, Familiarity known
as the Metro" By the surface en-
trance of each subway station
hangs a map showing you where
you are going or from where you
came.
Madrid's subway carries passen-
gers the length of the city, with
shorter latitudinal lines. Riding
north to Cuatro Caminos (Four
Roads,, at the end of the line. we
find amazing building activity, big
apartment houses springing up for
the use of the growing middle
class
AS a means of communication be-
tween towns throughout Spain. the
motor omnibus has taken the place
of the old-time diligence. Such
buses traverse the capital, connect
ing it not only with nearby villages,
but far-distant cities. In recent
years there has been notable i'm
provement in national highways. es-
pecially on the main arteries from
north to south.
High-wheeled carts drawn nv
mules or by mules and horses har-
messed tandem, donkey carts and
pannier-laden donkeys, their heads
decorated with red woolen tassels.
add a picturesque touch to the
streets. The cumbersome OK cart
OF Old Madrid has been banished.