The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-31
so no more, for most any country home Is II pal
ace compared to this A glance at Its mud built
sihrs reminds ono OF Vim Finngan's-
"My father had castles OF mud,
or which was fond OF udmiring:
They were built iu the time ui the Hood

adobe like all the rest OF the buildings, an front
is a long ycruudl, or porch, ~hcu extends dion-
its entire length, aud not at all palatid ia shape
or construction, but has more the appearance ct
A ropc factory than palace. ut was erected loo
1881, and built If material taken from the runs
of an old Indian pueblo. II is long, slra- CLING
building, extending the entire length Of the
square, is one story high, with porch along lis
entire front end, pillars supporting the rooi 81
the porch Some Of the walls are live feet ihtch
built as protection against Invasion, and a-
fort. were built in those early days. But TINS
old palace has history, and one That teens WIN
pathos and stirring incidents. ut had been the
palace Of the pueblos immcmorialiy before the
holy name OF Santa Fe had been given in bapti7
nal blood by the spanish conqHerors, palace OF
the Mexicans after they broke away from the
crown OF Spain; palace during its occupation BY
FL Gringo; and row the palace OF tae territori"
governor, Gen. Lew. Wallace" in the stormy
scenes Of the nth century it withstood several
sieges, was repeatedly lost and won as the white
man or red held the victory. Who can say no"
many have been the dark crimes hidden within
its walls? IN IL lived and ruled the Spanish
captain general, who was in name general bul
IN effect king. Here met all the departments
and Legislative bodies that have ever assembled
IA the capital of New Mexico. Here have been
planned all the wars aud defcLScs against nVa
sion that have ever occurred in the territory
Within its walls were Imprisoned many import
ant personages, who, without trial or cxdmina
ton were led out and shot, by the dictaton Of the
man at the palace Indeed, this old edtcc has
history; and it is the history Of Santa Fc, is the
history Of New Mexico; 30 the history Of the pal
ace is the history Of Santa Fee"
SAN MIGUEL CHURCH
is adobe OF III years standing, although some
claim for it u more Anticipated period. II is, how
ever, the oldest church in the United States and
represents an age in church architecture that
will never return. 1t occupies the site Of an old
church of the same name erected 10y franciscan
Fathers who accompanied the Spaniards into
this country in 1852, aud which church was de.
stroyed by the Indians during the rebellion OF
1880. A part Of the old structure may have
stood and its remains have been utilized III the
construction Of the present editice; but OF this
nothing positive is known. But all inscription
on beam in the church tells us that
fabrica el alfercZ real Don Agustin Flores dc
Vergara su criado, ano de l7lO."
Which, for the benefit of those who have yet 70
eat their first Mexican meal and enjoy CD dish
of ''chile verde" or "chilc con con-" when re-
duced to United States means: "rhc Marquis
de Ia Penuela erected this building, the royal en-
sign Agu.tin Flores de Vergara his servant, in
the year ITO" Which shows that the building
Is III years Old an age that is not over-great for
mud built structures, and Judging from It's pres
ent state Of preservation 1t is good for another
century or two. This old church stands on one
Of the back streets, away from the more 'raverSed
thoroughfares of the drowsy town, where the
sacrcdness is more in keeping with its antiquity
and the devout wOrshippcrs may count their
bead. and recite their "Avc Maria" in silence
and almost in solitude. ut has neither exterior
beauty nor interior magnitlcence, its only inter
est being its age, and the sacredness for which il
has been kept up during long period OF civil
cation" After looking through it one is remind
ed Of what Mark Twain says Of the Cathedral Of
| Venice: "There is a strange fascination about
it, partly because it is old and partly because it is
so ugly. Many of the worlds famous buildings
made up Of methodess mixtures of the ugly ant
beautiful which is confusing. One has a sense
Of measure without knowing it. But one is calu
before st. Marks, one is calm within it and on,
would be calm on top OF it., calm in the cellar
for its details are mastery ugly; no misplaced an(
impertinent graces are intruded anywhere; ant
the consequence Is grand harmonious whole o
soothing, enhancing, tranquilizing, sou.satsiy
ing ugliness." San Miguel is an adobe, about >
feet wide, 20 feet high, and perhaps 80 feet long
It's main entrance is an ordinary shaped door
oval at the top, above which is an old-fashiontt
window, through which the choir gallery receive
Il few rays OF light. 1t had ut some time or othc
"a tower or two, one of which has entirely disap
peared and the other is gradually crumblin,
away. Its sides and ends tower up like Il nut
fence and are crowned with kind OF picketlik
i railing of the same material which is the onl
attempt at oruancntation. Entering through
side door, which is gained by walk throug
the college grounds we follow Brother Osmond
who acts as guide and interpreter in this SanctI'
sdnctor1i,l, and who on entering copiousy sprin
kles visitors accidentally, o! cOurscD with hol
Il water, ahd silently to himself rehearses bcne
diction the while. On entering and quietly glant
ing around, we surprised at the simplicity an
unattractiveness of the place But notwlthstand
d ing all that, sort Of reverenta awe takes pc;
session Of us rs with solemn tread and subduc
/. breath we move from one place to another, an
!, gaze with profound reverence upon the hol
/, things before us. And how much more solem
/ our thoughts when made aware that beneath tn
/, floor on which We stand graves are numerous b'
yond count, and besides being ore Of God
consecra,ed temples it is in reality silent tomt
- Graves are SO numerous IL this old church thu
9 scarcely spot remains that does not contain III
, ashes of some one. The front yard is filled wit
graves, and, indeed, all the Catholic churches /
a Santa Fe are 80, though of course the graves al
not visible. 1t is the custom in all Spanish town
and In nearly all Catholic countries, to bury tn