The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-30
NEW MEXICO.
Santa 20. Las Vegas, Hot Springs, Etc :.

Santa Fe Is an old, quaint city. NSWhe'c else
have we seen anything Ike 1t. Riding Trough
the city on the top Of stage, you are above the
tops of most OF the buildings The houses are
al built OF adobe and most Of them are on story
high. Some Of them are plastered ana peneiieu
10 initiate stone or brick, but most oi them are
Of the original color Of sun.drled mud. TAXING
a walk to the ruins of old Fort Marcy, on high
bluff northeast of the town, we get fine view
Of the place, which looks more like large col.
lection of lime. kins or brick.yards than anything
else we can think Of There arc several proml.
nent modern looking buildings to bc seen
among them the Santa Fe Academy and San MI.
guel College, and the Palace Hotel, which is now
nearly completed.
"Santa Fe claims the distinction Of being the
oldest town in the United States; claim that is
easily admitted when we consider that it was q
popuous Indian pueblo when the first Spaniard'
crossed the territory now known as New Mexico
only forty or fifty years after the discovery OF the
Western Continent by Columbus. The first Eu
ropean who penetrated into this region was
A!ya Nine Cabeza dc Vaca, Spanish navigator
whose vessels were wrecked somewhere on the
coast OF Texas in 1880, and who, with portion
Of his crew, wandered for six years across the
plains aud mountains, until he finally Joined his
countrymen under Cortez in Mexico. His report
of the country through which he passed led to
an expedition in 1899, by Marcas de VIA, Fran.
cscan friar who was frightened out Of the coun-
try by the Indians, and returned to Mexico with
u marvellous account Of the extent, population
and wealth of the country, the magnidcence OF
its cities, and the fcrocity Of its people.
"In 1889 to 1911 the famous expedition OF Co
ronado passed through the Pueblo where Santa
Fee now stands crossed the range and travcrsed
the plains until he came to the Missouri river, at
a point probably near the present site of Atchi.
con or Leavenworth. In 1881 Friar Augustin
Ruiz headed an expedition which formed 4 set.
Element ut Paura, few miles north OF Albu-
querque, which was subsequently, broken up by
the natives and Ruiz killed. Antonio Espejo
came with an expedition to rescue Ruiz, and on
his return attempted to visit Santa Fe but was
repuled by 40,0 600 native warriors" In 1891, ac.
cording to the best accounts, Juan de Onatc
founded a colony near the junction Of Tue Chnrna
with the Rio Grande, in the in'r!"d 'ic vicinity
OF the terminal station Of Espa',ll. II was about
this date that Spanish settlement was formed
in Santa Fc, and the Church of san Miguel erect
ed. Pedro de Pcralio was the first Governor, in
1900, and lived in the same adobe "palace" that
is now occupied by Gov sheldon.
"In 1850 there was great rebellion OF the ma.
tives who entirely drove out the Spaniards and
oblierated az far possible all evidences ef their
occupation, dismantling, among other buildings,
the old Church OF San Miguel. Fourteen years
later they were reconquered by Diego de Vargas
"From that time to the present Santa Fe has
had eventful history. The Mexlcans in 1921
declared their independence of Spanish rule, and
after that there were numerous instructions
until the occupation of the territory by the Uni
States ia 1916. Then came the war of the rebel.
lion, in 1861, during which Santa Fc was captured
by the rebels and rccaptured by the Union forces
during all these years Santa Fe has changed
its character but little and is to-day, in genci al
appearance, very much the same old Mexican
town that it has been for nearly three hundred
years. There is the same old plaza, the same
adobe buildings nearly all the way around il, the
same oue.story houses surrounding the same
slacitas the same suburban fields and gardens,
and the same swarthy, dark-eyed population,
speaking the musical Spanish tongue. Wood is
still brought into town on the backs OF donkeys,
or burros, as they are called here, and by this
handy conveyance can be left inside the placitas.
'The famous San Miguel Church, though a
portion OF its tower has been demolished by the
elements, still rears the same adobe walls that
have stood for three centuries, and the interior
Is well preserved and in presentable shape. 1t
has no exterior beauty, and no interior magnif-
cence, its only interest being its age, and the sa-
cred uses for which it has been kept up during
almost the entire period Of civilization in Amer-
ca. On great beam, as plain as If made but
yesterday, is the Spanish inscription traced there
one hundred aud seventy years ago. to the effect
that "The Marquis de la Pennela erected this
building the Royal Ensign Don Augustn Flores
Vergara, his servant, A. d. ITO" CThe church
was erected about 1897. Roof destroyed by the
Pueblo Indians in 1880. Restored by the Span
iards in l7l0.) Original documents show that
this refers to its restoration after the woodwork
was burned by the rebel Indians. An oil paint
ing of the Annunciation, on one side OF the altar,
bears on its back an inscription seemingly dated
1887, leading to the belief that it is one Of the
Oldest oil paintings in the world. BY the side of
the church is a twostory ADOBE house that tradi-
ton says was in existence when Coronado
marched through the town"
The Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe is very
old church; as also the Cathedral. Around the
walls of the latter is now being built fine stone
cathedral.
We also visited the garden of Bishop Lamy,
one of the most charming spots we have seen In
this territory. Here, in the midst OF this barren
country we found garden filled with peaches
IS fine as were ever seen, large, richly favored
apples, pears perfectly formed, plums Of all col
ors, cherries nearly as large as plums, apricots
as fine as those Of any climate, dates as good as
those from across the water, prunes and ounces,
oranges, almonds and other nuts, grapes, straw
berries, raspberries blackberries gooseberries