The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-22

CROWDS upon the eioeWRlkg, nc
eating OF ices in public, no cafes
nothing Partisan. By
9 or 10 o'clock the good people
appear to have retired already, to be
up betimes in the morning for the
work of the day. A military band
plays three evenings in the week;
but even this. except on Sundays, is
SO sparcely attended that the men
seem to be discoursing their music
for their own amusement. Police.
men are found stationed at short
intervals in the quiet streets, with
their lanterns set in the middle OF
the roadway. They are obliged by
the regulations to signsl their where
sbouts every quarter Of an hour. and
the sound Of their whistles. which
have a shrili. doleful note, like No
vember wind, may be heard repeated
from one to another all the night
through.
As the place does not expect
tourists, there are none Of the
sppurtenances for their enlighten-
ment to be met with elsewhere.
While this may have its snnoyances.
if the demands of an ardent curios-
ity remain too long unanswered, the
freedom from responsibility to a
Baedeker or q Murray has sdvan.
tages OF its own. The visitor with
an eye for the picturesque dips into
g delicious feast OF novelties. makes
discoveries on every band. and may
have the pleasure of testing the
value OF his own unaided conclusions.
By daylight. with it's bright colors
upon it. and ito normal stir of life.
the famous remote capital is q very
different place. By little and little
the misrepresentation of the night
are shaken of. From the fret mo.
ment OF disappointment ne like it
always more instead of less.
Here at length is the great central
plaza, in which events of much mo-
ment have been transacted. We
may actually sit down upon AL
iron bench at q corner of 9 little
garden in the midst of it, the Zooslo.
and make ourselves as comfortable
as il We bad always been used to il.
The imposing cathedral piles up
pyramid shape from this point OF
view on the epot where stood the
pyramid OF the Aztec war god.
These stones shoall be ankle-dsep
for all the blood of various soyts that
has been spilled upon them. For
the moment We are fanatic reaction
lists. One would gladly see again
for brief instant old Hutzilcpotchli,
the war god. slott on his terrace.
hear the beat OF the lug1brious
wsr-drum, and watch the dismal
procession of captives winding up
to the sacrifice, ministered to by the
wild priests with black locks
flowing upon their shoulders. E1-
cept that at the precise moment
We trust We are mecciful enough
tor tna.--betore it was too lats. We
think We should insift upon
charging up the steps of the edi-
fee with Cortez, sword in hand. to
their delivery. "5sn Jsgo and Spain
when Was it ever known that Cas-
tilisns turned their backs upon q
toeW Down goes old Hulzilopotchli,
broken into q dozen fragments, and.
howl ss our Aztec advsrsaries may
at the unhesrd-of desecsation. those
csptives are saved.
But really it is hard to imagine
desperate conflicts 10 this bright
sunshine, with the mUititudes OF
pretty, novel sights chi sounds
about. At enc side Is 8 bene6cent
Institution, the National Loan Bstab-
lishment where once was the pal
ace of Cortez; on another, the long
white monolonous National Palace,
which is on the site OF that of
MonteZuma. The cathedral, like
most of the earlier architecture, is
of the Renaissance style. run far
into the vsgaries of rococo; but it ia
saved by its massiveness, except in
respect to the terNinasiops OF it's
towers, which are 10 the shape oil
immense bells, from any appearance
Of fnicality. Adjoining, and FORM
ing now part of it, is another
church, in rich dark red volcanic
stone, with a front that recalls the
fantastic facades OF Portuguese
Belem. What a water-color the
mass would make, and especially il
it could be taken on one of the
perfect moonlight nights. which
bring out every line OF the sculp-
Gure softly and display it all like q
lovely vision There are book-stalls
about toe foot Of it, and gay booths
devoted to the sale OF refreshing
driDka-Gguas neradas. The large
simple jars and pitchers in which
these are contained are fine
specimens OF ceramic ware. With
characteristic taste in decoration,
the Indian occupants frequently
cover the whole front with flowers.
Dusky Juanas and Jesefss, with
straight black brsidfI of hair down
their backs, are seen forming
inscriptions in letters of pink and
blue corn. flowers.
Figures go by whose blankets one
burns to take from them fol
portieres. The men of the poore,
sort wear or carry universally the Sc.
raps-a blanket with slit in the
center for the insertion of the head.