The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-11

streets are broad and clean, and tor the most
part cross each other at right angles. The
buildings as a general thing are adobes, but OF
q different style from those seen in most MeXl-
can towns. They are plastered and painted
on the outside, with some pretentions to doors
and windows, and many, instead Of the fiat,
potatoe.patch roofs, are Cottage-like IN their
construction. Many of the buildings are two
story, and two story adobe is Enlightened
Like all other towns IN this region, Tucsan
has plaza, which is the head, front and cen
ter of all attactions, and where on all great
occasions the elite of the town congregate; but
in this plaza may be seen groups OF Indians
and halfbreeds, for the most part women and
children lying around IN the shade, amusing
themselves in various ways and, as it were,
"killing time" But such dirty, filthy, half
naked, tune wearing set | never saw in any
other place was ever in, not even excepting
Central America or Old Mexico, where they
and where tunic composes the wardrobe
In the center of the plaza stands brown paint
ed wooden structure, something IN the shape
of a bell tower. This is the city hall and
council chamber where, il their city fathers w
feet are as large as our Ottawa aldermen's,
most of them on meeting nights must leave
their DO outside the door. Fronting the
plaza stands the cathedral, a structure OF mod.
ern STYLE and design ornamented with two
steeples, differing IN style, as one is turreted,
and the other about like all similar steepes.
This is not the old cathedral OF the mission,
which is said 10 be now the Oldest church IN
the United States, not excepting those at Santa
Fe or ST. Augustine. The old mission is nine
miles from the town, situated in one OF the
most beautiful valleys of all Arizona, and is
the best preserved of all the OLD missions. IL
was built IN 1890, and is therefore nearly 3OO
years old Ii is Moorish in style, and has two
towers OF considerable height, IN one of which
hangs a chime of bells. Between the two
towers, IN what is called the "Fronusplece,"
of unique workmanship is the coatot-arms OF
LIST. Francis, the Assisi-the founder OF
ltDG IThUClstdIS, W NhiSh oiNS+ wv
are indebted for all these old missions. With
in, the entire walls from base to ceiling, and
ESPECIALLY the latter, and around the sanctury
and altar is a curiosity IN the way OF carvings,
paintings and works of art. On the right
hand wall as you enter there is picture OF
"The Coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Dis
clples," and opposite 1t in fresco is The Last
Supper, each 5x9 #. | might have stated be-
tore going into details that the church is
27xlO5 feet inside the walls. It's form Is that
of cross The church has only one nave,
which is divided by six partitions, marked by
as many arches, each one resting on two pill
lars Sc, against the walls Besides the pic.
lures already mentioned, there is in one OF
the affairs an image of Our Lady OF Sorrows"
standing at the foot Of the cross, which is
deeply engraved in the wall; and next to II
"The Immaculate Conception" Near by are
two frescoes representing "Sur Lady OF the
Rosary'and The Hidden Life OF Our Saviour"
The opposite chapel is also adorned with two
affairs one of them dedicated to the passion OF
our Lord, and the other to st. Joseph. Here
there are two paintings, "Our Lady of the Pill
lar" an apparition of the mother OF God at
Saragosa; and 1.-THE Presentation of Our Lord
in the Temple" Behind the mems altar is All
image of "St. Francis Xayier," and above
this, one of the Virgin. Then comes statute
each of st. Peter and St. Paul, and at the sum-
NIT of the altar piece, "The Bust of God, the
Creator" On the right OF the altar on the
wall are pictures of THE Flight into Egypt
and "The ..AdoratIon of the Wise Men, and
on the left, 1.-THE Alteration of the Shepherds"
and "'The Annunciation" Besides these imag
es, which are all life size, there are statues OF
the twelve apostles, placed IN inches cut IN the
pillars of the church. and many others repre-
senting some saints of the order Of St Francis.
The affairs, and especially the principal one,
are decorated with columns and great pro-
fusion of arabesques, all guided or painted
with different colors according TO the requir
ments of the Moorish style. j. ID. IL.