Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-07-14

i
dence, and In this city occurred the
saddest tragedy of the revolution, the
murder of Hidalgo. Amid all the bit
ter contentious Of Mexican politics, no
voice has ever been raised against the
character of Hidalgo. A scholar and a
priest, he first distinguished himself by
his efforts in behalf of his parishioners;
he introduced among them the silk
worm and the honey bee. Although
allied by his profession and his family
to the ruling class, he yet raised in the
face of what seemed resistless power,
the standard of revolt. He foretold his
own fate, saying that it was the fortune
of men who inaugurated revolutions to
perish in them. After the disastrous bat
tie of the Bridge of Caledron,
Hidalgo was captured, and brought
to Chihuahua, where he was shot
within the walls of the Hospital Real
He died with the utmost resolution; CIV
ing his gold watch to his jailer, and di-
viding what coin he had about his per-
son among the firing party, to whom he
said: Il will place my hand upon my
breast; it will serve as the mark at
which you are to fire." The hospital
has been nearly all torn down to make
room for new government building
now in course of erection. A mOnu-
ment has been erected near the spot of
his execution, but it bears no inscrip-
ton; no carved word or line is needed
to remind Mexicans that here died the
purest and most unselfish man whose
name has yet adorned the annals of
Mexico. His head is engraved on the
postal stamps of the country, and on
| the walls of the council chamber of Chi
huahua hangs his portrait, with those
of Morelos, Guerrero, Jauarez, and
Gen. Mejia, minister of war to the lat
ter. 1t is sad but true that in the long
line of public men who have figured in
Mexico, the names of Hidalgo and Juar-
ez alone seem to receive universal VEN
Grafton. Hidalgo died with his work
hardly begun, but Juarez lived to see
his country freed from the invader and
every substantial reform now doing its
| beneficient work in Mexico is the result
of his labors and counsels.
During the invasion of the French
Juarez, driven from his capital, resided
for year in Chihuahua. Congress had
delegated all its powers to him. He
was the government. The French
twice occupied Chihuahua, the second
time they were driven out. AT one
time so desperate were the fortunes of
the Republic that Juarez took refuge in
Paso del Norte, but he never abandoned
Mexican Territory. During his stay at
Ell Paso the expense of the government
are said to have been thirty dollars a
day, sum which was contributed by
the citizens of Chihuahua.
Ioc LoI Init
but appears to have been fairly gov
erned except during the reign of a
drunken vagabond, Gen. Angel Trias,
who destroyed one of the finest churches
in the city, and committed other depre-
dations. The present governor, Don
Luis Terrasas, has been in power long
time, and is said to be liberal in his
views. His brother, Col. Terrasas, dis
tinguished himself in the destruction of
Victovio, and his numbering Indians.
Chihuahua is to some extent an adobe
town, but the public buildings, and
principal edifices are built in great
measure of stone obtained from a
quarry three miles from town, which in
texture resembles the magnesia lime
stone found in Kansas, but in color
somewhat resembles the Caen stone so
much used for building in Paris.
The society in Chihuahua is at pres
ent largely Mexican. There are few
foreigners who have long been domi-
ciled here, have intermarried with
Mexican families, and have exercised a
great influence.
Henrique Muller, German, was fol
, many years ruler in Chihuahua. The
} family of Macmanns, originally from
, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has been in
, Chihuahua for forty years, and the sec
p ond generation is now in business here
$ Many people anticipate complete revo
\ luton, social and otherwise, with the
o coming of the Mexican Central railroad
t which may be said to be duly expected
but what l have seen of the survival O
the Mexican habits and customs in New
5 Mexico, after over thirty years o
American rules, leads me to think tina
{ it will be several years before Chihua
: hua ceases to be to America foreign
a city in many things.
- The altitude of Chihuahua counter
y acts the latitude. Here in the hes
, quarter of May, the weather is like thu
|, June of Kansas, with few hours o
: July in the middle of the day. Their,
!, is nothing in the atmosphere or vegeta
= ton to suggest an extreme southern
Il much less tropical climate. The flow
ers here are the larkspur and the holly
= hook and roses, the common gardel
= flowers of New England. This al
- changes, however, in the rainy season
Kansas people who are not in hurr.
= will enjoy visit to Chihuahua, merel..
: as visit. If they are on business in
:. tent, and wish to rush things, they ha'
u better leave the city and go to prospect
, ing In Chihuahua, as far as have oh
. served, no one is in a hurry. l hav
= never seen town with such facilitie
for sitting down. There are seats Oh
: the plaza, seats along the Alameda, am
. stone benches on all the placitas. Thes
= are not at all necessary for the ordina
u nv Mexican, male or female, for he o
y y she takes seat on the sidewalk when
e ever repose is required. The American
I. ont ~ O iob trovals inpeSSantlv. owe,