Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-02-03
The City of Mexico.

Mexico is serious sE,i hy no means
gay city. There are no crowds upon
the Sidewalks. no eating Of icss in pul,
lie, TO cafes chantIhts. uc:hiLg Partisan
Bs nine or ten o'clock the guol people
appear to lave retired already, 30 be ul
be:imes in the morning for the @ork oi
the day. A military band plays three
evenings il the wees; but even this
except on Sundays, is so sparsely at
tended that the men seem to be dis
coutsipg their music for their own
amusement. Policemen are found
stationed ut short intervals in the quic!
streets, with their lanterns set il the
mildle of the roadway. They are
obliged Iy the regulations to signal
their whcreahouts every quarter Of an
hour, and the sound OF their whistles
which have shriil, doleful note, like
November wind, may BE- heard re-
peated from one TO another all the night
through.
A. tho place does not expect teur-
isis, there are almost none of the ep-
pnrtenances for their enlightenment to
be met with eiscw here. While this NAV
have its annoyanccs, if the demanls OF
M ardent curiosity remain too long
unanswered, the freedom from respon-
eibiliy 10 Baedeker or Murray has
advsn ages Of It's own. The visitor with
an eye for the picturesque dips into a
delicious feast of novelties, makes dis
coveries on every hand, and may have
the pleasure OF testing the value of his
own unaided conclusions. By daylight,
with it's bright colors upon it, and its
normal stir of life, the famous remote
capital is a very different place. BY
little and little the misapprehensions
of the night are shaken off. From the
first moment of disappointment We
like it always more instead CT less.
Here at length is the great central
plaza, in which events of much moment
have been transacted. We may &C
tual]y sit down upon an iron bench at
corner of a little garden in the midst
of it, the Il ,calo, and make ourselves
as comfortable as if We bad always been
used to it. The imposing cathedral
piles mp pyramid-shape from this point
Of view on the spot where stood the
pyramid of the Aztec war god. These
stones shonId bo apkle-deep for all the
blood of various sorts that has been
spilled upon them. For the moment
we are fanatic reactionists. One would
gladly zee again for brief instant old
Hutzilopotchli, the war god, aloft on
his terrace, hear tho beat Of the Iugu-
brious war-drum, and watch the dismal
procession OF captives wiLding up to
the sacrifice, ministered to by the wild
priests with black locks flowing upon
their shoulders. Except that at the
precise moment-we trust we are mer-
ciful enough fer that-before it was too
late, We think We should insist upon
charging up the steps Of tho edifce
with Cortez. sword 10 hand. to their
delivery. San Jago and Spain! when
was it ever known that Css:ilians turned
their backs npona q foo ?" Down goes
old Hutzilopotchli, broken into dozen
fragments, and, howl as our Aztec
adversarics may st the unheard-oi
desecration, those ceptives are
saved.
But really it is hard to imagine des-
perate conflicts in this bright sunshine,
with the multitudes Of pretty, novel
sights and sounds about. At one side
is beneficent institution, the National
Loan Establishment, where once was
the palace of Cor.ez; on another, the
long white monotonous National Palace
which is on the site of that OF Monte
yuma. The cathedral, like most of the
earlier architecture, is Of the Rauais-
sance style, run far into the vagafies of
rococo; but i; is saved by its massive
ness, except in respect to the tcrmina.
tions of its towers, which are in the
shape of immense bells, from any ap-
pearance Of inicaiity. Adjoining. and
forming now part of it. is another
church, in a rich dark red volcanic
Stone, with front that recalls the fan
tastic facades CT Portuguese Belen.
What water color the mass would
make, and especially if it could be
taken on one of the perfect moonlight
nights, which bring out every lire Of
the sculpture softly. and display it I'll
ilke lovely vision! There are book
stall, about the foot CT it, and gay