Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-08-04
san Lnis POtOsi.

found San LulS GOtOc4 to Oc lh many wave one of the most remsrksoie Eud interesting cities in this republic. fl IS nestled, here away ID the noun tains, in the midst of very fertile val :,y, nearly three hundred miles away rom any water transportation. Every srt1cle at present consumed or 10 be manufactured here Is brought here ln arts or on the backs of natives and 1aules-in many instances a distance Ot ecores of miles. A thriving population g found here, enjoying all the comforts If any city in Mexico and with many ot the Iuxuries of the cities of the United States. Street railways assist m loco notion, and at night the plazas and Dublic buildings are brilliantly Illuml1-
 ted with electric lights. Cathedrals sbound here, as in all Mexican cities or towns. San Luis IS one of the most pronounced catholic cities Tn the whole republic. Probably at no other city ID he whole country will you note more or he old church spirit alive than here. Ion will note the fact the moment you arrive here. As is well known, during he palmy days, when the church was all-powerful in this country, the ringing f the bells in great stone towers of the churches WAS to the gOdly re- aource of perpetual delight, but to the
 Ingodly, or nOn-catholic element, 1t was s nuisance of the most pronounced kind. When old Juarez, with hls iron banded, 1nti-church government came into pow er, this bell ringing nuisance was done way with by law m most of the cities Ian Luis POtosi. however, still clings to she old habit, and, as @ consequence, the ,trsnger Is greeted with the most ln- .srual ''clsng clsDg bang bang 7 oi .ron-mouthed bells, from early mOrnlng i'll late at night nay, can not except any part of the day or night from the prevalence of this nuisance, as the bells are rung with equal pertinaclty ana clsmor every fifteen minutes, as wei near the hour of midnight as at the tim Df mIdd y. The natives down here are
 lsed to the disturbance and don't mInu
 { much, but a stranger ln the place, es 1eeially If he IS stopping at a hotel clos Iy one of the old cathedrals, will b. zept awake half tine night by the strange lnearthly din. The leading cathedrals .stc, are called the La Merced, Sar Augustin, San Francisco, San Juan d.
 Oios, Sanctuary of Guadalupe, and th' Religious hospital The colleges O 1Oretto and San Nicolas will eompar' ,avOrably with many institutions of hk- character in the United Ststes. Che parks and plazas ar 10. excelled anywhere ID the re public. The principal plaza, known ai
 he Plaza HidalgO," IS surrounded b he cathedral, city hall, Hotel San LuIs
 nd other large buildings. This plaz s not SO large i1 area as some Of th, others, but Is filled with the choisesl lowers, and rendered perfect bower oi
 rOpical beauty. In the center IS tb, ,tatue of Pedro Hidslgo, 'the Washing son of Mexico" the man whO first pr
 claimed he independence Of Mexico rom Spaln on the 10th of Sep enbei, {, lsl0. And you all have read the story .If this gallant patriot, s poor priest l'.
 he heart of the mountains, but maI
 4 wonderful ability as a leader and or
 {rnizer. He saw the oppression whicl .he old country, through its emissari lere and debauched priesthood, was iffiicting the people with. He Gas
 x de his clerical robes, renOunced th
 order to which he belonged, and. plac- ng himself at the head of the revolu 1Onary forces, threw all of his energie' into the task of fighting the opprrssor' I the people. Long and savage wageo ;he war-nOw It looked as though th patriots would gain the day; anon thes were overpowered and mercilessly mas sacred At last the valiant HIdalgo Was captured by the foreign invaders, and nis head was severed from bis body with the least possible delay. l. was placed in prominent position, there tO remain a ling time as s warning O. the fate that would overtake any othe. rash patriot who felt like leading hIr cOuntrymen in their struggle for free dom from old Spain. But the memory of Hidalgo IS green In the hearts of all true lovers of Mexico, and his statue T. sO be found in all cities, while his full
 ength figure adorns the walls of tho government palace III the shape of
 magnificent oil painting.
 The largest sized plaza ID San Luis .hs Alameda" It IS a beautiful place, -lmOst equal Tn magniticence to the OIL, lust referred to. Arounl 1t runs a mag Iificent driveway. which every afternoon iS thrODged with gay equipages. The -treets of this city are narrow and run Et right angles. The buildings, as rule, are two and three stories in night, .uilt of stone and ornamented Resi- dences and business houses are inter tpersed throughout the city. Larg, rtocks of dry goOds, groceries, boots and noes. hardware, etc, can be seen dis rlayed in the principal stores, and the whole city is neat and clean, denOting s reign of prosperity. The police system i5 admirable. You note the guardians If the peace on every principal street corner. armed with a club and revolvei ever on the watch and ever ready with E civil answer to any nyquestion which you may wish to propoInd. Allstrangers it. the city are accounted for daily.-Corre- spOndence Cleveland Herald