Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-06-07

gazing at this old mud pile, several Mex
lean women were standing near. very
complacently smoking cigarettes. and
one of them was the oldest looking bag
l ever saw; her face was wrinkled ike
a piece of parchment. We endured
her age through an interpreter. and
found 1t was something over a hundred
years. So we discover that this city
not only boosted of old churches, but
of old women as well. Close BY is the
San Miguel College, a fine modern
building, from the observatory of
which, we had view of the town.
The Catholics are building a grand ca
thedral; it is an immense structure;
the work has been several years in pro-
gress, and it will take a number of
years yet to complete it. The Convent
of the sisters of LOretto is quite an in
stitution. It has ample adobe buildings
walled IN with high wall, and contains
beautiful gardens. But I must hurry
along, it is impossible to be any way
minute in my descriptions without oc-
cupying too much space. I can only
speak Incidentally of the most promi-
neut features.
There is old Fort Macy just north
east of town erected in 1864 by Gen.
Kearny. The Plaza is ALWAYS an i'm
pOrtant factor in a Mexican town.
This one is beautifully laid out and con-
tains monument erected in honor OF
the soldiers slain in New Mexico. But
unfortunately there is a mistake in the
photography chiseled upon the marble.
The palace, on account of its historic
al associations, is an interesting place.
1t Is here that the old Spanish mobiles
held forth in their royalty. The policy
Of government has always been shaped
within its walls, and to-day Gov. Shell
don and the other territorial officers
are enscOnced therein. It is a plain
one-stOry adobe building occupying one
whole side of the plaza, and has a wide
piazza running the entire length. We
visited the old Guadalupe church,
where fat priest in pOntifical robes
explained to US the legend of the lady
Of Guadalupe, who is its patron saint.
That day several Indians had gathered
in back yard of kind of public mu-
scum, and clad in garments that would
be but a slight improvement upon the
fig leaf costume, gave an exhibition in
the shape of war dance, for the tri-
fling sum of seventy-fve cents admis-
sion
There are some fine exhibits of Mex
lean flGgree work in the iewelry stores
and we were shown bracelet said to
be worth several thousand dollars con-
nected with which, there is a very
touching romance, but as we do not
wish to harrow up the minds of your
readers we will refrain from repeating
it. There are. places where you can
buy what is said to be very ancient pot
terry, but the probabilities are that it
has been made within the last thirty
days. Should you invest in a piece and
congratulate yourself that you have Sc
cured very valuable relic, and then
should happen to observe a peculiar
twinkle in the eye of the native, you
can safely conclude that not withstand
ing the tact that yon have "bought,"
you are nevertheless t'sOld."
1t seems to me that Santa Fe as
whole can be sumed up about like
this Notwithstanding the fact that
Spanish heads have been rolled about
the Plaza as foot balls for Indians;
Notwithstanding the magnifcence. of
her old mud dOmiciles; notwithstand-
ing her boosted antiquity and historical
| "reminiscences; yet in the practical
glare of the nineteenth century, she
stands small city in a rather barren
| country, with but little resources, ex-
| cept grazing and some district mining;
with a good share of the population
consisting of low down Mexicans, and
tramp gamblers, while her future pros
| poets are not especially brilliant. Such
are my candid convictions of Santa Fe.
! Although this was Sunday, most of the
! stores and shops we're open and bust
ness seemed to be running about the
same as usual.
In the afternoon our train moved on
ward, and at two o'clock, religious servi-
ces were held in one of the coaches,
where, but for the roaring of the trani
and sometimes an irreverent whistle of
the engine, one might imagine himself
at home in mis- own church.
We took supper at Wallace, where
we found a large number of Pueblo
Indians selling turquoise stone. Many
of these dusky ladies in imitation of
their more fashionable sisters, had their
bushy hair banged just down to their
eyebrows, and patch of vermillion
about two inches in diameter on each
cheek. At Wallace is where we first
struck the Rio Grande del Norte River.
In the night we crossed what is called
the tornado del Muerto, or Journey of
| OSdGn. In our return we came over IL
by daylight. It is ninety mile stretch
of the most desOlate God-forsaken coun-
try that ever moral man beheld. 1t is
nothing but a dreary desert waste.
Not an insect, an animal, or bird IN
habits this lonely tract. The moaning
of the wind alone breaks the death like
stiffness. It used to be said that she
who sleeps upon the Jornardo del Mu-
erto, will never wake.'' But we slept
upon the Journardo del Muerto, and
awoke just as the sun was shining over
the eastern hills. 1t was, however, in
a palace sleeping car. Modern inven-
ton has almost conquered space time.
This morning when we gazed out, we
were in the valley of the Rio Grande.
close to Las Cruces, and the vine land
of New Mexico. This is the most fer
tile spot we saw in the territory. Large