National Republican., 1883-07-05

in 1862 at Valverde in defense Of the union,
while near by, the baud of the garrison
stationed here furnishes open airN concerts
on certain afternoons in each week to tho
people, who then collect in the square and
neHhboring streets from all quarters. On
the north side of the plaza stands the gov
ernors palace, so called, long, low stone
building built originally about the year 1852
and Of material from the old Indian town.
BY reason of the constant necessary repairs
IL is fast losing its antique appearance and
internal arrangement Here lived and ruled
for couple of hundred years the Spanish
captain general, but so remote from the vice
royalty at the City of Mexico that they were
practically irresponsible either to the viceroy
or the people Of the territory. Equally SO
were the governors under Mexican rule.
Within its walls, which yet contain the gov
ernor's mansion, the federal and territorial
court rooms, legislative chambers, attorney
generals Office and library, was imprisoned
II 1909 Zebulon NJ. Pike, the American ex-
plorer, and innumerable state prisoners be-
fore and since that time, while many sem
tence of death has been pronounced therefrom
without any hope of appeal.
The San Miguel church is without doubt
the Oldest church edifice in the United States.
1t was built in 1880 by Juan Onate, partially
destroyed during the rebellion of 1890, as APP
pears from docu umentary evidence and placed
in still better repair in 1710. The bones Of
many gallant soldier and pious priest have
there found their last resting place. Tho
cross the emblem of civilization, brought
hither by the Spaniard, was planted here
800 years ago, and many wondering look
was directed to it by the poor Pueblo Indians
put to death in that very church yard and
under its holy shadow. The civilization of
the Spaniards, as best attested by tho history
of this country, was always that of the cross
and sword combined. The oldest house in
from the San Miguel church, and was
an old, old building when Onate
took formal possession of the city in the six
teenth century. The bishops cathedral is
also very old, and was built by Gov. Gen. An
tonic del Balvede Cassie about 175S. The
chapel of Santa Rosalia is older, and was
erected by Gov. Gen. Diego de Vargas in com
memoration of his successful campaign and
capture of the city in 1892. 1t is still in
state of fair repair. The chapel of Our Lady
of Guadalupe was built sometime during the
eighteenth century, and, as the legend goes,
at the spot shown by the Virgin Mary to a
Pueblo Indian, Diego by name. There are a
great many old houses, and many an old Curl
osty in the shape of jewelry, weapons, books,
papers, pictures, is boarded away by the ma
tive population. The city is quaint, antique,
interesting and we'll worth visit.
Around the plaza various modern looking
structures appear-postotice, banks, hotels,
stores, and saloons-all clearly American in
both architecture and character. But the
purely Spanish or Mexican quarter of the
city, with its more primitive houses built en-
tirely of adobe lies further away from this
point. Let us turn down the narrow and
steep street of San Francisco, at the head of
which stands the new cathedral bearing the
same name, built out of reddish-colored
sandstone and inclosing within its walls the
old adobe church of the Spanish era still in-
tact. AS we pass the line of shops notice the
quantities of the peculiar flagree jewelry,
both gold and silver of Mexican workman
ship. This barbaric-looking pottery of all
colors-though black and red predominate-
and of the most hideous and grotesque shapes, is
made by the Pueblo Indians The same of these
specimens of wickerware, woven closely
enough to hold water. Here are the work
men, black and not over clean looking, but
with brilliant blankets OF native manu-
facture wrapped around their bodies and
bright colored handkerchief tied around their
heads. Occasionally we meet a Navajo, de-
cidedly too wild looking to feel at ease within
the limits of even this standardization, but
who has probably come into the city to dis
pose of either some game or blanket of supe-
rior make-the latter gaily striped and SO
closely woven that 1t will easily hold pail
of water poured i'll the center while the
blanket is upheld at the four corners These
come at high priee-all the way from $25 to
$50, according to the quality of the blanket
and character of the seller.
On the south side of the stream also stands
the old church of st. Guadalupe, built in
primitive but durable style of architecture.
Bus o short distance beyond the latter and
staring it in the face is the railway station
of this nineteenth century, which, thus
strangely uniting the old with the new,
changes all here in one day. These contracts
in fact are everywhere; the blanketed Mexi-
can is giving way rapidly to the ordinary
dressed American, the same as the universal
burro-that little common carrier of wood,
water, and pretty much everything, who sub
sists in the meantime on dirt, sticks and tin
cans-is being superseded by the more modern
and speedy methods of transport The rude
and heathen celebration of church fetes dur
ing holy week and at other seasons, when
brass bands headed the religious professions
marching around the streets and represent
ing the whole scene of the Passion as grand
jubilee Judas, by the way, always forming
part of the procession-though still common
in many of the border towns of both Texas
and New Mexico, is seen here no longer,
though formerly participated in by the whole
populace.