Omaha daily bee., 1883-09-13

teen years later came n royal decree from
the king of Spain, establishing in Mon
teroy the seat Of the Episcopal power,
and ordering the building of q cathedral.
Gov. Baldez selected the site which
pleased him best, on the north side
OF town where now stands the ruins of
the ancient citadel. The work was be-
gun but after three years labor and spend
ing sixty thousand dollars, it was aban-
doned on account of differences Of opin-
ion between Gov. Valdez and the chapter
of the bishopric. Shortly after Valdez
died, and neither his successor nor the
chapter Of the diocese cared much about
continuing the work, although there was
then money enough in tho treasury ap-
propriated to that purpose, which will
probably never again be the case. LA
lglosia Mayer" the main church which
answers the purpose of cathedral, has
existed since 1904, but, like the San
Francisco, was at first only a iacal, sub.
iect to being burned or blown away. and
frequently repaired. In 1885 the pres.
ont church was begun, but progressed 80
slowly that. half q century later IL was II t
yet ready for occupancy. Then the
priests took it in hand and by soliciting
aims i'll tho course of fifteen years had
finished the first vault of the church.
Then some wealthy citizens, encouraged
by this rapid(O progress, came to the res
cue, and in 1901 it was declared COM
pleted. Its outside walls are colorod u
pale yellow with much carving and stone
work ON the ~front-rretty checked, fat
legged figures and impossible chcrubins
without bodies, and up in its town is a
wonderful clock-mado in the City of
Mexico by Antonio Vclazquer, in
1886, This clock is a great in
stitution. 1t not only tells
the hours, but strikes the quarters by
another bell, with a deep, resonant tone,
to DO heard by all the city. In the other
tower are several bells which are con-
stantly Gathering, for there is service
every hour in the day at the cathedral.
Inside is the ''dim religious light" we
read of, for the windows are heavily
barred and high up under the roof, and
the only light ome in through the three
deliberately carved doors. There are per.
ha IS half n dozen seats in the church,
owned by private families, but the great
majority of the people prefer kneeling on
the dusty floor. The ornamental altar in
front, which reaches from floor to roof, is
very fine, carefully carved and gilded,
upon which ten life-size saints stand
forth, all with exactly the same express
sion of sanctitied curiosity upon their
faces, which n century has not modified.
As tho construction of this church lasted
100 years, it is impossible to find any es-
innate of its actual cost. When in 1S49
the Mexican congress ordered that the
value of all properties should be present.
cd to them, the church authorities (who, |
you may be sure, did not, under the cir
cumstances, under-rate its value) repre-
it rs worth 5000, 900. In arother
of the church which serves AZ
where the artificial flowers are
even more profuse, and the images more
yaudy as to dress and woe-begone as to ex-
preston, is n queer concern which looks
like u wardrobe ornamented with mitres
and devices wherever are buried tho sue
c%essive bishops OF Linares. They are
shelved in this vault, which is built into
the wall, in the following order It to
1899, 1916, 1921, 1874. The floor
of the whole building in composed of u
succession OF trap doors, each of which is
numbered and has u hollow for inserting
the hand, 30 that it may BIO lifted I'm
derneath, for more than q hundred years
the dead of Monterey were buried, but
several years ago it was declared full, and
no more are permitted to DO inferred
there. 1t does not decrease the feeling |
of solemnity when one is inside this dim
old ,h,r,h 1,,taptpr D., tl,n ,,,,u,, &c tbn
mass and the responses in Spanish of the
kneeling m%ultitudes-to know that one
is standing above the bones of u century,
dead.
Some of the special ceremonies are
very pretty, not to say partie. For ill.,
during the month of May, and
upon the natal day of any %saintess, it is the
custom, after u mass, in which is much
music of base-viol and cornet, five
young ladiea dressed in white like brides,
with white wells and orange blossoms, to
walk in n procession around the church,
the first four senorites carry upon their
shoulders an image of the virgin upon a
lace draped and flower strewn litter, pre-
coded by little girls also dressed in white
and carrying tall white lilies in their
hands. The whole multitude follows, |
each carrying n lighted candle and all
rs they go, while priests in their
vestments, and scarletrobed choirboyscarry
~insence and tinkling bells, march solemn
ly in advance. Before the alter, of each
saint-and they are numerous the pro-
cession halts, the sacred lilies are rested
upon n lace draped table prepared for it,
and prayers are said, masses chanted and
flowers strewn, when the procession
moves on as before. We have tarried 30
long in these churches, there is not time
to finish n pen picture of Mon
terey, but will continue our sightseeing
on another day.
FANNIE Is. WooD.