The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-06-05
VOL. 27---NO. %.
Santa Annals wife.

Yesterday called with some others
upon Mrs. Santa Anna pronounced
here SAINT Anna), widow of the celebra-
ted general who died eight years ago
after q life of extraordinary Vicissitudes.
The visitors were received with great
urbanity in her new residence, in the
center of the city, by Mrs. Santa Anna,
who declared that she liked Americans
and was always glad to see them, and
in liberal Spanish fashion informed
them that her new house was theirs to
dispose of as they saw fit. 1t was no
song gift, an immense three-story build
ing of cream-colored tranchitite built
around . court of twenty-five rooms in
all, including the stable, the court of
Patiois. of course, open to sky, and bril-
iantly illuminated with orange or cac-
tus blooms and a profusion Of tropical
flowers. Not half of the rooms are yet
furnished, but it would not be q bad
house to take. Mrs. Santa Anna ID ac-
companied by an intelligent young Is
dy, Miss Bristol. daughter of mer-
chant of Niles, Mich, who is assisting
her to recover her English, rusted from
years of disuse. Mrs. Santa Anna is
48, but am bound to say she looks ten
years older in spite of the fact that only
few white threads appear in her dark
thatch of hair. It is q wonder she does
not look hundred. Santa Anna was
president Of Mexico three years before
she was born. She was plighted to
him in her cradle and married to him
when she was Ii. He was then q mill
tary dictator, sleeping on his sword.
bsset by constant pert1s- In six months
he had lost his leg and got into Texas
prison. For twenty years her life was
spent in a camp, surrounded by the
Whirl of warfare.
Her husband was five times president
! of Mexico and four times military die
tator, in absolute power. He was ban
ished, recalled, banished again, and f.
nally died with his wife in exile as a
| traitor. She has seen much GLORY"
and has received unlimited adulation,
but she hardly ever enjoyed one thor
| oughly peaceful moment in her life. 1t
is wonder she does not look as old as
Methuselah, for she has suffered more
wrong and trouble than q hundred or
binary women. A cloud came over
her face as she said: 81 am glad to
hear yon speak kindly of my poor hus-
band. The people of Mexico will
not understand him. They call him
hard names, but God knows he sought
their welfare. He suffered and sacri-
! feed every thing for them, only to be dis
II
Americans, who knew him mainly as a
foe, understand him better than his
own countrymen." Mrs. Santa Anna
has no children, and never had She
is attended by six servants, none of
whom wear livery. She lives and
dresses with conspicuous plainness,
and it is only when she speaks of her
| late husband that her wan face lights
up with much vivacity. As we passed
down the heavy stairway a sleek team
of mules hitched to handsome landau
stood in the patio waiting to bear their
mistress out to her rural residence, at
Tocabayn. Santa Anna never, I be-
heve, acquired a large fortune, a testi-
monial to his personal honesty, which
does not attach to the names of many
of his successors. A gorgeous snuff
box, worth 1926, 900, is on exhibition at
the Monte de Piedad. 1t was present.
felt better after calling on Mrs. Santa
Anna, and respect and sympathy for it
seemed, in a certain way, like making
personal atonement for the disgracefu
part my country had played in the war
of 1876 and 184z.-Cty of MEXICO Cor.
st. Louis PoSt-DispGtch.