Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-05

paaG the first Christian altar erected in
Mexico. Slowed away in a dim recess
opposite the pulpitis another object of even
greater interest, though only
AN IMMENSE FOLLOWED STONE,
as high, and the hollow foot and half
deep. 1t is called Ell Fttente de Maxicdtzini,
and is no other than the identical fount
from which the great and warlike Maxi
catzin and his friends, the Senators of
Tlaxcala, were baptized into the Christian
religion and-what was more TO the pur-
pose in those days of danger to the cru
saders-into irrevocable allegiance to Cor
tez and his cause. 1t is not merely .
matter of tradition, but OF history, that
when Cortez retreated with the remnant
of his army to Tlaxcala, after the dis
astrous defeat of the necke trtste, the
Tlaxcalans received him with affectionate
sympathy, instead of upbraiding him
for the loss of the flower Of their
youth whose lives he had sacrificed to his
ambition, the thousand of young men
whose slaughter had filed every Tlaxcalan
house with mourning. To convince the
invaders of the sincerity of their forgive
ness and continued support, the Senate of
the uncoDquerable little republic, with
brave Maxicatzin at their head, presented
themselves TO Cortez for baptism into the
new faith of which they knew nothing and
cared less, The inscription on the rude
Fuente tells the story: Este Dso,lumento,
catyd dutenciddd conserve Ia trddicio1s, fiie Ia
tite7lte bdutisntal de los ultiasos Cacioues o
.Se'soreS de Ia A'uiqua Repu6lica dc TldScGld ::
Ell ano de 1920"
Another point worth visiting in the
vicinity is the old church of San Esteban
(St. Stephen), two miles from the city, built
upon the site of Xicotencatls ancient palace
the Tlaxcalan chief who was so basely
slain before Tezcoco. A quaint font is
found here, made in 1901. and an old paint
ing OF the baptism of this worthy Cacique
There is 10 hotel of any sort in the Tax
calais capital-or, indeed anywhere within
the proud old State; therefore, unless the
tourists letters of recommendation ex-
pressly stipulates for the nights entertain
tainment, he had better make seasonable ar
rangements for getting himself back to
Puebla The pride and reserve of themod-
ern TlaxcaIarn appear to partake Of the
character of their ancestors, SO that it is
almost impossible for the unauthorized
stranger to buy or beg
THE PAINrEsT SHOW OF HOSPITALITY,
however honest may be his countenance or
great his necessities. Or perhaps those an
cient worthless of Maxicatzin's and Xioo-
tencatls time, finding themselves griey.
ously taken in and done for" by their
excessive hospitality TO the first foreign
visitors, repented SO deeply of that early
indiscretion that the effect yet fingers in
the minds of their descendants. How
ever days time is sufficient to "do'
the town, and the traveller is advised
to bring along his luncheon and eat it. as
we did, in the plaza, though surrounded by
a curious throng of dogs and native garniri.
The little State of TlaxcaIa has an area of
only about 1000 square kilometers, and a
population of 10000 1t lies at the foot of
the Sierra Malinche. or Matlacuryatl-so
named in honor of Cortez and his Indian
mistress-while those mountain chains
called Rancheria de Tlaxco and Alzaganca
form the northwest border line.
THE PRODUCTS
Are silver, lead copper, chalcedony, coal,
corn, barley, wheat, beans, flax, pita fiber,
and pulque, the intoxicant distilled from
the century plant. There are two or three
cotton factories in the State. and the total
value of taxable property is officially esti-
mated at SC, 207 $50. Tlaxcala is not behind
in matters of education but besides State
1914 primary schools, with an aver
age daily attendance of 1850 pupils.
Besides its Capital city, the State
contains several fourishing little towns
and villages, chief among which may be
named Huamantla de Juarez, a station on
the Mexican railroad Zacateleo de cara
goza with nearly 10000 inhabitants
Tlaxco de Morelas, whose population is
officially given as 1926, but probably
numbers about half tina; and Calpulai-
pam de Ocampo with 5000 residents.
Government lands are valued at
So 4-5 cents per acre, but never within the
memory of man has there been
foreign purchaser, and never will there be
one until this proud, conceited, inbospit-
able and altogether unprepossessing Tlax-
calan race is gathered to &eir fathers.
FANNIE b. WARD