Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-31
IN YuGATAN.
SOMETHING OF LIFE IN A LITTLE.
KNOWN LAND.
ancient and Modern Capital of the
State-The Mayas, Spaniards
and Yucatecos.
Correspondence of the RECORD UNION. /

known city, ages older There are no less
than fifteen parks in the town, each one of
them facing church The largest, called
the Plaza Mayor, occupies the site of
prehistoric mound, around which $50 says
an ancient historian) a terrible battle
ragged in the year 1910 between 10000 In
dams and 200 Spaniards The mound was
RACED and Merida was built with its mate
rails, assisted by blocks of stone from
many nearby pyramids, beautifully carved
and wonderfully polished in ages past by
forgotten tribes.
Thus it is that the buildings of Yucca
tan's capital display style of architecture
peculiar to itself-the picturesqueness of
the Moorish and Castilian, strongly colored
by the ruins of a more ancient civiliza-
ton. As the city was rebuilt at period
when the Moorish style prevailed in Span
ish architecture, there is more of Granada.
Morocco and the Byzantine Empire about
them than of modern Mexico.
The houses, though very large, are gem
orally of one story only, with balconied
windows and immense patioS, or inner
court-yards. The larger structures, such
as the Casa Municipal, the Governors
Palaeio,' hospital, ETC., have a second
story, supported on series of arches. the
long colonnades of which add an imposing
appearance. In all Yucatan there is not
pane of glass, and every window is in
closed by grating of half-inch iron bars.
projecting foot beyond the walls-to the
stranger far more suggestive of striped
clothing and bread-and-water diet than of
happy home-life within.
The Plaza Mayor, situated exactly in
the center of the town, is 600 feet square,
and Its entire eastern end is occupied by
the Cathedral and Bishops palace. On
the west stands the Casa Municipal: on
the north, the Governors palace; and on
the south, the oldest house in the CITY
one OF the most remarkable buildings |
have ever seen. We tried hard to discover
something of its history but to every
question the only reply we could obtain
was shrug Of Indifference and the invari-
able "Quien sabe" (who knows J? The
richly -sculptured facade is of curious de-
sign and workmanship, and in it is a stone
bearing this inscription:
Este obra mando harcerle ell
Adelantado ID. Francisco de Montejo
Ano de MDXLIX.
which, translated, reads that the Gov
ernor, Don Francisco Montejo caused it to
be made in the year 1549 The carving
represents two wonderful knights, armed
cap-a-ple, with visors breast-plates and
helmets, standing upon the shoulders of
crushed and naked fgures-and it is prob
ably intended to represent the conquering
Spaniards trampling upon the Indians
No doubt it is a combination of Spanish
and Indian art, the design certainly Span
ish; but as it was erected only FIVE years
after the foundation of Merida, when the
Spaniards were comparatively few, and
each considered himself first-class Con-
qUistdd0r, there were none in those DAYS
who practiced mechanic arts. Hence it is
believed to be the work of aboriginal
artists, carved at Spanish dictation, with
their own rude instruments.
This facade is said to have cost nearly
$4,000. For half century or more the
building has been in the possession of the
Peon family-the first noble Don of that
name having owned such vast estates and
controlled so many serfs, that to this day
al Viz SCI CltloSOS vi 4h6AlCO
poems.
The streets of Merida cross each other
at right angles, and eight of them lead out
of the Plaza Mayor, two in the direction
of each cardinal point. In every street,
at a distance of a few squares from the
center, stands an ancient gateway, arched
high above the pavement, and just beyond
are the barriOs or suburbs. Not long ago
the now dismantled niche over each great
gateway held Its Christ, or Saint, or Virgin,
before which people were forever kneeling
and crossing themselves.
Formerly all the streets were distin-
guished in a manner peculiar to Yucatan,
by images of birds or beasts set up at the
corners, and many still retain the ancient
sign. For example, the street upon which
we are living is called La Gale del Fam
ingo" because of huge red famingo
painted on the corner house. Another is
known as the street of the Elephant, and
the reproduction of it is an exaggerated
animal, with curved trunk and body as big
as a barrel. There is the street of the
Old Woman, and on its corner is the carl
cature of an aged female, with huge spec
tacles astride her nose. The street of the
Two Faces has double-faced human head ;
and there are others equally striking The
reason for this kindergarten sort of nomen-
clature was because when the streets were
named the great mass of inhabitants were
Indians, who could not read and therefore
printed signs would have been no use to
them, but the picture of bull or hamingo
or an elephant they could not mistake
As in all Spanish-American cities,
Meridas distinguishing feature is its
churches The great Cathedral, erected
in 1867, is of quaint and attractive archi-
lecture; and besides there is the Church Of
the Jesuits, the Church and Convent of
San Crestobal, the Church and Convent
of Melorada, the Church of Santa Lucia
and the Virgin, the Chapels of San Juan
Bautista, and of our Lady of Candelaria,
the Convent de las Monjas, and others too
numerous to mention. Though now i'm
poverished and some of them in decay, a
number of them still retain enough rich
ornaments and vestments to furnish sug-
gestions of former grandeur.
Since the expulsion of the Jesuits, nearly
quarter of century ago, all religious
professions have beer prohibited on the
streets, much church property has changed
ownership, and even the names of streets
and places have been altered to suit the
anti Catholic times. Thus one of the
pleasantest squares, formerly known as the
Plaza de Jesus, is now called Plaza
Hidalgo. In the old days, this park mad an
exceedingly quaint and beautiful statue in
the center, which-sad to say-has beenre-
placed by an ordinary statue of the hero
whose name it bears, and who in these
patriotic days really seems to receive more
xvorS fhan tho Catholic .lpSIls
One of Meridas most interesting edifces
is the old FRANCISCAN convent. 1t stands
on an eminence in the eastern part of the
town, inclosed by high wall with turrets
and forms what is now called Ell Castillo
Though the walls and towers are still
erect, the ruin within them is irretrieya-
BILE. 1t was in 1920, when the new Consti
tuition, which few Mexican patriots haG
obtained in Spain, reached the colonies
and on the last day of May in that yeal
the Jee Polisico of the province, Senior Dor
Juan Rivas Vertiz, published it in the
plaza. The Church, Of course, was bound
TO sustain the old order of things as long
as possible, and the FRANCISCAN frsars, con
fident in their hold upon the populace, en-
desYored to suppress this demonstration o.
"Liberal" feeling. A mob speedily gath
: NJ l., q