The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-02-23
In Southern Mexico.
san LvI> roro>I-IHE "CIT1 OF CHURCHES"
Correspondence Of the Journal.

| pity, when so near this great city. to leave tn
Cuff cca>t without comm. to see it. over tn
hrand-new branch of the Mexican Central rail
road. Not that san Luis is 50 near to Tampic,
being nearly 300 miles away-but the distance
seems nothing now a> compared TO the weari
some and dangerous journey before the day OF
railroads. Then orc WAS obliged to make NOR,
than 100 miles of it on horseback. over lone
some amd robbcr-nfe>ed roads. and thence bi
the even less comfortable dHigencio.
san Luis roto,i, Capita! Of the state of til,
same maine. j. considered one # the finest
cities in Mexico and is destined to become the
great raroad center of the Republic. u i'll 1h(
Old ,lay> it was the central station for dHiyca.
C{4S. Ii WAS settled two cc;!lurie> and halt
ago. 10y lioud Old spanish families, and TO this
1ay j. molo essentially Castilian than Mexican
Ii lies on the eastern side OF The great plain OF
Anahuac. distant from Mexico City about 34C
miles, from Monterey 2.5 miles, ard from
Iacatcci> 80 mics.
As seen from the sout,i-after the Traveller
has a>cei,'i,Jthc plateau and passed the iiaccii-
ia de Buc;l>. san LUi- presents most beautiful
appearance. Inc wel-shaocd city i situated
in the center Of an Immense level valley. Il
miie- w.9. and it> inLEmcrabc towers Of
antique shape and score Of domos remind oi,u
foreib.! q Icn>tai.tnople and other Oriental
capitals. Within The giiile Of the neai-hy
>;erra.-W hich to one in SAN Luis appears IN.
brokcn-arc several small Villages anl puch.o>
The Land is well titled and cotitionaliN fer
tile, and just low everything i> green am;
beautiful. But herr,ho aayc nine 'on. months
without :. drop o! rain. ana coE>ta:.t irrigation
Is necessity N-,i>t ul.,i"r the strong rays Ui
the troiir >un nothing w0uid -row bat racti
snakes and chapparc.
The population Of san Luis ti> it i, sluio
commonly called emitting the unnecessary
"Potosi,"l is not less than G0.Wi@. including TIC
suhu!h nf IlaXcalia and adjoining iaiAlcts
Like all Mexican cities. the streets are narrow
aud stony. laid out at right angles. with barred
windows a..d high adobe Wail~. Ii is oftci
called "lhr Guy of churches. and might with
qual lruprieH be called one Il p}aln~. Onc'>
lir>t impression is. how mouotoncll~ are lite
fOrlu,r.-:lii,! after Il >h"r; stroll u"umt tho
streets. how beautiful arc he iAi,,r.
There are more than iity n.iHrc!e- IN >u
Luis. Eia'y "f t'!pm splendid mod,-i> Of ;.Icli.
tectural ueauty. ald NtIrrS risii III hi>turi,
iNtrre>t. hc>tr> these. and one Of tie most
magnificent rathe,ira> on the continent. there
some # then covering acres of space. Tho
facade ictWccn the twin towers of the cath
dral j. adurucd witha valuable clock. presented
10 the city by The Kin" of spain more than !;
century ;9e. The glorious view al mountain
;tli plain. smiling VALLEYS. Icy ptian sands ali,
Alpine ,i-ht>. which The tourist obtains by
ascending one of these towers. is worth comm.
all The WAY to Mexico. This grand cathedral
i> said to equal that in the City of Mexico. and
like the rest Of lt> kind. is eiaborately carved
and >cuIpturcd without and within. with walls
and huttre>Nc> of surprising thickness. II
contains untold wealth in the way of Old paint
ln@>. rich vc>tmcnt> and jewclel aloinment>
and has more than dozen bells. large unt
small, which at all hours of the day are run4
ii leafcnlng maahcr. by means Of short ropes
tied to llier clapperS.
There j a pretty legend connected with on,
Of these bells. which. believe. was the gift o,
Il former Emperor of France. Many year,
ago il hung in an old French convent. and--a,
a wcl-rondurtcd bell should dot tollcd h,
passing hours and called tho Jolly Fathers tC
their prayers Hut one memorable morning
although it, iron tongue WAS SWUNG by lu>tN
arms and struck the time worn rim with al
the force that could be brou. ht to bear. moi
sound came forth, cuull eyes and ears deceive
was everybody suddenly cone daft rs well IL
deaf: W hen the strongest man i'll the Village
>wayed the rope with all his might. only /;
gho-tlN, >ounIio>S vibration was the result
so tie good people concluded that devil ha,
surely possessed the bell, and called upon tn,
Bishop 10 bless IT, He did 50. but rcpeatec
| blessings did no good WhatcN c:; and finally til,
| senSce>S metal was >ole,nIlly cursed and ii,
| tongue rrn,oyrl-for by tL;s time .tr,nu,
| runorS were atloat that invisible hands c,,l>rr
| uncanny tones to sound over the village ut mid
night iiiliu. hottest folk with terror.
| After Wears Of silence. the Frcl.ch king
| whether Wi>hil. to try change of climate upoi
| the bell or TO rid himself OF n. many devils n,
| po>>ible-scut the in1irm old thin. 10 Mexico
| presumably with hi, compliments. At last i
! WAS rehlu,e in the tower OF This cathedral
o, erluoking the national "palacc" and tn,
| pretty l,iYLl a. Arma>-und again re-hlc>,ptl
OF rour>; il. story hal preceded it, AN,
/ when "a u,tv Indian swung lis now rust,
| clapper. people held their breath TO await tie
sound or Six nee that Woui,l follow Ii sounded
/ to he ,llr.-ten lime, AS louI a> I'M or,inar,
! bell-the first stroke cracked the metal fron
| top 10 bottom. and il was Only an unl!.il>ira
| clnSh strange to saw tie people take mor
pride and pleasure in its diScordant voice than
| in All the music of their silver chimes an,
! now at midday and midnight jt> hjtleoul
racket make, unLe!jtler. wish tha, the eur,
! ,ild never been r,.rluy@L
! At HE extreme southern end of the ri;y i
rhe Sanrtuario de (iu1tlalIlre n heautiful strirt
| ure and apuareu,ly more modern Than any @
/ the others. Ii i uuproachcd hv PtfS1G. o
! walk nearly a mile lone shaded bv rows a
fine trees. and with carriage drive on ctbe
| side Here the ucople tbronv on al fc,tu day
and in tLc carly mornin. scores of lovers stroll
| aiou. The Ii,to or ride up and down on horse
back. to catch glimpse, Of their >,ycethcarts o,
tlo WAY 70 Mains.
The soldiers barracks prison amt >,lu,n
face this i'a>eo, >andwirhcd between the one
| story adobe houses Of the Goorrs, classes.
! The Alameda orrt;,icS "A space, of u acre,
| lai,I ouf with walks and flowers aud in eyer
shady nook are seat, and fountains. The Who'll
| !, surrounded hy a wide double driveway
| borderct hy rows of trees. with pavement. TO
uodestri,u: betwcen. For three hour, Iurin
| III. ,f,nrnnou M every Thur.,f.v AMI sunl, !
tln 33l Military Hand.onr nf 1hI hest in MrI
| ,o-rcr,iprs excellent mu.i, here TO the asscul
hcd beauty and fashion Of the city. who rid
| in their rair;a~es. promenade. or urarce aho,,
| ON horseback
Nr,r thr Al.meJ, i. tbc OLD, church ,yD1 Ga,
,or,, formerly n convent hut now :. sal look
inc wreck ro,. . street b,s II, on cut tlirouyh IN
| middle of If and the hroEen walls remain n,,It
| ,y;tnr.s,.. Ia th. outr,oc Tln main h,,;IIin,
howcyer i, .tiIl in ,,noI shane ,,,L i, ,br .ro,.,
| In SAN Iujs
| onpo,itr tho Post ot,ir, a,roSs thc ,I,xo n
the same name. i the San Francisco conyrn,
| in =, ruuaiIv di.nrn;l,rrrd state Part Of
| h.s La,.n converted iutn factories &, roI,nu
| orr,,,i.. several ,rrr> uu,j hut , S,na, nortio
of If i. NOW used as ORIGINALLY intended ia
divine ,y,r.h;n
AuJ ga W.. ,ni,Ii ~o on onu,ner,t;n. t.h,,rche
,v :Ln .rnr, many of which stll rrt,;n III,
niI.ti,,n ,rr,nIour. %cnn of th.m .ra .,n.,
All n,n,!,nrs ,rn of y,st dimrpsions with in,
lv orn.,,cutcJ snir,l mud nuted colrn,n,
heavily carycI fronts. nnI br,Itiful lowe,
and c,,nnl.s Every one of tham las from 10
TO twenty hcils and n wonderful riYttor tLe
mako yni; may ba srra .t uoon.d.v am, fest,
| In tn the time of .Juarez the Indian Pre-.