Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-02-29
MEXICO OF tone Ago
rhe golden Ace 81 the ToItecs.

! lula, Mexico, Jan. "a Living in this
oldest inhabited city Of the western world
one seems to have been suddenly trans
ported from the nineteenth century away
back to the misty past. But even inn
agination cannot revert to its earliest days,
for no man knows who were the original
builders of this ancient Manhemi, which
the Toltics found deserted and falling to
decay when they arrived here, A. d. 648,
and made it their capital for 400 years
thereafter.
RUINED TEMPLES AND PALACES.
Just back Of modern Ttla, ON rocky
ridge a mile long. called the t'Hill Of the
Treasure" may be found one of The most
interesting groups of ruins in all Mexico
The ''hilP' overlooks both the lula val
ley and the Valley of Mexico, and a
glorious prospect Of green meadow and
purple mountain. Every afternoon we
climb to the summit, through
thickets Of nopal and organ cactus, to
watch the gorgeous sunsets, and we do
not wonder that those early wanderers
tarried here SO long in their southwest
migration, for, regardless Of ready built
Manhemi, it is charming little pocket Of
fertility hidden among the hills. Few
sculptured stones are to be found now
upon the Hill of the Treasure" There
MOI much other than opened cellars and
massive walls, with patches of red
plaster adhering to them. Farther
back, quried in the thick woods,
are the largest of the ruins ponderous
temples and palaces, split everywhere by
the irtepressib1e grewths Of the tropics,
flourishihg luxufiantly in the cfevices
their roots have iflade. There have been
many excavations here and N. Charney,
the French arch@ologist, claims to have
unearthed some marvellous temples and
palaces. Senior Cubas, the Mexican
archeologist, in an article entitled ''Ru-
mas de Id Antigua Tolien,'' gives list Of
the most noteworthy antiquities discover
ed near Tula and Autographed figures of
the principal sculptures, including the
celebrated zodiac and hieroglpyh, Which
have since been set into the walls of the
great church, on the Intel of the main
entrance. There are three colossal
sculptures, perhaps of Carytides, still to
be seen on the little plaza of lula. Two
of these'are standing erect. while the
third, lying down, is in two pieces, and
shows that it was formerly united by NOR
tise and tenon. Near the office of the
railroad superintendent may be seen an
enormous ring Of solid stone like those
found in the ruins of Yucatan and Cen
trail America. Just within the door of the
cathedral is a beautifully sculptured
stone, which was taken from one of the
ancient temples, where it served some
heather use. 1t is now used as a baptis-
NAL fount. In walking about the sleepy
little town one frequently treads upon re-
markably sculptured Stones, set in the
shabby pavements carved perhaps 1000
years ago.
THE FEATHERED SERPENT.
In this spot, so rich in archaeological
wealth, man is known to have lived for
more than 1900 chronicled years, and how
long previously none can tell. Tradition
says that at Tula the great culture hero
Quetzalcoati (the "Feathercd Serpent)
developed the civilization that raised the
Toltecs SO far above the level of their
neighbors. On the face of nearby
cliff his face Is seu1ptured, and in the
market place IF Tlla may be seen his
image carved on massive pillar I'm
earthed .ffotil T9ilantzingo-ancient Toll
len or Tu1a. Close by is that famous
Hill Of Shouting wherein Quetzal-
eoatl proclaimed his mandates over the
entire valley. The Toltecs had lived in
lula nearly 100 years when he first APP
peared among them, which would make
his advent about the year 700. He was
benefcent deity, who took upon him
self the shape of man in order to inn
prove the condition Of the people of the
earth-a sort of To1tec Christ. His name
is constructed from the word quetZal, a
bird of brilliant plumage, found in the
forests of Southern Mexico, and coatal, a
erpent, also found in the same latitude.
Tradition paints him as very tall white
man, with long, full blonde beard, per-
feet European in complexion and general
appearance, as different from the Indians
among whom he lived as can possibly be
imagined His stay marked the golden
age of the Toltecs. Here he built those
famous palaces of silver, crystal and feth-
ers and here were the celebrated gardens
in which cotton grew in various
colors; ready dyed for the
loom-scarlet, green, red, blue,
yellow. In his time corn grew SO
large that single ear was all that man
could carry. Gourds were as long as a
mans body, pumpkins fathom in cir
conference, and other fruits in similar
proportion. He taught the people many
useful arts-how to cut that precious
green stone, the chalchinite, how to cast
metals, to reckon time, etc.
Some say that he was native of the
east, and came from over the ocean. In
deed, nearly every nationality on earth
has been claimed for him, from Egyptian
to Irish!
But by and by there came among the
people and evil-minded god, named Tez-
catlipoca, who Immediately became jeal-
GUS of Quetzalcoatl, and determined to
drive him from the country So TeZcat-
lipoca appeared in the form of an aged
man, and informed the 'tFeathered Ser
pent" that it was the will of the gods he
should be taken to Tlapalla. At first
Quetzalcoatl declined to 60, but after
drinking a beverage which the old man
offered him he suddenly changed his
mind and set out at once, followed by
many of his subjects Many traces of this
memorable journey are still pointed ont
Near the city of Quauhtitlan, in the Val
ley of Mexico, he felled tree with stones,
which to this day remain fixed in the
trunk, and near the village of Halnapaut