Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-30
OLDEST AMERICAN CHURCH.
San Miguers Mud Walls Yet Stand
at Santa Fe,
THE PATRON SAINT OF MEXICO.
Our Lady of Guadalupe and Her Won
drous PIcture-The alacc-New
Mexico Lt Wickedness
of Dame House
In and About santa Fe.

TO lHE BEE. line reSluentS OF Sun@
Fe date the European settlement of the
place from Coronado's occupation in
1910, and easily claim the oldest city in
the United States. The occupation was
interrupted by the rebellious natives,
but the Franciscans established mis-
sion that has come down to this day.
They are credited with the erection of
San Miguel soon after their arrival.
SAN MIGUEL
is the oldest church in the
country and one of the oldest. 1t is
made of the universal building material
of New MeXico-inud. The mud is
nodded into large bricks, which are
hardened in the sun. Burned brick
were unknown until af recent years.
Some Americans h ave large adobef
plastcred and penciled in limitation o.
northern brick, bu t others, more fastid
ious, have not been content short Of the
genuine article. The durability of the
mud walls is eXemplifed by San Miguel,
viii CHI, though partially destroyed in
several wars, has retained portions of
its original walls for nearly $50 years.
Just across the way from it, on the
other side of a street as wide as our
alley stands
THE OLDEST HOUSE
in the United States. 1t is part of the
pueblo founded by Coronado and his
coEqucring cavaliers. Inthe old pueblos
many houses were built together like
n modern tenement house row, with
only II partition wall to separate the
families. The house in question was at
one of the pueblo, aud has escaped the
the general destruction. Its history
goes back three centuries and half,
and it may have stood the storms of
hundred of years before. Its iloortils
now two Or three feet below the evelo
the street.
After the Spaniards recovered Satan
Fe in 1852 they went into the mountains
to cut timbers to repair San Miguel.
Old General De Vargas announced his
intention of moving into town on Christ
mas day. The natives replied: Not
much you don't;' or words to that
effect. An allday battle followed, and
at night the Indians fled. But the tim
hers cut in 1892 lay unused until ITO.
One OF the beams in the present struc-
ture has an obscure inscription to the
effect that Marquis Somebody-Or--other
had rebuilt it in the latter year. San
Miguel has broad, barn-like entrance.
On topis low, rude belfry with Il mod
ern bell. Inside everything but the
gaudy altar is rough, dingy
and unfinished. The dusky worshipers
were expected to kneel Or squat on their
launches, for there are no seats. The
building is bare and dingy. Its only
interest is its history ana its antiquity.
Near by is modern structure OF wood e,
in which the members of u catholic
brotherhood conduct school for young
natives, teaching English and Spanish.
Many of these Pueblos are bright and
intelligent and make good progress.
1t is a netable fact that the ablest of the
presidents of Mexico, GuareZ, was n full
blooded Pueblo, and Diaz, too, is mostly
Indian. Students of history are fire.
quently asked to note how the Saxons
If England absorbed their conquerors,
the NOrmans, and the process is said to
be Unique in the annals OF man. The
history of Mexico affords strikingly
similar case with reference to the Span =
iards. The early establishment
oFA MISSION AT SANTA FEE
| made it religious center and it has
had Catholic bishop for two hundred
years. The bishops garden is one of
the sights of the city. 1t is filled with
variety OF trees and by means of irri-
| cation is a bower of green in midsum-
mer when all other vegetation is
| scorched and yellow. The Old cathed-
raj was constructed of mud, but mod
ern building with shrines and other Pc
culiarities of castigation has taken its
place within five years. Its
walls were built about the
old cathedral which was grad
ually enclosed by the new. The
old structure was dingy enough with its
mud walls, hewn timbers and rough
| floor; but it had a curious altar-piece of
] stone, rudely carved with saints and
| scrolls. Another of its curiosities is an
| image OF Our Lady of Guadaloupe, the
| patron saint of Mexico, that figures in
| "a quaint, superstitious custom. On the
bank OF the creek, some distance from
the cathedral, is chapel dedicated to
| Our Lady. 1t is an adobe, of course,
| in the shape of II cross and of the rud-
est construction. Back of the altar is
! II painting said to be very old. In it's
| center is II portrait of the saint sur
rounded by views illustrating her
legend.
The story as told in THE BEE several
! weeks ago by correspondent writing
from Guadaloupe, near the City OF
| Mexico, varies somewhat from the ira
| dition In its northern form, but that is
not strange considering the distance
and the age OF the story. The legend
| goes that in the fifteenth century an
Indian, Juan Diego. living near Quad
| aloupe, had a vision in which the
Blessed Virgin appeared and COM
manded him to build chapel near by,
| giving him detailed instructions about
its construction. He went to the
bishop with his story and was
laughed to scorn. A second night
he had the vision, and was
again turned away by the ecclesiastical
father, who intimated that he was the
victim OF an evil spirit. Therefore
when he had the dream third time he
tried to run away, but the Virgin said
| she would give him token that would
force the bishop to believe. She COM
| manded him to go upon the mountains,
pick the flowers he would find there
and take them to the holy father. 1t
| was winter then, and even in summer
the mountains round about grew moth
| ing but cactus, but the Indian went.
| He found flowers growing in abundance,
and filed a blanket with them. He
went to the bishop, told his experience
| and opened his blanket to produce his
| proof, when, 10 and beholdI instead of
| flowers, there was upon the blanket
| the lines and tints OF