Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-10-25
THE HISTORIC ADOBE PALACE.
III the Hands of Modern Workmen To-
day-something of Its W ouderful
Record Covering cog Years,

RECORD cover my SJ| y eaIb'
The sound OF the hammer, the saw and
the trowel makes merry echo-song in
and about the historic adobe palace to-
day. The national government has sup
piled the funds and Secretary Thomas
hes let the contract for $4,000 worth OF
Improvements, or more properly speak
ing, repairs on this ancient official editice,
so full Of interest to all tourists and sight
eeers who visit Santa Fe. The Ho'kmen
took possession OF the building yesterday,
and in sixty days will have completed
their task.
The governors palace is Ia much the
same condition as last year, except that
the additional lapse OF time has made the
need of repairs more pressing. The Sec
rotary OF the territory, who is its custo-
dian, has obtained an appropriation OF
$1,000 from congress for this purpose, and
" lille this sum is considerably less than
that which he estimated to be necessary,
yet it will do much to preserve this i'll
teresting historic edifice in fair condition
Without disparaging the importance Of
any of the cherished historical localities
OF the east, it may be truthtully said that
this ancient palace surpasses in historic
interest and value any other place or OBJ
ject in the United States. 1t antedates
The settlement Of jamestown by nine
wears, and that of Plymouth by twenty
two, and has stood during the 292 years
since its erection, not as cold rock or
monument with no claim upon the in
terest of humanity except the bare fact OF
its continued existence, but as the living
center of everything of historical import
ance in the southwest. Through all that
long period, whether under Spanish,
Pueblo, Mexican or American control, it
has been the seat of power and authority.
Whether the ruler Was called viceroy,
captain-general, political chief, depart
ment commander or governor, and
whether he presided over kingdom, Il
province, department or territory, this
has been his official residence.
In his recent annual report to the Sec
rotary of the interior, Gov. Prince takes
occasion to present some highly interest
ing data relative to this structure. He
states that from here Onate started in
1899 ON his adventurous expedition to the
eastern plains; here, seven years later,
800 Indians came from far off Quivira to
ask aid in their war with the Axtaos :;
from here in 1913 Vicente de Saldiyar set
forth to the Moqui country only to be
turned back by rumors of the giants to he
encountered; from here Penalosa and his
brilliant troop started on the 9TH OF March,
1852, on their marvellous expedition to the
Missouri; in one OF its strong rooms the
commissary general of the inQuisition was
imprisoned few years later by the same
Penalosa; within its walls, fortified as
for siege, tie bravest of the Spaniards
were massed in their revolution OF 1880;
here on the 18th of August of that year,
Was given the order to execute forty
seven Pueblo prisoners in the plaza which
faces the building; here, but day later,
was the sad war council held which de-
termined on the evacuation of the city;
here was the scene OF triumph of the Pu-
eblo chieftains as they ordered the de-
struction of the Spanish archives and the
church ornaments in one grand conflsgra-
ton here De Vargas on Sept. IA, 1892, after
the eleven hours combat of the preceding
day, gave thanks to the Virgin Mary to
whose aid he attributed his triumphant
capture of the city; here more than
century later, on March 8, 1907, Lieut..
Pike was brought before Gov. Aencaster
as an invader of Spanish soil; here in
1922 the Mexican standard with its
eagle and cactus was raised in token that
New Mexico was no longer dependency
of Spain from here, on the 9th of Aug
ust, 1887, Gov. Perez started to subdue
the instruction in the north, only to
return two days later and to meet his
death, on the 9th, near Aqua Fria; here
on the succeeding day, Jose Gonzales,
q pueblo Indian of Taos, was installed
as governor of New Mexico, soon after
to be executed by order of Armijo; here
in the principal reception room, on
August II. 1916, Capt. Cooke, the Amer
lean envoy, was received by Gov. Armijo
and sent back with message OF de-
fiance; and here, five days later, Gen.
kearney formally took possession Of the
city, and slept ter his long and weary
march, on the carpeted earthen floor OF
the Palace.