The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-21
NOTED BUILDINGS AND PLUSpERERs.

NOTED BUILDINGS AND PLUNDERERS.
Take a IooK at this cathedral as you st and
| here above 1t. 1t covers acres and you
wander for hours in going from one place
TO another within it. 1t has been gold
mine IN its costly decorations and its choir
has balustrade of mixture of silver,
copper and gold which weighs 50. 600 pounds
and which is worth more than this weight
In solid silver. The walls of the church
alone cost two millions of dollars, and the
treasures of the interior have made rich
some OF the families of Mexico today. II
had single statute Of gold set with dia-
monds which was worth a million of dollars.
| and one OF the great lamps which Lighted il
| In the past cost S70,0 00 and its workman
| ship was so intricate that it cost a thousand
dollars to clean it The affairs were once
set with precious stones, and it was a
second building like that which the Shah
Jehan and Akbsr had at Delhi in India, and
Ike their buildings IN has been plundered by
the unbeliever. After all. however,
1t stands only as monument OF retributiye
justice. Akoar plundered the people, the
church pluncered the Indians and then the
MeXlcanS or indians under a pure Indian
leader, President Juarez, plundered II. 1t
was right here that Cortes despoiled the
Aztecs, and that long. low two story build
ing which faces the Plaza and which looks
more like great stable than anything else
is the national palace where the Senate Of
Mexico is now sitting, and in which the
treasury and the government Offices are
located. There was the palace of Monte
yuma, and that site formed the residence
OF the successors of Cortes. Back of it is
the postoffice, and further on is that bee
hive OF ant-like men and women, the great
market of the City of Mexico, which is as
much sight to-day as it was when the
Spaniards entered il and described its won
ders. At your feet is the market for flow
ers ano dozens of men under big hats and
pretty girls under no hats at all are there
selling the most beautiful of full blown
roses for almost nothing and you can buy a
twenty dollar bouquet for twenty-five
cents.
COSMOPOLITAN SURELY.
Come down from the cathedral and take
a walk along the streets. The crowd which
moves with and by you is as cosmopolitan
as that of any European capital. You are
IN the Gale de San Francisco where the
foreign shops are located and near the
principal hotels. Here are t'renchmen,
Germans, Spaniards and Americans and
mixed with them are the diverse elements
OF the great Mexican people A swell car
rlage with great coach horses dashes by
you, its silver mounted harness glistening
in the sunlight and its coachman wearing
gorgeous sombrero and his pants lined
daughter of rich hacendado who are go |
ing to take their afternoon ride on the |
PaSeo. Behind them rides a rich Spaniard |
in Mexican costume with saddle, hat and !
harness as gorgeous in their gold and silver |
as money can buy, aud at the side of the |
street runs half dozen little burros with |
great bales of hay almost hiding their little |
bodies from view, while in their rear is a |
poor Indian driving them with a like |
bundle of hay fastened on to his back and |
held there by strap that comes over the |
front of his forehead. Here is brigand-
ike peon from the country in blanket as
red as the opal which shines out of its dia-
mond setting on the necktie of the Ameri-
can dude at his side, and you note that his
feet are dirty with miles of travel as they
show out through his leather sandals.
There are two ladies in black on their way
10 the cathedral TO mass, and the younger
one casts sly but modest look at you out
of her shawl as they pass. On the other
side of the street there is an Indian girl
whose wealth of black hair streams in a
Irowsy way down her shoulders, and whose
plump form is bent almost double under
he great load OF red jars she is carrying,
and now through them all comes squad of
soldiers, dark faced and sullen, under the
of an officer who looks down, as
proud as Lucifer, out of his saddle Here
ire water carriers and peddlers; million
aires and paupers; the rich and the Door;
he great and the small-all mixed up to-
'ether In one OF the most picturesque and
he most delightful conglomerations you
viii find anywhere in the world Every
way your eye turns it meets a new
light and everything is strange. You
ance about you in bewiide rme nj and won .
er where you are. You put your hand to
our head and almost ask when the cur
ain will fall and hide the great show from
Jew. As you go on you are accosted by
eddlers and good natured highwaymen
q big hats and red blankets, VINO offer TO
ell you opals and queeriy carved canes,
nd little Indians In ragged clothes thrust
oxes of matches into your face and beg
GU TO ouy. The newsboy is here in ali
is glory, and dara-faced old man looks
ut OF the stray gray locks which fringe
IS wrlnkied face under his broad brimmed
at and asks aims. You give him copper
nd he hobbies of happy and makes YOU
eel like a benevolent prince. Aud so you
o on along the streets of the silveFsmiths
Y leweiry stores whose gold, diamonds
nc rubIes flash their mGltitudinons RAYS
ach al the sitting sun, by dry goods win
oNs whose stock OF Paris mads goods are
5 gay as those of Fifth avenue. and on .
own to the great doors which, with their =
ortals OF carved stone. admit you to the
e palace OF tie Emperor Ituroide. which.
he all hings imperial i'll this country of
Iexico. has fallen from its high estate and
now turned into al immense hotel
FRANK c. CARPENTER.