The Meeker herald., 1894-11-03
AN HISTORIC ADOBE.
The Ancient Mud Palace of Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
Extensive Repairs Being Made on the
Queer Cd OHicial Structure by
the National Government
to Preserve 1t.

The sound of the hammer, the saw,
and the trowel makes merry echo song
in and about the historic adobe palace,
says the Santa Fe New Mexican. The
National Government has supplied the
funds, and Secretary Thomas has let
the contract for SO. 900 worth of i'm
provements, or more properly speaking,
repairs, of this ancient official edifice, so
full of interest to all tourists and sight
seers who visit Santa t'e.
The Governors palace is in much the
same condition as last year, except that
the additional lapse of time has made
the need of repairs moro pressing. The
Secretary OF the Territory, who is its
custodian, has obtained an appropria-
ton of So, 600 from Congress for the pur-
pose, and whilc this sum is considera-
bly, less than that which he estimated
to be necessary, yet it viii do much to
preserve this interesting historic edifice
in fair condition.
Without disparaging the Importance
of any of the cherished historical local
tiles Of the East, it may be truthfully
said that this ancient palace surpasses
in historic interest and value any other
place or object in the United States. 1t
anteda:es the settlement OF jamestown
by nine years. and that OF Plymouth by
twenty-five, and has stood during the
two hundred and ninetytwo years since
its erection, not as cold rock or monu-
ment with no claim upon the interest OF
humanity except the bare fact Of its
continued existence, but as the living
center of every thing of historical i'm
portance 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 northumberland or gov
ernor, and whether he presided over a
kingdom, a province, a department or a
territory, this has been his official resi-
dence.
In his recent annual report to the
Secretary OF the Interior Governor
Prince took occasion to present some
highly interesting data relative to this
structure. lie states that from here
Onate started in 1899 on his adventur-
Gus expedition to the eastern plains;
here, seven years later, eight hundred
IHuldIo CiLLc rum 'SulNlEd W doh
aid in their war with Axiaos; from here,
in 1918, Vicente,de Saldiva set forth to
the Moqui country only to be turned
back by reports of the giants to be en-
countercd; from here Penelosa and his
brilliant troop started March 8, 1862, on
their marvellous expedition to the Mis-
souri,; in one of its strong rooms the
Commissioner-General of the Inquisition
was imprisoned a few years later by the
same Penelosa; within its walls, forti-
fed as for a siege, the bravest Of the
Spaniards were massed in their revolu
ton Of 1850; here, on the 10Th of August
OF that year, was given the order to ex-
ecute forty-seven Pueblo prisoners in
the plaza which faces the building;
here, day later, was the sad war
council held which determined
on the evacuation of the city;
here was the scene of triumph Of the
Pueblo chieftains as they ordered the
destruction of the Spanish archives and
the church ornaments in one grand con-
fagration; here De Vargas, September
Ia, 1922, after the eleven hours combat
of the preceding day, gave thanks to
the Virgin Mary, to whose aid he attrib-
here, more than century later, March
g. 1907, Lieutenant Pike was brought
before Governor Alencaster as an in
vader of Spanish soil; here, in 1922, the
Mexican standard, with its eagle and
cactus, was raised in token that New
Mexico was no longer q dependency of
Spain; from here, the 9th of August,
1887, Governor Perez started to subdue
the instruction ii.,the North, only to
return three days later to meet his
death, the 9th, near Aqua Fria; hero,
the succeeding day, Jose Gonzales,
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, August
IL, 1915, Captain Cooke, the American
envoy, was received by Governor Armiio
and sent back with q message of def
ance; and here, five days later, General
Kearney formally took possession of the
city, and slept after his long and weary
march on the carpeted earthen floor of
the palace.
Bring in your Elk and Deer heads and
have them mounted by PATTON.