Arizona republican., 1895-10-06
THE MAGDALENA FIESTA. In Honor of Good Saint
 Francis. Most Notable of the Mexican
 Festivals.
A View of the Sacred Image Sup- posed to Cure
 All Ills.

Nogales Vidette: La Fiesta de San Francisco will open at Magdalena next Friday, October 4, 1895.
 The fiesta is the most important one of the hundreds of fiestas held yearly in Sonora. and the attendance is al ways very large. People have been arriving there for the last two or three weeks on foot, horseback, by wagon, and otherwise from all over the state of Sonora and southern Arizona. They go, most of them, to do penance and to be cured of some sort of malady, while some go to gamble. This fiesta is essentially religious affair, but in terest is shown psincipally in the gam bling portion of it.
 Magdalena, the town where thls fiesta is to be held, is an interesting old town--one of the most ancient of Sonora. It was settled away back when Arizona was 8 portion of Mex ico. The town is especially interesting to Catholics and believers Tn San Fran cisco, for tradition has it that centuries ago, almost in the time of Adams boy hood, apostles of Christ started north across the country with the image of San Francisco strapped on burro, and when they arrived at this point the burro refused to go, any further. All the gentle persuasiveness of 2 mesquite club failed to induce tho noted animal of bible times to bulge an inch further toward the north star and, taking this for some good sign, the apostles, or agents of Oar Father, throwed the dia- mond hitch and unpacked the image of of the Patron Saint.
 After consultation of the party it was decided to erect church here and callit the Church of San Francisco. No sooner said than done, and in short time the church was completed and the Saint set up, ready to be worshipped, and from that day to this Ssnto de Francisco is more idolized in that church than is anybody else connected with the Chris tian religion. Especially is this so with the poorer and more ignorant classes, who think that the Santo has some especially curative powers. and they will go miles and miles, su bmitting to great hardships, to reach his Saint ship on feast days. They can go there at any time, but they especially flock in on feast days.
 1uO point in the church, in coffin, in front of which IS g donation box, into which anyone can put money. The image, in former times, stood up alone and had 8 big hole in it's stomach, where the money was deposited, but it now rests in coffin, as stated. It rests in coffin because the Yaquis shot it full of holes ence and rendered it incapable of hold ing money or standing alone. About eighteen years ago there was terrible drouth in Sonora, and the. image had been carried out nearly every day, with appropriate ceremonies, to produce rAin and the Yaquis, becoming disgusted, set it up against tree one day and shot and stoned it until considerabl ble repair ing was needed to make it presentable, and the next day it rained.
 As high as 12,C00 people sometimes visit the Saint in one day and so great is their faith in it that they put thou sands of dollars into it's box. It is esti- mated that about $35. 900 year is eiv. n it in money and valua bles. Those who cannot give money donate other thinge, which they leave in the church in care of the priest. ~
 II DelleVer IS SICK or has SICK par ent, child or other kin. he will make 8 promise that if the sick one recovers he will give San Francisco so much money, or gold or silver arm, hand, eye, or some such thing and in case of recov. every, the promise Is fulfilled assstrictly as if note of hand had been given.
 It is believed that full faith is neces- sary to accomplish results. and If after being cured you intimate that your money, instead of faith, effected your cure, your money or whatever you gave will be returned and you will resume your former condition.