The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-15
PLANTED OUR FLAG
ON MOUNT ORIZABA.
D. S. RICHARDSON TELLS OF HIS
PERILOUS TRIP UP THE
VOLCANO.
BESTED TWO OTHER NATIONS
MEXICO ILLUSTRATED BY STEREOP-
TICoN VIEWS AND DESCRIBED
AT PIONEER HALL.

The Society of California Pioneers lis
tened to lecture at Pioneer Hall last
night and learned more about Mexico from
D. S. Richardson, ex-secretary of the United
States legation, than they could obtain in
a years study of geographical or historical
works. That they appreciated the descrip-
tious given by Mr.. Richardson was evident
from the frequent bursts of applause.
Mr.. Richardson read from notes care
fully prepared from data collected while
he was in the employ of the United States
Government in the southern republic.
Mexico he considered a marvellous land
both in history and romance. Egypt it
self, he said, does not surpass the country
as field for the investigation of archeolo-
gists.
1.-The day of revolutions has gone by"
said the lecturer, "and peace reigns
throughout the entire republic excepting
internal Heterogeneous OF mountains
which no man or politics can control. The
press reports of the eruption of Mount
Orizaba which appeared on Monday last
were sufficient evidence of that"
Pictures of this famous supposed to-
have-been-dead volcano were thrown upon
large canvas at the end of the hall.
White-capped peaks were shown with a
black crater yawning near the summit.
Three figures were depicted making the
dangerous ascent over jagged ice and
drifted snow.
''This majestic mountain" said the
speaker, ''is one of the most conspic uous
| and interesting objects OF Mexican, land-
scapes. 1t towers to the enormous height
of 5000 feet above the sea and can be seen
IN clear weather at distance of 100 miles.
For many years its heights were consid-
cred inaccessible. It's first recorded ascent
by white men was made in i84S by party
of American officers. In 1851 a Frenchman
named Doignon succeeded in reaching the
| top, where he found staff with the date
l848 cut upon it and the battered remains
OF a United States flag tapping in the
wind.
eff [ may be pardoned a reference to
volcanoes sides, would illustrate the diff
culties of the undertaking by telling you
that only three of party of twelve who
started reached the top. 1t was agreed
that the first one to reach the top should
have the privilege of planting his country s
flag thereon. My companions were an
Englshman and a Mexican. National
spirit spurred us all forward, but L am
happy to say that despite the intense suf-
fering l endured Old Glory was placed
| upon Orizaba, and as far as [ know waves
there to-day"
Mr.. Richardson gave vivid description
of the country surrounding the mountain
now in eruption, and classed it as ''the
most desirable portion of Mexico in which
to dwell, for there the products of the
three zones mingle, corn and coffee inter
lace their leaves, peach trees lift their
heads above fields of tasseled cane, and
grapes. and mangoes grow together in
blooming gardens.
BY the stereopticon route the audience
was taken through the entire republic, the
verbal descriptions accompanying each
picture as it appeared leaving the hearers
actually in the land of the Aztec.
Exhibits in the National Museum and a
birdseye view of the proposed exhibition
grounds were greeted with applause, while
the flag of Mexico could not have been
better received had it been thrown on a
canvas before an audience of natives.