Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-03-18
THE CITY OF MEXICO.
SCENE OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS
OF CORTEYs CONQUEST.
A City Surrounded by Memories OF
Exciting Events s-Churches Galore
Some Of Their Histories and Tradi.
tiOns-A Queer Market.
cIrY or MrxIco. Feh. q. 1sp7.

CITY or MEXICO, Feb "a. 1897
DEAR READERs:-No novel was
ever written with more thrilling
episodes OF so many Of them as are
contained in Prescott's Conquest
of Mexico. =" A perusal of its pages
excites pity in the most stoical,
and yet, its conclusion saw pagan
ism supplanted by christianity.
We are here, surrounded | might
almost say by evidences Of the
struggle between Aztec and invad-
er. Indeed, the very spot on which
our hotel is erected is said to be
the scene OF the first meeting of
Cortez and Montezuma in 1919,
the former having some 700 of his
countrymen with him and the lat
tor a hundred thousand Aztaes.
But great a. We 'ieo power Of the
Aztec, he was a slave to supersti-
tion and on that superstition seems
to have been founded the admira-
BILE book of Lew Wallace's, "The
Fair God" There was a tradition
among the pagan priests that the
white men were one day going to
to take that country from the Az
tees, and Montezuma's belief in
the story resulted in but a half
hearted resistance. II is the opin.
ion of historians that had the
nephew, Guaiimotzin, been in COM
mand at the beginning, the Span
iards could never have succeeded
in their undertaking.
The city of Mexico is the capital
Of the republic, its largest city and
was also the capital of the Aztec
empire 1t is S63 miles from the
nearest point to the United States
at Matamoras, and 1888 from Eagle
Pass where we entered the country.
1t is far to the southern end of the
republic and largely out of touch
with the progressive states in
which are located such cities as
Monterey and chihuahua. 1t is
noted that the Americans find their
way into Mexico far more frequent
ly than do the people of Mexico
visit the United States. AS re-
suit what Of modernized ideas are
employed have few Mexicans back
of them. Most of the better stores
are conducted by French, German
or English merchants.
The city has a population of
100000 people, 25, 900 Of which are
Americans, OF in other words, ey-
cry fourteenth person in the city is
an American. IL was founded by
the Aztecs, who found little on
their arrival from nobody knows
where, but a lake, towards the close
of the thirteenth century, aud was
conquered by the Spaniards in
1921 The latter retained posses
sion until September 2l, 1921,
when Mexican independence was
gained. Very little wood-as lit.
tie as possible-enters into the
construction of the houses, brick,
stone and adobes being principally
employed. All of our readers are
familiar with the story Of the chill.
dren Of Israel and the Egyptians,
and recollect of the trouble which
resulted from the latter cutting of
the supply Of straw from their
brick makers. Not a day passes
without the tourist in Mexico see
ing any number Of burros laden
with straw done up in two perfect
ly round balls Gt is put into a metz
four or five feet in diameter, and
which il used in the identical way
in which the people Of Moses EN-.
ployed it centuries ago in Egypt.
The most imposing structures
throughout al Mexico are the
churches and the principal one in
size aud grandeur is the