The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-12-03

II az once having been the habitation
OF man. About the Oldest building,
and one which most closely claimed my
attention, Is one am sorry TO say can
only attempt 10 describe. l was unable
to find anyone who could give me any
data concerning its age, or by whom or
for what built. 1t stands just outside
OF the wall on the city side Of the inner
fertilization, IL two stories in height,
with, ! should judge, frontage
on a narrow street Of one hundred feet,
while on wide or principal street 1t has
frontage of one hundred and fifty feet.
Wide doors and lofty archways look out
from all sides, and although built Of
stone the wall has cracked in scores Of
places, and trees the size Of ones arm
grow through these creViecs and rise to
height OF from ten to twenty feet. or
else grow out from the walls and over
hang the street or surrounding grounds.
Every foot OF wall is thickly covered
with green, shiny moss. and weeds and
grass grow profnsely, where even a
small portion OF soil can be found to
nourish the roots, although for the most
part getting nonrisbment from the air.
The window aud door frames, and pill
lars which support archways and porti-
Goes, and balconys are all grown,
and lnxuriant vegetation springs up all
around, over and beneath the entire
structure. A fiat roof Of old fastened
thing of clay covers that edifice and
gives the entire building the look Of an
old embattled tower, pictures of which
one sees in descriptions of warlike ma
tons in the middle ages. IhaVe, during
the course of checkered life spent in
many different climes, seen nothing as
work of art or of nature that so i'm
pressed me with feelings of awe, as the
contemplation Of this, surely at one
time, magnificent structure. The view
Of this one building alone compensates
me for my trip and its attendant hard.
ships.
The places for religious worship are
imposing buildings, and are credit
even 10 barbaric Spain. Their tall spires
reach out toward the blue of heaven
and should be symbols of love instead
of tyranny, and hate, and fanaticism
and bigotry.
More able writers than myself could
write volumns concerning the city, but
ere close this, l want TO write of an
other city, within the precincts OF this
city of Manila 'city of the dead
Up the street upon which our barracks
(the exposition building) is situated, and
distant from us only about three short
blocks, one sees stone wall, possibly
nine feet in height, running parable
with a narrow cross street, the wall be
ing in length one thousand or twelve
hundred feet, and serves to enclose I
parcel of ground some ten acres in size
in which hundreds of vaults for the re
ception of the dead are erected. Many ar
now empty, waiting for some occupant
whose influence while living, or WHOSE
wealth after death will throw into tn,
Golfers of tie church twenty-five dollar
for the repose of his or her bones for /;
term of five years, and an annual pay
ment thereafter of Eve dollars until tina
great day of resurrection; failure to pa!
which, the vault again becomes tn,
property Of the representatives of til,
church, and the bones of the defaultinI
occupant are raked out as a fireman
rakes cinders out of a Gre-box. Tn
bones. and there are tons and tons o
them, are carted or wheeled off to som
obscure portion of the cemetery, ant
there dumped in a common heap, when
birds OF prey occasionally lind som
rare bit, for not in all instances has tn
flesh decayed, for the writer saw in sew
eral instances flesh still clinging TO tn
bones. Hundreds of skulls, arm and lie
bones, ribs, and several portions of tn
vertebr@ are scattered here and thert
Five skulls which counted could hav
been covered with wash tub; skulls 0
Va hAudASs "HiN paw! VA NSP A~s l."
. frame of child, evidently six or seve
; years of age; and close by lay the fran
intact of one, evidently a female, as tn
long ulack hair still clinging to the sku
; would indicate. Against the remain
; lay the grinning skull of some poor dew
whose money gave out before Spain
barbaric cruelty ceased. Madame RI
land exclaimed, while under the shado'
OF the guillotine, Liberty, what crime
l have been committed in thy name.
Truly can it now be said, Religion, whs
l. crimes have been committed in til
y name!" More anon.
WM. NJ. PIPKIN.