Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-05-15

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celebrated it's seventh birthday, and
seems to promise many years of future
usefulness. The object of the organiza-
ton, as stated in the constitution, is "to
advance the welfare and prosperity of
the Oldest city in the United States"
with a decided emphasis on the word
oldest" If you want to make yourself
unpopular down here it is only neces-
sary to express a little, just a little,
doubt as to the age Of La Ciudad Real
de la Santa Fe de San Francisco (the
Royal City of the Holy Faith of st.
Francis).
l have only recently visited Will
liamsburg, Va, and the ruins of James,
town, as you know, and have all the
evidences of their antiquity fresh in
mind, but the people here do not care
to hear any information on the subject.
They declare that Santa Fe %antedates
Jamestown by not less than nine years
and Plymouth by more than twenty
three, and when you endeavor to ex-
plain that a Spanish settlement should
not be entered in competition for an
tiquity with strictly American towns
you simply make yourself d~isagreeable
and had better drop the subject.
Another bit of advice that is equally
important: The ancient palace at
Santa Fe, in which the governor of New
Mexico still presides, is the most ven
cradle structure in the United States,
and the most interesting. Admit that
promptly when o com here and save
trouble. The interest lies somewhat in
the fact that General Lew Wallace
wrote "Ben-Hur" and "The Fair God"
in it's lofty apartments when he was
governor of the territory, along about
1880; but there are other reasons also.
For 293 years or more, proud and loyal
citizens will tell you, it has stood as the
center of everything of historic inter-
est 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 gen.
eral, political chief, department COM
mander or governor, and whether he
presided over a kingdom, a province, a
department or a territory, this has been
his official residence.
From here Onate started in 1899 on his
adventurous expedition to the eastern
plains; here, seven years later, 300 In
dams came from far-off Quivira to ask
aid in their war with the Axtaos; from
here, in 1918, Vincente de Salivar set
forth to the Moqui country, only to be
turned back by rumors of the giants to
be encountered; and from here Pena-
losa and his brilliant troop started on
the 9Th of March, 1862, on their marvel
Gus expedition to the Missouri. In one
Of it's strong rooms the commissary
general Of the inquisition was impris-
oned a few years later by the same Pen
a losa; within it's walls, fortified as for
a siege, the bravest of the S~paniards
were massed in the revolution Of 1880;
here, on the 10Th of August Of that year.,
was given the order to execute forty
seven Pueblo prisoners in the plaza
which faces the building; here, but a
day later, was the sad war council held
which determined on the evacuation of
the city. Here was the scene of tri-
umph Of the Pueblo chieftains as they
ordered the destruction Of the Spanish
archives and the church ornaments in
one grand confiagration; here De Var
gas, on September IA, 1892, after the
eleven hours combat of the preceding
day, gave thanks to the Virgin Mary,
to whose aid he attributed his triumph
ant capture of the city.
Here. more than a century later, on
March 8, 1907, Lieutenant Pike was
brought before Governor Alencaster as
an invader of Spanish soil; here, in
1922, the Mexican standard, with its
eagle and cactus, was raised in token
that New Mexico was no longer a de-
tendency Of Spain; from here, on the
9Th Of August, 1887, Governor Perez
started to subdue the insurrection in
the north, only to return two days later
and to meet his death on the 9Th near
Aqua Fria; here, on the succeeding day,
Jose Gonzales, a Pueblo Indian of Taos,
was installed as governor of New Mex
leo, soon after to be executed by order
Of Armijo. Here, In the principal re-
ception room, on August IL, 1916, Cap
tain Cooke, the American envoy, was
received by Governor Armijo and sent
back with a message Of defiance; 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 pal
ace.
1t is chiefly due to the energy Of the
woman's board Of trade that the old
palace" is so well preserved. The
members Of that organization are to be
thanked also because the public square
is kept SO neat and the trees and shrub
berry look so fiourishing. They are look
ing after the preservation of historical
objects; they have founded. and main
tain a public library, a free reading
room and a lecture course, and they
manage most of the charitable institu-
tions that do not belong to the Catholic
church. Santa Fe may be the oldest
town in the United States, but it has a
lot Of philosophical and progressive
women.
The Santa Fe Railroad Company has
recently adopted several noveland COM
mendable plans Of promoting its inter-
ests and the welfare Of its employees and
the public generally. One Of them Is
the appointment Of A. Reineisch, a
landscape gardener, whose duty is to
heautify the grounds around its sta