The St. Johns herald., 1899-04-15
ISIT TO THE ANCIENT CITY OF YORK, ENGLAND.

certainly have, for such structures as the Xavier Mission and that of Tumaca cori, both not for from Tucson, were built upwards of 200 years ago, while the city of Tucson itself is noted in America for being more ancient than any other city in the United States except St Augustine. Florida, and Santa Fe, N. NJ. When one can see a city which was built and passed the zenith of it's glory over one thousand five hundred years ago before these objects of Amer ican antiquity were constructed, he feels like saying Though America is a boasted land of power and liberty, yet England can claim older settlements and still-standing ruins"
 York, Chester, London end Edin- burgh are England's oldest cities. It is no doubt true that among all the towns of England, none can lay claim to great antiquity than the city I visited last Saturday, March 18th, 1899 "What makes the city noted ?' you ask We'll, shall try to tell you About two thou 1 sand year ago little town on the banks of the Ouse River in Yorkshire, Eng land, Kings used as their headquarters from which to rule all Britain. A short time after the birth of our SavIor, Agri- cola, Roman General. came to England from Rome and built high walls around | this town, which was then called Esbor- acum. After the town was fortified by Agricola and garrisoned by the Legio Sexta, Nictix, the conquest of Caledonia l (Scotland) began. The city being we'll fortified the Emperor of Rome, Adrian, made it his temporary headquarters 124 A. D. From Eboracum, now called York, Emperors now began to rule the whole civilized world Washington is now the Capitol of the United States, York, then was the capitol of the werldi
 After the Scythian General, Tulgenius, besieged York, Emperor Severus brought his whole court from Rome here to reside and severely rule the nations of the world. During his three years reign from York, the city shown in all
 it's splendor. Just think, that was six | teen hundred and Einety-one years ago! !! Over twele hundred years before Amer ica was discovered by Columbus!
 This Emperor Severus was severe on us (christiaus). His name suited him, for it was through an edict of his that the pagans were allowed to persecute the christians in the third century. On | his death-bed, A. D. 211, Severus called for an urn and seeing it sad: "Thou shall hold what the whole world could scarcely contain" It did, for after his death his body was taken to place, now called Severus' Hill, in military ar ray and, being laid on a magnificent pile, it was set on fire by one of his sons T remains, after being reduced to ashes, were placed in the urn to be talk en to Rome There Severus was pro- claimed god by the pagans and his ashes worshipped.
 The next year after Severus' death. his son, Caracella murdered his brother Geta, in his mothers arms, then ordered seventy thousand of Geta's frields kill ed. This bloody deed took place in York Human blood now changed the city to a crimson color. I presume, Carcella called it painting the town red"
 After Emperor Constantius died in York, Constantine, the Great, who was born in York, PIP A. D. then began his ruling of the then known world Con- stantine was the person who claimed to have seen the luminous cross in the air bearing the inscription "By this Con- quer
 In the fourth century, Octavius, King of all Britain, captured York. That century the city saw some awful battles 520 4. D. Prince Arthur drove the Sax ons from the city at the Battle of Baden ! Hills. In this battle ninety thousand people, historians claim, were slain. Imagine if you can, the the terrible bl"odshed of battle in which nearly as many people were killed as there are persons in Arizona!
 For eleven hundred years after the Battle of Baden Hills York was ire quent scene of pillage, war and war. A few miles from the city King Harold, William, the Conqueror, the Fairfores and the mighty Cromwell fought their most renowned battles. Surely the poet was right when he worte:
 ''This city first by Roman hand was
 formed,
 With lofty towers and high built
 walls adorned;
 It gave their leaders a secure repose,
 Honor to the Empire, terror to its
 foes."
 This famous scene of events, I had the pleasure of visiting last Saturday. saw there, still standing and in con- stant use, buildings. mansions, tastles, towers, churches and minister erected ] ever seven hundred years ago The narrow streets much reminded me of Tucson, the great majority of the houses however are two stories high. Going down these narrow streets, seeing the, second stories of these old houses pro- truding several feet farther into the