The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-18
He VISITS THE DEAD
Victor Murdoch Writes of
MaximiIian's Tomb.
STREETS IN CEMETERIES
Which are Hemmed in by
Business Blocks.

Victor Murdoch writes as follows from
the City OF Mexico:
City of Mexico Feb. 5.-Commerce and
church are having royal battle archi-
tscturally here in the City of Mexico.
Business blocks are nudgtng churches
&bout. tanning them over. elbowing
them around.
Take the church next door to our ho-
tel. It was once the most powerful
church IN Mexico, the church of San
Francisco. Across its front door is a row
of brick business blocks, and you can
only get into it by side entrance. Once
into it and you know that jammed up
against its walls on every hand is the
butcher and baker and candleetick maker
Through its graveyard was forged a
street and buildings for business smoth-
cred out the tombstones. There are
scores of bones beneath your every foot
fall.
I've been the rounds of many Of the
churches and I viii tell about the visits
just as one makes them, who doesn't
know much about it.
First, the Cathedral, occupying part of
the site Of the Aztec temple Right in
front of 1t in a little waik-dissected gar
den is a bronze statue just like that
which Major Ross presented 10 the child
rem of Wichita. Somebody has broken
off the boot inthe boys hand. You enter
during morning service. and crowds OF
rich and poor people are entering at the
same time. You take your hat off at the
door and prepare yourself to grandeur.
You do not find it exactly. The interior
is sOmbre. The gold, which is in great
profusion. looks dull. The paintings ap-
pear to have poor light. Before all the
slfrines the people are kneeling. The cen
ter ofthe Cathedral is occupied by the
organ and the choir, and the largest al
tar This is all connected with a railing
Of precious metal amalgam, made in the
Orient but in the sombreness you would
not see it, if some one did not call your
attention to it. OF course it isaIl very
vast and impressive, but you would. not
call it beautiful. You go out and climb
one oftheF towers. This is done by a
spiral staircase Of stone with nothing but
the spiral for support in the center. The
steeple might be called solid stone through
which a hole had been bored This solid
lily is provision against earthquake and
the multitude Of heavy bells These bells
are hung loosely, so they may turn clear
over. The clappers are tied on with
thongs. Away up in the tower you find
some American has written his name in
lead pencil, w H. Dewey" It is the
only autograph there As soon as you
l.. i
on a feast day., all the bells are rung
for about half an hour. It takes on an
average two men to ring a bell. They
Jump on the Npoden support of the bell
and turn it completely over again and
again. With every bell in the two tow
ers going, it looks for all the world like
the men, and there are scores of them,
We're cOntesting 10 see who could make
his bell whirl the fastest. And the noise.
No one would believe that anything could
be more discordant. Some of the bells
give forth olanly-te-clank sounds, others
thump like boiler iron; others are very
sweet but the whole effect is dreadful to
the ear The cathedral is completely
wired with electric lights. OF course
there are several libraries upon the sub
ject OF this cathedral Every stone in it
has a history All Mexicos emperors and
all her viceroys were consecrated here. I
give it as only American eyes, unfnform-
ed see it.
Next we went to the church Of San
Fernando. It is very old. but very beauti-
ful inside, and after looking at the great
paintings we went TO the most famous
graveyard in Mexico, adjoining this
church. This cemetery Is ,closed to the
public, and you have to want to get in
hard before you can. We ratified at the
big iron gates and a little old man let US
in. In the shadow of the wall sat his
wife knitting. This place is a court sur
rounded by four walls and in the walls
are holes for collins, only a very few Of
them empty. The names of the people
buried there are put on stone plates.
The little old man was the liveest thing
we have found in Mexico. He had enough
to supply the myriad dead who keep him
company. 1 viii not overdraw his in
senuity a bit The first thing we saw
was the tomb of Juarez. the man whose
memory is dearest to Mexico. 1t was
covered with wreaths, faded. which have
been sent from all parts ofthe republic.
These have accumulated for years. The
old man patted the tomb fondly and was
Very proud Of it, assuming an attitude in
imitation Of the dead hero, and patting
the tomb again. Next We asked for
Miramon and Meiia, the two men who
were shot with Macmillan and who. de-
spite their treason, are permitted graves
here. Miramon's tomb is neglected and
bare and Isolated from the rest Meiia's
the same. The old sexton was now alive
10 the situation. lie lined us three up
in a row and pointing al NE said: Maxi
mile at Mrs. Murdoch. "Neiia." at Mrs
Bahbitt Of New York City. a friend. Nj
ramon Then he stepped back and aim
ed an imaginary gun. Then he came for
ward and pointed at ''AIaximile's" heart;
then at 'Niejla." and swayed violently
backward ana forward to signify I take
it. that ..MeJa" was somewhat asitated;
and then at 'NIlramon." drawing himself
up to his length and assuming an attf-
tUae OF noble courage. Mirsmon died
blavely. Macmillan asked 10 ne shot
through the heart 50 his mother could
see his face once more. The CID man said
.AIeija" again, pointed at the tomb, ran
his hand over his own face. and said
ugh denotins that Mejia was power
ful ugly. which was true.
We were struck by one beautiful mon
ument and asked him about 1t and he at
once clasred his hand to his heart and
feI over in the graveyard. He explained
in-pautonine that It was n woman who
thss fell dead. But that wasn't al. The
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GRAHAM CRBIM.0I