The Irish standard., 1901-05-04

and date Giovanni Cimabue, 1887"
or, in other words, the two pictures
are over 600 years old. The name of
the artist may be known only to those
who have studied deep in the annals
of art, but that he wrought we'll is
made evident by the fact that today
it is an easy matter to take a clear
photograph of both works. The age
of the altar is shrouded in the mystery
of the past, as is the copy of Raphaeps
"St. Michael" which hangs over the
altar This latter picture is certainly
older than the church, but the colors
are as bright and distinct as If it were
hung but yesterday. There are several
other paintings, brought from Spain,
the age of which is not known, but
they We're in existence long before the
church was built.
The old bell "St. Joseph is a source
of never ending amazement to visitors
to 'the church. The bell was cast in
Spain in 1856, as is told by the Span
ish inscription on it's SIDE 1t weighs
$50 pounds, and how the adventurous
Spaniards, who first came to the land
managed to carry this bell across the
mountains is perpetual source Of
wonder to all who see it. 1t has, a
very sweet tone, and it's vibrations
cling to the ear long after the church
has been left.
To the north Of the church there is
a little 'dobe building, with nothing in
particular to distinguish it from the
many that surround it on all sides.
Nevertheless, this insignificant little
shack is by many hundred years the
Oldest building in the United States.
When the Spaniards first came to the
present site of Santa Fe it was an
Indian pueblo so old that the inhabi-
tants had no idea as to when it was
first founded, and this little building
is the only one that remains of the
we'll organized Indian town that fell
before the conquering sword of the
Spaniard. Standing in the, narrow
street and gazing on it's earthen walls
fancy runs riot with time, and goes
back to the days, long before Column
bus was born, when the Indian woman
clad in gorgeous blankets ground her
maize In the sun with no thought of
the blast Of civilization which was to
drive her and hers from the land they
called their own. In town, where
everything is aged, and nothing de-
crepit, the church of San Miguel and
the little 'dobe building stand out in
prehistoric -eminence and bid fair
from outward appearances to with
stand the ravages of time for many
years to come.
If the Christian Brothers, who own
the church and the surrounding prop
erty, learn that visitor is from Min
nesota, they inform him that the usher
of the church is n Minnesota man, who
was Mt one time auditor of Scott
county. The visitor will ask no fur
ther questions, expecting that he can
talk 'home" and learn all about the
Minnesota man, but here he makes q
very big mistake. The usher will not
tell his name, and all the information
that can he got from him is that he
left Minnesota in 1862. l managed to
warm him up little by mentioning
the name Of Governor Ramsey and
others Of his time, but his cordiality
was short-lived, and he suddenly
launched into the history of the church
in serious and business-lilke manner
that would brook no interference even
for old times sake. He is Il very seri-
GUS old man, and any attempt to ex-
anime an object while he is explaining
another meets with prompt rebuke
and a sharp tug on the sleeve. I shook
hands with him when parting, but he
merely told me that he was sicker than
I was and turned his back on me.
Among the many hundreds Of thou
sands who have read Lew Wallacc's
"Ben-Hur," there are possibly only
hundreds who know that the book was
written in Santa Fe. In the long
'dobe building which is ut present used
as the postoffice and for the historical
society is the room where that stirring
tale was written. The room is at pres
ent occupied by relatives of General
Wallace, who are always pleased to
show visitors the bare walls, with gap
ing fire place, and rough wooden table,
upon which 'The Tale Of the Christ"
the most widely read book of modern
times, was written, Pictures Of this
room find ready sale to visitors in
the city, and thousands annually stand
reverently in the room, which has
nothing to recommend it for any pur-
pose, except that "Ben-Hur' was writ
ten there.
To the north of the city, within
sight, are the ruins of old Fort Marcy,
the scene of many stirring incidents
in the early days Of the territory after
it became part of the United States.
Here were organized many expeditions
to punish the marauding "reds" after
the close Of the Civil war. Nothing
remains of the old 'dobe fort but ruins,
and these will succumb to the ele-