The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-15

central point from which streets radiate
/ in every direction.
| The American can spend many days
| in Juarez exploring the little out of the
| way shops in unheard of places and in
dickering with the shop keepers for the
! trinkets and souvenirs he wants to
carry home with him.
The old church. at Juarez is one of the
! first sights that attracts the attention
of the tourist.< The ancient building
stands almost dazzling white in the
bright light of the sun and is directly
opposite the main plaza of the city
The grotesquely carved timbers of the
interior of the church We're made in
| Spain centuries ago and brought across
| the ocean to be Joined in place The
| massive thick adobe walls, plastered
booths of the market place that is stu
! ated in the shadow of the church. and
| forms an impressive scene.
| The bells that hang in the tower are
| rung by striking them with an instru-
ment held in the hand. The tower en-
| cases primitive staircase leading from
| the bottom of the building The steps
| are made of logs carved square with a
! large hole made in one end. A slender
| pole runs all the way from top to bot
tom IN the center of the tower and on
| this pole the logs are strung. They are
then spread out and set in the wallis
OF the tower to make a permanent STAIR
case.
The interior of the church is very
plain and bare It's antiquity has been
marred to certain extent by a new
floor being placed in it in recent years
and the addition of a few other modern
improvements.
The church boasts a life-size image of
Jesus Christ on the cross that is even
older than the church building itself 1t
Is excellently executed and is wonder
fully real 1t occupies a prominent
place in the Sacristy
The affairs and burning incense are
nT0n n- ~
Catholic churches. An antiquated or
gan has a place before the chanceI rail
A long time ago the Juarez church
boosted the richest complement of silver
plate ware for use in the ceremonies of
the church ritual of any of the churches
IN the province. At the time when the
city was being sacked and pillaged, the
plate were carried to a mountain cave
and hidden. The cave was so effec-
tually sealed up that until the present
time no trace has ever been found of
the precious articles. Periodical at
tempts are still made to locate the lost
treasure
The traveller in Juarez is besieged on
every hand by beggars- Two little fell
lows that hang about the church to
guide the visitors about are perhaps the
most favored ones in the whole city
They wear such an expectant look that
one cannot resist the mute appeal. But
no sooner than the money is safely in
their possession do they begin to match
for it on the flagstones that mark the
resting place of some of the old saints
about the church building.
Gambling is one of the native traits
of the Mexicans. 1t is surprising at
first to see little fellows barely able
to reach over the table, playing the
American crap game with as much
gIIsto their elders.
The people of Juarez are great drink
ers. Everything from American beer to
Taqufla, native drink, guaranteed to
Kill sooner than any other brand, is
cflld mo will Ind ntiac of
rare old liquors from all parts of the
world in some of the little out of the
way grog shops in Juarez than they
perhaps ever guessed existed.
Many of the grog shops of Juarez are
run by Mexican women. And they are
as ready to drink a Buena Salud (good
luclO to their patrons the veriest
rounder is to drink a toast with his
friends.
The manner of conducting the post
offices in Mexico is perhaps as surpris-
ing to the American as anything in the
old town. Although JuareZ is a city of
about 1000 population they have
mail carriers and only about two dozen
lock boxes in the postoffice. A list of
+ the letters that arrive at the office each
day is posted in front of the general
delivery window and it is calculated
that every one who has a. letter in the
office will learn of it from some of
their friends passing the building.
4 A new city prison is being erected. 1t
is a massive adobe building that APP
pears perpetual terror to lawbreakers.
1t is being constructed by convicted
lawbreakers who are working out their
fines. Plain DRINKS are assessed fine
of $3.50 and they work it out the
Jail at the rate of % cents per day.
The police patrol at Juarez consists of
a two wheeled cart, the same as is used
in carting fruit about the streets. A
drunk is bundled into the little cart
and hauled away to jail.
The soldiers and guards are uniform
ed and wear overcoats all the time. The
chief of police of the City of Juarez is
a quite well educated man and is high
ly respected by the townspeople.
The adobe brick made a the rate
of about thousand per day and are
baked in the sun.
The music of the guitar and the man
dolin and the echo of songs come from
the adobe huts in all parts of the city
all day long. The Mexicans are an in
dolent race and those who are not fore
ed to, do no work They much prefer
lounging about and drinking and sing
ing, to work
Many of the MeXicans live solely from
the profit they make in selling curios
and trinkets to American tourists.