The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-10-27
OLD CITY OF MEXICO
CURIOUS LEGENDS THAT FLOURISH
IN THE ANCIENT TOWN.

Its Picturesque Streets, With Their
Quaint Customs and Traditions and
Singular Names-The Story of the
Street of the Raven.
Every old city has its legends, its
stories, Its peculiar customs and its
characteristic quarters. OF alItthe cit
les in the new world, Mexico has clus.
tered within 1t more of legend, history,
tradition and quaint customs and PEG
pie than any other. Almost every
street has Its story, and these stories
coversall the gamut of the picturesque,
the horrible, the sentimental and the
pathetic.
In its early history the City of Mex
leo was divided into wards, or quar-
tiers, each one OF which was the special
home Of some trade or profession.
There was the street or quarter Of the
shoemakers, the streets Of the silver
smiths, of the bakers, of the saddle
makers, of the butchers, of the watch
makers, of the silk. merchants, of the
wine sellers and SO on. There was
even the street of the coffin makers.
Many Of these old names still exist,
though the caste.like character Of the
streets has somewhat changed. One of
the most fashionable streets Of the city
Is Plateros, the street Of the silver
smiths. Even today there are more
,jewelry shops on this street than any
other kind of business, and here still
are to be found the most fashionable
jewelry and art curio stores Of e,city.
The street of the coffin makers still
exists and is now very appropriately
known as the Street OF Death. 1t is a
narrow lane, running the length OF
only one block.
CInco de Mayo 9th of May street,
was named in commemoration Of the
decisive advantage gained by Mexican
troops over the French, which took
place upon that date. This naming Of
streets, parks and public places after
dates is common In Spanish countries.
One end of Clnco de Mayo street en-.
tiers the Zocalo, the principal square Of
the city. The zocalo has seen many
historic happenings. There in olden
times was the great temple of the Az
tees, which was, with Its accompanying
base or pyramid, larger than st. Pc.
ter's at Rome, the largest church build
ing in the world. There, too, was the
palace of Montezuma, in fact, two pal.
aces, both noted, one the old, in which
were quartered Cortez and his officers,
a building whose vast size excited the
admiration Of even the Spaniards them
selves, used as they were to the vast
structures Of the Moors of their day,
which still existed in Spain in all their
splendor
On the zocalo, too, is the Cathedral
Of Mexico, the third largest church
building In the world, which occupied.
100 years in building. On this public
square the common people believed for
n long time that the ghost Of the unfor-
tunNte Aztec emperor Montezuma,
wandered at night lamentIng theIoss OF
empire and the destruction of his peo-
pie. Even today the humber folk be-
lleve that tunnel connects the cathe-
dral with the castle Of Chapultepec, the
presidential residence, three and q half
miles away, at the end Of the Paseo de
Ia Reforma, one of the finest and no
blest public drives in the world.
One Of the historic streets Of Mexico
is Mariscala. This faces the north side
of the Alameda, the largest and most
fashionable park of the city. 1t was
along this street that the army Of Cor.
tez the great conqueror of Mexico,
passed on the "dismal night" when he
was driven from the city by the Aztecs,
On this street, too, occurred some Of
the most desperate fighting on that ter
rible night There the spaniards were
able to do nothing against the tiger-like
ferocity and fanaticism of the Aztecs.
On the opposite side Of the Alameda
Is Avenida Juarez, named after the
great Mexican reformer, who had freed
the country from the grinding rule Of
the church. This is wide, well paved
street and on account of Its width, and
its central location Is the scene Of all
the public professions, especially those
of civic character. This street is
continuation Of the great public drive,