The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 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.

Singular Names-The story OF the
Street of the Raven.
Every old city has its legends, its
stories, its peculiar customs and it's
characteristic quarters. OF all the cit
les in the new world, Mexico has clus-
tered within it more of legend, history,
tradition and quaint customs and peo-
pie than any other Almost every
street has its story, and these stories
cover all 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-
ters, 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,
lhous-ll tlt NaSlC-lhC NIlitl dtltI VI llt
streets has somewhat changed. One of
the most fashionable streets of the city
is Plateros, the street of the silver
sn1fey yt t,yen today there are more
jewelIy shops on this street than any
other kind of business, and here still
are to be found the most fashionable
jcwelry ana art curiO stores of the city.
S,tr of cfi1
exists and is now very appropriately
known as the Street of Death 1t is Il
narrow lane, running the length of
only one block.
Cinco dc Mayo Goth of May street
was named in conImemoration of the
decisive advantage gained by Mexican
troops over the French, which took
streets, parks and public places after
dates is common in Spanish countries.
One end of CincO de Mayo street en-
ters 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
DttSC VI pS ithiiV, A"i 81 IMAM w \
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
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
Il long time that the ghost of the unfor-
tunate Aztec emperor MOntezuma,
wandered at night lamenting the loss Of
pie. Even today the humber folk be-
lieve that tunnel connects the cathe-
dral with the castle of Chapultepec, the
presidential residence, three and 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 Mariscaa. 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
riblc night There the Spaniards We're
able to do nothing against the tiger-likc
| ferocity and fanaticism of the .AZtecs.
On the opposite side of the Alameda
| is Avcnida IuaroZ, named after the
great Mexican rcformcr. who had freed
| the country from the grinding rule of
| the church This is Il wide, we'll paved
street and on account of lis width and
! it's central location is the scene of all
the public professions, especially those
of Il civic character. This street is a
continuation of the great public drive.
the Paseo de II Reforma.
Many of the streets have very curious
names. For instance, there are the
Street of the Lost Child, the Street of
Peace. the Street of the Arts. that of
the Wood Owls, the Deer, Sorrow. the
Sad Indian, the Holy Ghost on Christ,
IF Jesus. of the Sanctitied Virgin, of the
Purified Virgin, of Death and the Lane
of the Rat. All of these have stories
connected with them Many of the
| streets have names that sound impiOuS
to northern ears. But there is no more
thought of impiety in naming them
than there is in calling Il boy Jesus. The
street of the Holy Ghost was original
ly the Street of the Church of the Holy
Ghost SO on with the other streets
hearing sacred names. This curious. in
rongruous use of sacred names is to be
Frequently noted in Mexico.
The streets of Mexico commemorate
the names of many famous rulers. They
/ also record the names of deSDerat Il