The Press., 1903-12-31
OLD CITY OF MEXICO
CURIOUS LEGENDS THAT FLOURISH
 IN THE ANCIENT TOWN.

Its Picturesque Streets, With Thei Quaint Customs and Traditions am, Singular Names-The Story of tn l Street of the Haven.
 Every old city has its legends, it stories, it's peculiar customs and it
 characteristic quarters. Of all the cit ies in the new world, Mexico has clus \ tered within 1t 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 th' pathetic.
 In it's early history the City of Mex leo was divided into wards, or guar ters, each one of which was the specia 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 the city
 The street of the coffin makers still
 exists and is now very appropriately
 known as the Street of Death. It is q
 narrow lane, running the length of
 only one block.
 Cinco de Mayo 9th of Mayl 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 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 it's accompanying base or pyramid, larger than St. Pc ters at Rome, the largest church build ing fin the world. There, too, was the palace of MonteZuma, ill 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 Z0calo, 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 a long time that the ghost of the unfOr- tunate Aztec emperor, MOntezuma, empire and the destruction of his peO- pie. Even today the humber folk be- neve 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 Mariscala: This faces the north side of the Alameda, the largest and most fashionable park of the city. It was along this street that the army of Cor tex, 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 processions, especially those of . civic character. This street is continuation of the great public drive. the Paseo de la 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, of Christ, of Jesus, of the Sanctified 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 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 bearing sacred names. This curious, in- congruous 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 desperate characters. There is the Street of Don Juan Manuel, who committed murder in defense of his own honor, which he believed his wife had trified with. Re port says that the house where he lived was haunted and for very many years dared to live in it.
 There is also the Street of the Raven, where 1t is said there lived an old man who had sold his soul to the devil. Here he lived with a raven which the com mon people believed was the devil in disguise. One day the old man and the bird disappeared in the course of ter rible thunderstorm, leaving behind them only a few feathers and sus- picious smell of birthstone. So the street was called after the raven because the people did not wish to take the name of the devil in vain.-Modern Mexico