Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-04-21
LETTER FROM MEXICO CITY.
BY DIR. II. n. HINDE.


Correspondence OF the Ledger.
To strangers the past week has been
an interesting one in the city Of Mex.
leo. / had been taking a rest from
sight seeing for several week, having
found very pleasant employment at
home; helping take carr Of a little
Mexican Just four weeks old to-day.
He is a bright, lively little fellow and
seems fond Of his grandfather. He
talks in Spanish, but cries in English,
and makes himself distinctly under
stood when be gets hungry about two
O'Clock every night.
The past week has been Holy Week,
and a universal holiday in the city,
much more than Christmas week.
Business OF every kind is almost en-
tirely suspended, and the streets, ex-
cept around the Zocalo, Alameda and
other public places are entirely desert
ed. Indeed 1t is the only time that
has seemed like Sunday 70 me since |
have been In the city. Usually on my
way to Sunday school or church on
Sunday, / lind various kinds Of work
going on such as street paving, house
building, etc. During Holy week |
scarcely saw a peon at work anywhere
and 1t was a hard week on u Ameri-
can women who lad them employed
in domestic work. Our cook made
excuse that she was sick, and asked
for one day of, and we have not seen
her since, 10Y M week ago By the
way, the greatest amusement / have
had been watching Mrs. Hinde and
this peon girl in the kitchen and
dining room, as in broken English,
horrible Spanish, and all sorts of signs,
they try to make themselves under
stood.
The churches are thronghed day and
night during this week and the cere-
monies more elaborate than any time
during the year. The great Cathedral,
the largest church in America, is the
center Of attraction and is crowded
most Of the time.
All of the interesting features Of
the Holy week are not confined to the
churches. On La Viga there was a
gorgeous display Of flowers, in what
was called "the battle Of flowers. -
The boats Of every shape and variety
were beautifully ornamenCed with
flowers, and made a brilliant display
as they moved in procession up the
great canal. The display is Unequaled
except in Venice, Itaty, where the
artistic gondolas, on the great Rialto,
lay in the shade, the rude boats Of the
poems on La Viga.
The funniest things to be e in
all these displays are the "Judases, "
the traitor Judas represented in every
ridiculous shape and attitude that
Mexico INGENUITY can devise. Some Of
them are horrible looking eflgies,
mostly in paper and painted in ali
colors. They are arranged with fuse
and fire crackers, % that when they
hang him they can at the same time
burn and blow him all 10 pieces. The
Mexicans have no mercy on Judas
Iscariot. At a fixed hour, in the most
public places, the hanging and the
burning Of the traitor goes on. l was
somewhat surprised during this week
to find the blending OF the religious
and state affairs that occurred. On
Friday OF this week was the annlyer-
Of the battle Of Pueblo, at which 1
Gen. Diaz was In command, and in !
which the imperial forces were cap
tured, which led to the downfall Of
the empire, and the execution of Max
imilian d few days later. There was
a grand military display and review
Dn Saturday and at night a splendid a
Of the Palace, and con- a
,ert OF all the combined bands Of the I
/ have never witnessed a more I
beautiful illumination than the Pal S
ice presented on that night, and have
rarely seen a larger crowd Of people d
assembled. The patience Of these
.exicans is wonderful. So great is ]
heir love for spectacular display, and
i being together In a crowd that g
hey will stand or sit on the ground S
or hours without murmuring, wait \