Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-06-01
GOVERNORS
OLD BELL
French Map 50 Old That Santa
Fe and San Augustine are
the Only Cities
Shown.
st. Louis Republic.

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In the little gray stucco buildins
which represents New Mexico on thu
Plateau Of States at the Worlds FAN
the lover of antiques, will find mucl
to interest him, for New Mexico vii
exhibit the most ancient relics thai
will be seen at the exposition.
A church bell cast in Spain in 1851
and which tolled from the tower Of a
mission church in New Mexico in the
days when st. Augustine, Fla, and
Santa Fe. N. NJ, were new towns es,
Iablishad by the adyenturers from
Spain, and when Indians hunted deer
upon the ground where the great cities
Of the United States now stand, is the
Oldest Of the exhibits in the New Mex.
leo building.
The bell ~antedates the discovery of
America 1877 years.
The bell is Of iron, but in the mold
We're cast many silver ornaments as
the molten metal was being poured in.
and the bell coIains a large proper
ton OF precious metals. This was true
OF most of the Spanish church bells
cast at that time. as ii was a universal
custom Of the devout in Spain to cast
silver and gold crucifixes and images
of saints into the bell mold because of
a belief that a bell thus made would
be Of greater power to call the sinful
TO worship.
The bell, which weighs 1873 pounds,
was baptized Maria Posefa, as an in.
scripIion on its surface testifies. 1t
was brought from Spain by Father
Juan de Padilla, one Of the Franciscan
monks whnaccompanied Coronado to
New Msxicp;&ud It was first hung in
n of the fAlesion churches establish.
ed ID one Of the sever cities of Cibola,
From there It was taken to Gran
Quivera, where it was hung in a mis-.
sion church. the ruins of which are.
still visible. From Gran Quivera. the
bell was taken to Algondones, where
1t hung in the parish church till II
was shipped TO the Louisiana Purchase
exposition BY Governor 0tero or New
Mexico. wan diseoR red 1t aud resolv-
ed To have Il exhibited.
One curious antique which viii be
seen in the New Mexico building Is a
French map Of the United states so
old that Santa F. and ST. Augustine
are the only cities shown III the en-.
tire country. According to common be.
lief at that time the Gulf OF California
and Puget Sound met and cut a large
area Of the western part OF he con.
tinent OF North America OFF from the
mainland. The map was executed
Upon this theory, and what il now the
United States IS described as two
grsat islands
The old map was discovered IN Paris
BY former Governor J.. Bradford
Prince 81 New Mexico.
Many solid silver plates and other
articles Of tableware mace in Spain
centuries ago and long treasured as
heirlooms by the Otero family have
been sent by Mrs. Ctero, wife of the
governor Of New Mexico. "a BIZ shown
In the state building. Silver plat and
gold ornaments hammered from the
nnalloyed metal by the Aztees of Mex
leo { INJURIES lelore fha conquest of
that country by Spain viii also be
found In the collection OF antiques.
One particularly handsome Aztec
relic Is q silver drinking mug, yhbl
as said 70 have been mad In Chihua-
hua $50 years ago. Another exhibit Of
silysrware made by the aborigines is
a mug, bowl and plate hammered out
of pure silver In Durango.
Aside from the tableware and orna-
ments many historic documents will
be exhibited. Among them will be the
original proclamation Of General
Stephen s. Kearney. u. s. A.. when
he took possession Of the territory in
the name Of the United States IN
1s4s.
Modern exhibits will also be made,
and among them will be a table OF
sold and silver filigree work worth
10000. The table was made Of gold
una silver mined and smelted in New
eieAico. The top is ornamented BY q
picture o. a Pueblo village, the state
capitol at Santa re. San Miguel church
aho ~ governors palace al The four
corners, and In the center is the coat