The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-24
STIRRING HISTORY
 OF OLD SANTA F Spaniard, Indian, Mexican and
 American Rule SOMETHING ABOUT TOWN Old Governors Palace Is One of the Most Picturesque and Interesting Structures in the United
 States.
SOMETHING ABOUT TOWN
BY B. w. BAKER.

Santa Fe has checkered and interest ing history Spaniard. Pueblo Indian, Mexican and American has each in turn held control of the government. Coronda, a Spanish explorer, came to the present site of Santa Fe, it is claimed as early as 1540, bringing with him a thousand men. He found here an Indian pueblo or village of about 1500 souls. These In- dians were engaged in tilling the soil and in caring for their herds. They wore gar ments of cotton cloth and lived in well built houses.
 About the year 16O5 the Spaniards es- tablshed a permanent settlement here, calling 1t Santa Fe, Spanish for Holy Faith The Spaniard held control until 1880 when the Pueblo Indians rose in re- bellion and captured the town, burned a portion of 1t, murdered the missionaries and tried to wipe out the last vestige of the Christian religion. Twelve years later De Vargas gained a great victory over the Pueblo Indans. thereby regaining the town to the Spanish.
 In 1S46 the United States. while en- gagged in war with New Mexico sent Gen eral Kearney against Santa Fe. He took the town, the Mexican governor having fled, and proceeded to hoist the stars and stripes on flagstaff 100 feet high fin front of the governors palace.
 When Spain departed from New Mexico she left only her language and her re- ligion. They that would discount the work of the missionary may learn lesson here. The glory of the Spanish arms has long since tAded as a dream, but the work of the missionary endures. The natives speak the Spanish language and are true to the Catholic religion to this day.
 Town Is Unique.
 represents the extremes of civilization. Adobe houses and modern brick structures stand side by side, the Mexican driving his burro with little pack of wood on Its back is showed aside by the American in his automobile The Mexican, Indian and Yankee all mingle in one common civilization The town Is poorly laid off, the streets being narrow and crooked. Near the business center of the town there Is a park, or plaza. as 1t is called here. The governors palace, a place of great historic interest, faces the plaza on the north. This building is now 300 years old and has been the official resi- dence of all the rulers. whether called viceroy, captain general, political chief or governor, during all the stirring events of Santa Fe's history. Here at one time during the Pueblo revolution the bravest of the Spaniards were massed and held that sad war council in which they decided to eyacuate the city. Here in front of this building were burned by order of the Pueblo chieftains, the Spanish arch ives and the church ornaments. in one grand confiagration. This building has stood as the center of every important political event that has occurred in this part of the southwest for the last 300 years. It was ih one of the rooms of thls building that General Lew Wallace wrote the greater part of Ben Hur" while gov ernor of the territory, in 1879 and 1880. At present the governors palace is oc- cupied by the postofflce and by the New Mexico Historical society. In the rooms of the rooms of the society are slowed away