Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-04-02
IN THE OLDEST PART
OF THE CONTINENT
Mexico City, March 8.

Mexico City, Marcn 3.
In former letter we stated that
Mexico was noted for two things
the beautiful plazas and churches.
plaza and a church constitutes city
and when you see one you generally |
see the adjunct.
Facing the Zocolo is the largest |
cathedral in the Republic. Entering
the church one finds services going
on at any hour of the day, at least
this has been our experience all over
the Republic, or at least we always
ind people kneeling and saying their
prayers. One unaccustomed will won
Ter at the sight of kneeling people,
side by side, the richly dressed lady
and the ragged Indian, the fashion
able gentleman and the poor street
sweeper The great church is in the
form of Latin cross, and over the
central arches rise magnificent
lone decorated by the celebrated art
lists of the day. The dimensions OF
the church are: Length. 354 feet
width, III feet; heighth, 179 feet
There are five naves, six affairs and
| IA chapels. The grandeur, to our no
don. is somewhat detracted by the
enormous choir enclosure in the cen
tral nave. The massive railings
about the entrance to the choir is
curiosity In metal as well as in art
| IL is a composition of gold. silver and
copper and came from China. Along
| he passage from the choir TO ihe al
| ar are 60 or 10 small figures made
| # the same brilliant metal serving as
| light bearers. the pulpits and the
| lnge holy water basins are of ONYX,
| Of the IA chapels seven are on each
| side On one of these on the wesl
| iide is the tomb of Iturbide and here
| he title llberator is accorded him
| Of the six affairs the most beautiful Is
ne Altar of the Kings modelled after
ONE of the viceroys and of the -four
,atriots. Hidalgo, Aldama, Allendc
| md limenez, who were executed In
| 1hichauhua. The cathedral stand
IN the site of the Aztec Temple de
stroyed by Cortez. II was begun in
| 573 and finished in 1867. The tow
ars were not finished until 1871. the
after costing over 100000. and tnc
ratnedral over $1,000. 900.
There are many other notable
| churches, one being the monastery ol
| Santo Domingo and another III.
monastery of San Diego Then there
Is what is left of the monastery OF
San Francisco. The establishment
| occupied for more than 300 years
| more than four blocks of the city If
was the oldest and largest religious
concern in the New World. But the
| md the walls are gone The Hotel
Iardin occupies the hospital of the
monastery. and enjoys the luxury OF
| ne garden from which 1t takes It's
rame. Moreover, the chapel is used
rs the barroom of the hotel. Cortez
| gave the money for this first church
| The very spot Is where the Aztec
kings mad their wild beast gardens
| md where the Franciscans built their
| irst church. Here was commenced
he confiscation of church property
Then there are Catholic and Protest
mt churches scattered over the city
most all Protestant denominations be
ng represented.
But to visit Mexico City and not
axe car TO the shrine or Guadalupe
would be like visiting the French Re
public and emitting Paris
Over the northern causeway de.
voted pilgrims from Tenochtitlan in
1872 went to the scored hill of Tepey-
acac, over nearly the same place now
inown as Guadalupe. On this hill
there were thousand years ago a
sanctuary dedicated to the deity call.
ed sometimes Mother of the Gods
sometimes Goddess of Corn" and
sometimes "The Fruitbearer." The
| Spaniards destroyed the sanctuary
| Ind also the causeway, but the ma
| lives continued to worship their i'm.
ages there. The devout missionaries
| 'amented this and in due time, here.
| as at Queretero. they substituted
| new object of worship for the old
In the place. of the heathen Mother of
Gods was put the Christian God
mother. A spanish historian tells the
miraculous tale of how the change
was accomplished to the satisfaction
| of all concerned.
On Dec. 8. 1881, Saturday, an In.
dian. Juan Diego, by name, when GO
ing to mass heard the angels singing
as he passed the hill. A glorious la
dy called him and told him to go to
the bishop and tell aim she wished
10 have temple built where she was
standing. Juan delivered the message
but the bishop desired further evil
dence of the truth of the Indians sto-
ry. Juan returned 10 the hill and re
ported what the bishop had said. The
Lady told the Indian to come again
He came the next day, Sunday, the
10th, and second time she sent him
with the same message to the bishop |
who told Juan to bring some voucher |
from the Lady. Juan reported again |
and the Lady told him to come again |
the next day, and she would give him
all the proof he needed to convince |
the bishop. When Juan arrived home
he found his uncle very sick. He |
ga i,iC w hn1 In