Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-08

rooms of the house, fitted up for the
nurnose. Don Pedro Is a dcvout Cath
olic, and he has lavished here all that
he could well do I'm crowding his chapel
full of all that could please him. The
altar occupied the middle Of the OUT
side wall OF the ROOM and window
on each side gave IL light. This altar
was gaudy and wonderful in gold and
silver and silks and velvets, and not
unlike the expensive altars to be found
in favored shrines Of almost any OF
the churches of this country. In the
center Of the room was great pyra-
mid of black velvet and silver, In
memory of Don Pedro's wife, dead now
some years. This was hung with cloth
of silver, which draped its base on all
sides, and the silver ornaments are
costly and numerous. on one side of
the room was n throne where the
bishop sits when he comes to say mass
for this devout son of the church, and
on the other walls were paintings OF
religious scenes and the tiny stations
of the cross. In one corner was an
automatic parlor organ, covered with
a gaudy velvet curtain.
on the whole, the chapel was no more
than any other room, except that 1t
was furnished more gaudilyi and there
seemed to have been an attempt to
a whole cathedral.
Beyond this room was the office, and
here, as everywhere, were piles of ore
from the mine, and In one corner, be-
fore a little picture of a saint, burned
the candle of Don Pedros devotion.
We went back through the bedroom
and into another opening on the front
of the house. Here was what was
AI.r de-
array of everything in the room. But
here, also, in spite Of this fact, were
elegance and superbly finished fur
niture and handsomely fitted beds, in
atrocious disregard for their destined
use, and, from the bits of dirt which
marked 1t in places, the use to which
it was then being put.
From this bedroom we passed TO the
drawing room, which occupied nearly
the whole of the front of the house
on the second floor. This was a room
that, but for it's over-furnishings, might
have belonged to a really beautiful
house. But, along with the heavy cur
tains of dark red velvet and the really
handsome furniture, also from San
Luis Potosi, and beautifully carved and
finished in dull gray silver and gold,
were many mirrors, great silver vases
of rich workmanship, but filled with
artificial flowers bronze clocks that
We're not running, and ten thousand
knick-nacks of every sort, from ore
from the mine to cigar holders of cop
per and silver. The room, like the
rest, was crowded full of superb fur
nishings, and hung with heavy drap-
cries until 1t was oppressive. Portraits
of Don Pedro's father and mother,
his wife and family, and of himself,
adorned the walls or were set on easels
by the windows.
When we left this room, we We're
still not quite sure our host was Don
Pedro himself, and asked our guide,
Jesus Jose Primero, as to his exact
identity. He referred us to our host,
who, evidently made as happy as a
child by our admiration of the rich
ness of his home, cried out that in
very truth he was Don Pedro Alva-
.rado, and embraced us each in turn
on the spot.
Here was the man of the people, as
proud as child of his wealth, and
yet simple as a child with it's power.
Dressed in an ill-fitting black broad
cloth suit, wearing huge diamond
pin in his craYat, he was still the gen
tie peon of old. His wealth could
have commanded position if he had
wanted it, but he wanted only the
plaudits of the multitude and not the
blase endurance of the rich. He likes
to be appreciated, but wants to make
little of it. 1t is sufficient for him
that he is known and talked of-he
does not ask that he be given anything
but admiration His house is a gaudy
palace, which does not please him,
except as it is admired, but he finds
all the satisfaction he needs in that
1t is all he wants and all he asks for.
He is pre-eminently the child, and as
his wealth brings him all he wants
he is far happier than the vast ma
jority of millionaires.
1t was his next move to take us to
the Kitchen, down stairs where a
splendid American range held the
boards, but where there was such q
vast amount of piled up material of
all sorts, boxes and cases, that the
garrulous old gentleman at once in
formed us that it was the bodega,