The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
GUARD THEIR PRIZE.
INDIANS INMEXICO OWN ONE OF
TITIAN'S
Masterpieces and VIII Not Sell Their
Treasure.

village called by the queer name Of
Tzintzuntzan down here in Southern
Mexico. There is no doubt OF its gem
and it is regarded as one OF
his best works. 1t portrays the entomb-
ment of Christ, and, surrounding the
bier, stand the holy virgin, Mary Mag
dalene, st John, the beloved disciple,
and nine other figures, all life size, for
the canvas is 16x7 feet. In the upper
left hand corner is q bit of landscape
with an lillian villa-Titians home-in
the center, caprice that appears in
several of his later works.
How did the picture come here?
The story Is easily told. 1t was pre-
scented by Charles ". to his friend,
Bishop Don Vasco de Quiroga, who
came over shortly after the conquest
and devoted his life to the conversion
of the Indian. 1t was placed in a
church at Tzintzuntzan, the capital of
the native empire Of Tarasco, which
was made the seat Of the bishopric and
was then a great city. But now 1t is
a poverty stricken Indian village of
mud huts, on the other side of Lake
Patzcuaro from the railway station of
the same name. Everybody who comes
here goes to see the picture, of course.
1t Is the great attraction in this part of
the country, and the Indian village can
be reached by canoes cut from a sim
gle log and propelled by paddles.
Those who choose can go around the
oh Of hp 1a1y q
tance Of about Is miles, and they will
see a great many interesting things on
the journey.
The old church in which the pic
ture hangs is rapidly crumbling and
its wall and roof will not last many
years more. The Indians are shrink
ing also, the population is gradually
dimishing and what was once a metro
polls is reduced to a few huts Of mud
and stone. They are extremely jealous
of the picture and suspicious of every
stranger that comes here. Sometimes
they refuse visitors admission to the
church and always watch every one
who comes with the vigilance of fana-
tics, They have good reason to be sus-
picious, however. The poor villagers
have been badly treated and, according
to the gossip of the neighborhood, have
suffered much injustice. OF late years
their vigilance in watching over this
painting has been sharpened because of
the loss of another picture which they
priced quite as highly. 1t was a por-
trait of Coltzonzi, their former king,
who reigned over them when Cortez
came. Some wandering painter made
the portrait when he was living and left
it as a legacy to his people. Two years
ago, the Governor of the State sent men
down to bring 1t to Morella on the pre-
text of having it clened and touched up
and he has forgotten to send it back.
several committees of Indians who have
1t hangs in the State Capitol and
sent to recover it have been able to Sc
cure nothing but promises.
There is another remarkable picture
in the cathedral of Guadaliajara. said
to have been the last materpiece OF
Murillo 1t is one of his Assumptions
of the Virgin" and was presented to
the people of that city by King Charles
", as an acknowledgment of a purse
contributed by them to him to repair
the damages of Napoleon's invasion OF
the peninsula. 1t formerly hung in the
Escurial.
Patzcuaro is a quaint old place, one
of the quaintest in Mexico, away be-
hind the times, still in the middle ages
and the people are very religious, very
conservative and very Spanish They
cling tenaciously to their ancient Gus
toms, and consider themselves the
purest and the loftest of the Spanish
aristocracy remaining in Mexico. 1t Is
one of the Oldest cities in the Repu bile
and was settled by group of grandees
from the south of Spain shortly after
the conquest. 1t has not increased in
population for three centuries, but has
rather fallen off little. The name
means "a Place of Pleasure and the
National Railway Company pro-
poses to make it so by the rection of a
fine hotel on the banks of the lake, sc
that the people Of the capital and tour.
lists from the United States may have
all opportunity u ENJOY the lovely
climate, the picturesque scenery anC
the shooting and fishing that can be
found there. What Mexico lacks more
than anything else is good hotels, ant
the railway people may be forever
known as benfactors of their race II
they will carry out this promise ant
build an up-to-date hotel at Patzuaro
The railway station is about three
miles fgrom the town, and is. connected
by street cares, which are hauled w
the hill with a team of six mules ant
run down by gravity with the drivers
hand upon the brake.
/ don't suppose any other place ii
Mexico has such curious cpstoms. Tit
market, for example, is held in the
evening instead of in the early morning
as in other cities, and occupies The
plaza in the center Of the town, which
Is lighted up by little fires and torche
of pine knots. On a mat of rushes be.
side each fire sits an old woman will
fish, fruits, vegetables and other mark
ct wares spread around her. 1t make!
Almost fascinating picture.-William E
Curtis in Chicago Record Herald.
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