Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-01-02

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beauties above. while we looked
about us and uttered half-hushed
words of appreciation as he ratified
on, lisping through his grizzled mus
tache.
Then he suddenly turned, and in
the midst of Us stood a little smiling
man not much over FIVE feet five
inches tall. little black eyes spark
ling out of white face. on which
grew a little beard and mustache.
Our guide introduced us as the jefe
of all this wealth. the "unico dueno
de la casa" He greeted us with a
certain gentle dignity, and invited US
to come upstairs and see the house,
at the solicitation. indeed, of our
guide.
So up the onyx stairway we climb
ed past half a dozen poems who work
ed and scrubbed to make It shine as
the day. and rose respectfully as we
passed.
The upper corridor was a repeti-
tion of the lower. with the windows
of the beautifully carved stone, and
very evidently planned by a master
hand and executed by much labor,
we'll paid. The dining room is at the
back of the patio. and here we were
given our first glimpse of the inter-
ior of the house. The room was fur
nished in light oak furniture, made.
Don Pedro told us. In San Luis
Potosi, for everything in this rich
poems house was made. as fas as
possible, in his own country. 1t was
not particularly beautiful furniture.
and its pseudo-old English lines were
almost grotesque, but the cabinets
were filled with the many goblets of
the finest crystal. and the windows
hung with rich curtains. quite too
gaudy, particular lady might say,
and on the top of the table was a
sheet OF well-worn oil cloth. But 1t
was Don Pedros dining room.
Next we were lead to the famous
chapel OF the house. which rumor
has It is hung in cloth of gold and
where incense burns night and day.
II was not at all as It was advertised,
but the effort TO make II superbly
elegant was apparent, 10 was not
built in chapel form. as might have
been expected, but was merely one
of the rooms OF the house fitted up
for the purpose. Don Pedro Is de-
vout Catholic. and he has lavished
here all that he could we'll do In
crowding his chapel full of all that
could please him. The altar occu-
pied the middle OF the outside wall
of the room. and window on each
side gave II light. This altar was
gaudy and wonderful in gold and
silver and silks and velyets. 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 pyramid 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 it's base on all sides, and the
silver ornaments were costly and
numerous. On one side of the room
was throne where the bishop sits
when he comes 10 mass for this de-
gout son OF the church. and on the
other walls were paintings of re-
llgious scenes and the tiny stations
OF the cross In one corner was an
automatic parlor organ, covered with
guady velvet curtain.
On the whole. the chapel was no
more than any other, except that It
was furnished more gaudily and
there seemed to have been an at
tempt TO crowd into this room enough
finery for a whole cathedral.-san
Francisco Leader.