Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-16

e"HS~~AeOp
from his long journey and frequent de-
feats, Benito Juarez rode into the little
adobe village that was then known as
Paso del Norte, on a mule. Thru it's
narrow, dusty streets between low mud
houses, the patriot president rode in
silence Few if any recognized him
when he rode into the little city and
settled down on Plaza Guadalupe
Hidalgo in the shadow of the ancient
Church of the Guadalupe, in long,
low adobe house, to establish the cap
ital of what was left of the Mexican
republic.
1t is different today. For months the
preparations have been in progress for
the coming Of President Diaz. Troops
have been arriving daily for weeks to
police the city and serve as proper
military escort for the president and
his distinguished guest, the president
Of the United States. Emissaries have
been arriving from Mexico City to COM
plete every detail for the comfort of the
president. Architects decorators, flor
lists. cooks of reputation, and secret SER
vice men have thronged the little city
for weeks and days; $4,000 alone has
been spent rebuilding the Juarez Gus
tom house as q reception room and
banquet hall for the meeting of the two
presidents; large sum was spent in
the erection of the Grecian columns
down the side of the streets that the
two presidents were to traverse; streets
We're paved, sidewalks were laid and
finally seven florists from Mexico City,
using up carload of flowers, put on
the last decorations a few minutes be-
fore the presidential train rolled into
the station and the president arrived.
Diaz Visits Old Capital.
President Diaz on his present visit,
while he is not making his capitol in
the same building occupied by General
Juarez, was visitor to the old adobe
structure on Commercial street today
and In fact, in company with President
Taft he addressed the people of the
border in front of the one time capitol.
The building has been remodeled now
and has a new front of brick. Inside,
the mails to and from the United States
are distributed and worked, for it is the
postoff1ce of Ciudad Juarez. In front is
the same old cathedral Of Guadalupe
that stood when Benito Juarez rose
each morning and went to mass: the
same old cathedral that was erected
in 1549 by the friars in their march
northward on their mission for the
cross, as substantial and imposing to-
day as when erected by those master
builders over three hunderd and half
centuries ago. This building was also
the object Of the visit today of General
Diaz and President Taft
As a fitting elimination of the ex-
change Of visits between the two pres
idents today and in distinct contrast
to the social functions which attended
the stay of President Juarez in Mexico,
when corn cake was the principal ar
ticle of food for the presidential table,
is the banquet tonight in the custom
house in Juarez. For the preparation
of the delicacies for the, occasion, Pres
ident Diaz sent his chef and chief
steward from Chepultepec castle, a
man who formerly served in the same
capacity in the palace of King Alfonso
Of Spain. The silver for, the occasion is
also from .Chepultepec and was
brought to Juarez under special guard.
The flowers for THE decorations came
in special express car from the City
of Guadalajara and the decorations
came from Mexico City. The carriages
in which the Mexican president and
the party paid a call on the president
of the United States and in which Mr..
Taft and party returned the visit to
General Diaz, were shipped from the
presidential stables at Mexico City.
Diaz Lays Cornerstone.
One of the leading features of. the
visit of General Diaz to the border, be-
sides the significance of the exchange
of visits with President Taft, was the
laying of the cornerstone by the pres
ident for the monument which a CRATE
full nation is erecting in the border
city to Juarez, the patriot The monu-
ment, costing $4,000, is we'll under
way, its erection having been brought
about by popular subscriptions, headed
by $4,000 by President Diaz. Appro-
priately, it is being erected in the city
where the president rallied his shat
tered army and started back on his
triumph march to the capital after be-
ing driven once to the border and al
most forced to flee to the United States
as an asylum of life. The monument
takes the form of a marble shaft sur
mounted by statue of the great SOL
dier looking as he did when he was in
practical exile in the border city,