El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-13
.IHlI6JAbT ION
IN HISTORIC
OLD PALACE
Gov. Mcdonald to Follow
100 Other Governors hen
He Takes Oath Monday.
STATES HISTORY
LINKED WITH PALACE

Santa Fe. \. NJ, Jan. 13.-After SO
years Of service as the home of the
governor of New Mexico, during which
time it has acted as the home of just
100 Spaniard, Mexican, indian and Am
erican governors. the old palace at San
ia Fe will on Monday next-Jan. IS
be the scene of the Inauguration of
William c. Mcdonald, first state gov
ernOr Of New Mexico.
The old palace has been a scene Of
conflict, a prison, a stOrehOuse for rec
ords, and now is used as a museum by
the Archaeological School Of America.
No other building in this country is
so replete with romance, none other has
seen such stirring events as have taken
place within the old palace.
Within its rooms, Gen. Lew Wallace
wrote the greater part Of the novel,
Ben Hur." and the room where he did
his work has been preserved intact to
the present day
The palace has been the starting
point for many a Spanish expedition
into what was then unknown and terri
tying country. Gen. Kearny ended his
march along the Santa Fe trail in II.
In 1880 it withstood a siege in the
Pueblo uprising.
Now at last, it is to be the scene Of
the final ceremony OF New MeXicO's ad-
mission to the union.
An interesting feature of the history
of the building is that it has been oc-
cupied almost continuously since its
erection in 1898. It has served many
public purposes and is closely identi-
fled with the development Of New Mex
leo.
The building stands at one side Of
the plaza in Santa Fe. It is nearly 500
feet long, built Of adobe. and its esti-
mated first cost is 5000 600 Some years
ago the original pine log portico which
ornamented the front Of the building
was torn down. and a newer and less
beautiful porch" Of sawed boards and
fancy ginger bread work" erected It
is planned by the Archaeological society
to remove this at as early a date as
possible. and to restore the earlier type
OF colorado OF rough logs and hewn
timbers as a decoration more In keep
ing with the building and the use to
which 1t Is now put
In a history Of the territory and its
half ceutry struggle for statehood, ex-
governor L Bradford Prince writes
without disparaging the importance
of any Of the cherished historical local
titles OF the east it may be truthfully
said that this ancient palace surpasses
in historic interest or value any place
in the United States. It antedates the
settlement in jamestown by nine years
and that in Plymouth by p years, and
has stood during the $40 years Of its
creation. not as a rock or monument,
with no claim upon the interest Of hu-
mainly except its continued existence, /
but as the living center OF everything
Of Importance in the southwest. Through
all that long period. whether under
Spanish Mexican, Pueblo or American
control, il has been the real seat Of
power and authority. whether the ruler
was called viceroy, captain general. po-
litical chief department commander or l
governor. and whether he presided over
a kingdom, a province, a department or
a territory, that has been his official
residence
Important Historical Center.
From here Onate started in 1899 on
his adventurous expedition to the east (
ern plains: here seven years later, 500 Z
indians came from faroff Quivera 10 /
ask aid in their war against the AK [
taos: from here, in 1913, Vicente de 1
Salivar set forth TO the Moqui country, {
only to be turned back by the rumors I
Of giants 20 be encountered; and from 4
here Penalosa and his brilliant troops Z
started on the 6th Of March, 1862. on
heir marvellous expedition to the Mis- 4
sourii IN one of the strong rooms the 4
general of the inquisition ]
was imprisoned by the same Penalosa a !
Few years later; within its walls, for I
-ifled as If for a siege, the bravest OF 4
he Spaniards were massed in the revO- /
ution Of 1880; here, on the 18th OF /
August Of that year was given the or
Ter to execute 4S Pueblo prisoners IN /
he plaza, which faces the building; /
lere, but a day later was the sad war
council which determined on the evacu-
.tion Of the city.
Pike Had Hearing There.
Here was the scene of triumph OF