The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-06-04

ital of Mexico is by far the oldest.
it's beginning, says the ST. Louis
Post-Dispatch, was long before Co.
lumbus sailed on his memorable
voyage of discovery, when it was the
seat of the Aztec Empire. CivlAza-
tion of a sort fourished there long
before the first hardy pioneers set
tied alons the northern Atlantic
coast and before the eyes of white
man had ever rested upon the Mlssls-
sippi river.
1t has been a city of many vicissi-
tudes. 1t has been held by Indian
and Spaniard, by viceroy, by republi-
can, by revolutionist, and by North
ern invader. Many of it's streets are
of the greatest antiquity. Many OF
it's traditions are so old that no man
knows whether they originated in
the days of the Montezumas or of the
Conquistadores.
AS is inevitable, the city of Mexico
has it's own peculiar folk lore, its
mysterious legends. There are old
tales that have been handed down
from generation to generation by
word of mouth and are still told by
Mexican nurses to the children as
they were told centuries ago. Many
of them, perhaps, had some founda-
tion in fact, but what is fact and
what is superstitious myth cannot
be ascertained.
The average visitor to, the Mexi-
can capital probab bly, will not hear one
of these tales in many years of resi-
dence there. If the visitor is man,
he is likely never to hear them. If
a woman, the. chances of hearing
them will depend largely upon her
personal sympathies and her personal
contact with native women.
Thomas A. Janvier, author and
member of the folklore society of
London, after long residence in
Mexico and careful study of the man
ners of the people, has succeeded in
getting together a collection of these
old stories He embodies them in a
book, Legends of the City of Mexi-
co." which was published by Harper
& Brothers, with illustrations by Wal
ter Appelton Clark. Janvier admits
that he was able to get most of them
only through the cooperation Of his
wife, who made friends with their
laundress. Subsequently a waiter at
a public cafe, who was somewhat of
an antiquarian in his way, gave him
the most graphic versions of these
stories. In the book the tales are
given as if spoken by this waiter.
Taken as a whole, the book gives
a. rare collection of unusual stories.
They are full of the supernatural.
The handicraft of Satan himself is
seen, to the narrator, in many of the
strange happenings. Janvier, by
thorough investigation, has establish
ed that some of them are relics of
folk tales from the Old World, while
others go back to the Aztecs them
selves. :,
Of the latter class is the tale of the
wailing woman. Once long time
ago, the story runs, there was very
bad woman in the City of Mexico. She
gave birth to many children, but chill
dren bored her, and, as fast as one
came upon the earth, she drowned it.
Finally her conscience began troubl-
ing her. 1t is supposed that her pun
ishment was to go through eternity
looking for her lost children.
. Frequently since then, it is said,
watchmen have seen a woman in
white with a white mantilla over her
head, roaming through the streets at
night. Those who have inquired her
UuS1uSSS udfS lSSS1NCO al 1oN OA III .
inquiry as to where her children can
be found. The greatest misfortunes
always overtakes those who question
her. Most of them are stricken dead
or become insane. This latter fate
is said to have overtaken a gifted
young army officer, who once tried
to firt with the wailing woman. 1t
is said her lamentations are still
heard at night, sometimes.
Of the stories imported from Eu-
rope the story of the "Accursed
Bell is a type. According to the
narrator, there was once in Toledo.
Spain, very wicked man, who MUIR
dered and scoffed at holy things. This
man was finally arrested by the Off
GERS of the Inquisition and was SEN
fenced to be burned alive. He was
freed from his cell, however, by his
master, the Devil. He left behind his
bronze armor, in which were all the