Evening star., 1940-03-03

Flanking the famous House of
Tiles, one OF Mexico City's oldest
Colonial structures, is q street down
which those pedestrians who also
drive may look and laugh-especially
the motorist who has figured in a
right-of-way incident or an II got
here first" parking dispute. Still
called the Alley Of the Countess, as
it was in the days when counts of
the Valley of Orizaba lived in the
adjacent tiled palace, the alley is a
one-Way traffic lane now. But for
centuries vehicles moved both ways,
or tried to. and inspired a curious
story about a traffic tie-up that
continued for three days and nights.
AS the story is told, two noblemen
entered the street in their carriages
from opposite directions and met
half way. Neither would retreat, for
honor was at stake. But the episode
was unworthy of dueling swords
and the noblemen decided to sit the
situation out The viceroy finally
intervened to solve the impasse,
each nobleman finally agreeing to
back away and reach his destination
by another route.
The inspiration for the building
of the House of Tiles is not certain
after four centuries, but Mexicans
have legend that tells of a vain,
handsome and Wayward heir to the
Orizaba title who paid no apparent
heed to reproaches by his father.
But challenging old Spanish say
ing brought results that stand to
this day-"Youll never build house
OF tiles. :" The building is now
a favorite spot for Mexicans and
tourists to visit, for now the palace
houses drugstore, curio shop and
restaurant, with characteristic
Mexican foods served in the patio.
P. S. on note of last week about
undersea mail at Nassau: Opened on
August is of last year as a post
Office, the. Williamson photosphere
will resume cancellation of stamps
with "Sea Floor, Nassau, Bahamas"
on March %, the day before Eas-
ter. Hours have been set on the
opening day from 10 am. to noon
and from IL m. to noon on subse-
quent days, except Sundays and
holidays.
The photosphere is an iron un-
derWater chamber with a hornlike
protrusion in which is set circular
glass window. The chamber is Joined
by a flexible tube. 3 feet in diameter.
with the parent ship, which propels
the photosphere through the trop-
lcal marine gardens off Nassau. The
tube connecting the boat and the
photosphere maintains a constant
supply of fresh air at normal pres
sure.
Through the window John Will
hanson, founder of the unique
method of exploring the oceans
floor, photographs the strange
marine life and gets close-ups of
fish in their beautiful colors. So
clear is the water that objects are
clearly discernible at depths of 100
feet, for $50 feet or more away
Limited hours have been scheduled
for visitors to accommodate the
heavy demand for trips into the
sphere. A booking Office through
which arrangements are made is
being set up at the City Lumber
Yard, on East Bay street, in Nassau,
under the direction of George Rob-
erts. Requests by philatelists for
"sea floor" covers are handled direct
through Mr.. Williamson and by the
Stamp Club of one of the big New
York department stores.
Growing gently rolling hill
near St Francisville, La, is Green
wood, one of the several ante-bellum
homes to be on exhibit during the
Audubon Pilgrimage, March 9
through April 8. Legends cling to
many of the noteworthy old homes
in this quiet section of the quaint
Southland, and Greenwood's is the
story of an architectural battle for
the hand of Southern belle.
Among the earliest settlers who
came to the fertile Louisiana land in
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