Year: 1875




Santa Anna's Old Age


Happening few months since to be
in the city of Mexico, and learning
that San-a Anna was then spending a
few weeks in his city home, I deter
mined, if possible, to crafty my feelings
of Interest IN his romantic career by
securing an interview. Owing to
mutual feeling of dislike existing be-
tween Santa Anna and the Mexican
people, the former holds himself IL
great reserve. His rooms are open TO
but few, and it Is no easy matter to
gam an audience. Toward Foreigners
he is not so surly, and it is generally
much easier for stranger TO gain his
private parlors than for native citi-
zen. Angel Martinez, an old school
fellow of mine, knew how to manage
the thing, however, and in very short
time he had discovered the quarters of
one of Santa Annals Cld-time friends,
Ell Senor Verdergo, Ex-Governor of the
State of Sinaloa. This gentleman
agreed to take us around, anu the time
was set when we should meet him. At
the appointed time we were on hand.
On reaching the patio of the old Span
ish house on Vergara street, we sent
up our cards.


We hardly had time to cast a hasty
glance about us before side door
opened and Santa Anna himself step
ped into the room. His private secre-
tary, Colonel Noso, presented us, and
after shaking hands and making d few
commonplace remarks to each one of
US, he motioned toward the chairs, and
a IT r,onUn1 or1 zat "
surprise of the. old General was shared
gray haired old man that we expected
to see, an upright, soidieriy figure
stood before us. His form was not yet
bowed down by the weight of years,
and his cool, black, flashing eyes told
all spent. Incredible as it may seem,
Santa Arna's hair has not yet turned
gray, and his face has kindly, hope
ful expression strangely at variance
with the widespread ideas Of his char
acter. He wears 20 beard of any kind,
and is as smooth -faced as a woman.
In talking he is much troubled by a
badly fitting set of false teeth which
fall from the palate, and he is slightly
deaf. 1t was in moving across the
q,
however, thatsthe infirmitles of his
age showed themselves most conspicu-
ous. His false leg troubled him, and
l thought he showed disposition to
hide it, for, after seating himself very
carefully, he threw 1t out directly be
fore him and covered it with the lett.
He sat upright, nor did he lean back
or change his position the whole hour
h
slim-built, about five feet ten inches
in height, and in his younger days
must have been d handsome man, as
he is at present fine looking old gen
tleman. He is talkative and social, loves
to recount his own exploits, and seems
to live at present altogether in the
past. He knows that the future holds
nothing for him, consequently he takes
very little interest in the passing events
of the day. He did not even know
the name of the President of the
United States, and ked several little
questions about our affairs that almost
any schoolboy would be capable of
answering.


He gave al account of the overthrow
of Iturbide and his unhappy death. and
told some little incidents of personal
interviews which he himself had had
with the young unfortunate emperor
He spoke of Vera Cruz, and described
some horrible scenes which he had
witnessed there when the terrible vom-
ito was raging and the streets and
plazas were filled with dead men. L
was in hopes that he would say some
thing of Texas or the Mexican war, but
the old diplomat only alluded casually
to the United States. He spoke of the
time when lie was a guest of Andrew
jackson at the White House, and the
old fellow laughed as he recalled some
little embarrassments in which his in
ability to speak English had placed
him. For over an hour the old man
ran on from topic to topic with scarce
y an interruption, and then it grew SO
dark in the room that we could scarce
y see his face and we rose to go. So
absorbed had l become in my unusual
with the shadows creep
ing over theroom and the old man sit
ing there like the spirit of long
ost age, that the movement to go al
most startled me. 1t was with feel
ng approaching reverence that 1
went away, wondering if that was in
Iced Santa Anna, the hero of my school
BOY Dreams Correspondence Mobile
Aia.) Tidctte.