"ti"""
12
TIIE SCKANTON TRIBUNE- SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 1, 18!7.
-,.vi,?i j" b-r?
Suitable Honor to Be
Paid to the Caboteo
QiaadricentennJa! of the Discoveries Wfoicli
Aire Responsible for the Fact that North
Americans Speak English
Why do the people at the. United
Stntes speak Ktlgllsh? The Times
Herald replies: It Is because John and
Sebastian Cabot discovered North
America 400 year? nso June 14 next.
Columbus did not d lscover North Amer
ica, Central and South America were
the only parts of the continent upon
which he set foot: on that account they
were claimed liy Spain, and tfpanlsh is
their language. Hut Cabot discovered
North America, and on that account
this part of the new world was claimed
by the Kngllsli, who later sent colonies
to settle It.
The Importance if Cabot's voyages Is
now beginning to be recognized, und
this year the quadrlcentenr.ial Is to be
celebrated at Bristol', England. Bris
tol's Interest In the matter comes from
the fart that It was from Bristol that
the Cabots sailed. Their voyages were
made In Bristol ships, outfitted bv
Bristol money and manned 'by Bristol
sullois. The citizens of Bristol have
organized a strong committee with the
intention of adequately commemorat
ing the part taken by their nncestors
in the impoituiit epedltlons. Exactly
what form the memorial shall take has
not been determined, but It is proposed
that a monument shall be erected on
home conspicuous spot within the lim
its of their city
Amei leans resident in Ennland are
co-operating In the work. A commit
tee has been appointed, of which Am
basador Hayaid Is president, and It
will talse money to be used for some
purposi- In keeping with the Bristol de
sign. It Is also suggested that the
I'nlted States celebrate the Cabot voy
ages. That wos the design of Colonel
Jesse E. Peyton, the father of centen
nials, who tlrst sugger ted the centennial
of 1770, the Yorktown centennial, the
constitutional oentennlil, the orld's
Columbian Exposition, and the centen
nial of Washington's Inauguration. It
was his Intuition to woik In behalf of
the Cabot centennial, and were he alive
today he would be doing what he could
to bring it about.
GREATER THAN COIVUMBUS.
Admirers of Caboth believe that
Cabot Is entitled to vastly more credit
at the hands of Americans than Is Co
lumbus. Som of them go .so far as to
nay that the World's Columbian xpo
sltlon should have been called the
World's Cabotlan Exposition and
should have been held In 1&97 instead
of 1893. The expeditions of Cabot, how -ever,
In 1497 and 1498, in spite of their
important consequences, were under
taken without ostentation and display,
lilttle was thought of them at the time,
and the absence of romance In their
connection as well as the meager rec
ords which have been left of their
achievement have caused the Cabots to
be forgotten by all except historians.
Even now the date of landing Is un
certain, and It has been claimed that
the first Cabot voyage took place in
1494.
"Very little Is known of the discoverer
of North America, John Cabot, the
father of Sebastian and the leader of
the expedition. Not even his native
rountry can be ascertained. His name
is variously given as John Cabot In
c
pm
Fm
Uii 21
Theo. Hart, In I'ittston Gazette.
To think of "doing" the City of
Mexico In thiee days the limit of the
National Fdltotlal Association excur
sionists' stni' there Is as absurd as
was the idea of the fellow who ta'ked
of willing up London after' a week's
noJrr.it n. At the end of a week the
tourist concluded to tako a month at
thi Job, and after a month's sight
seeing ho came to the conclusion that
ns ytt no 1-new very little about Lon
don. The traveler in Mexico will have
u somewhat similar experience In Its
oismerolltan capital, every Inch ft
whose ground Is historic, and crowded
as it Is with unique attractions for the
American visitor and scores of plaies
of surpassing interest.
On the second day of the newspaper
men's sojourn in the Mexican meti"p
olls there was no special programme
Small parties secured carriages and
guides, In many cases, and started
out at pleasute In various directions.
Not a few had done bo the preceding
day. Some visited the venerable and
costly churches. Others made a tour
of the markets and business places,
here very many novel sights were to
be seen. Others Inspected the numer
ous hospitals and schools. There are
over 300 public schools In the city, at
tended by upwards of 20,000 pupils.
The schools are mainly conducted in
buildings that were formerly convents
or church properties. Then there is
a consnrvntory of music, line colleges
of medicine and law, and a school of
mines founded more than a century
ngo. The building In which the latter
Is quartered is one of the finest in the
city and cost yearly two millions of
dollars. Immense metallic meteorites
are shown here, weighing thousands
of pounds each, which were found In
different parts of the country.
NATIONAL PAWN SHOP.
The Monte de Piedad ts n place of In
terest to most strangers. It Is the na
tional pawn-shop, and tourists find
many curious and other articles there
"which they may profitably Invest,
Nearly all Mexican towns and cities
have these government institutions
which are established to prevent the
extortions of pawn-brockeis. It was
formerly the rulo to charge no inter
est on money loaned at these places
leaving the borrower to make a gift
to a charity fund upon rede.Tnlng his
pledge, but now the government col
lects low rate of Interest. When an
article Is sold for more than has been
borrowed on it, any excess above the
loan and interest is returned to the
borrower. The Monte de Piedad in the
city of Mexico does a business of over
a million dollars a year.
On tho afternoon of the second day
a street car trip was taken by tho ed
itorial excursionists In a body to Chap
ultepec. This was the summer palace
of the Montezumas and later rulers,
including Emperor Maximilian, and la
at preaent both the White House and
tho' West Point of the Mexican repub
lic. President Diaz has never made
his home In the National Palace, th
great building In the center of the
city In which the officers of the sev
rral govprmental departments are lo
wtii, as former chief executives did,
English, Giovanni Caboto In Italian,
and Kuan Cabot or Zuan Caboto In the
Venetian dialect.
His name Is first mentioned in the
archives of Venice, when he wns given
the lights of an adopted citizen, on
March 28, 1476, after the legal residence
of llfteen years. This does not contain
any mention of his birthplace. It Is
next known that In 1495 he, with his
wife nnd three sons, lived In Bristol,
but It Is believed that he had been there
for several years previously. Geogra
phers and mariners had about that time
become convinced that the earth was
a sphere, the opinion having been con
firmed by the voyages of Columbus, and
It was believed thnt the shortest way to
reach the Indies would be to start west
and circumnavigate the globe, espe
cially since Columbus believed that the
islands he had discovered were outly
ing bits of the Indies.
Imbued with these ideas, John Cabot
applied for and received a patent which
authorized him and his three sons,
either of them or their heirs, to search
for Islands, provinces or regions in the
eastern, western or northern seas; and,
as vassals of the king of England, to
occupy the teirltorles found, with an
exclusive right to their commerce on
paying the king a tutu part of all the
profits.
DISCOVERED NORTH AMERICA.
Under this chaiter John Cabot sailed
west some time In May, 1497, from Bris
tol, with his son Sebastian. When lie
had sailed a distance which he Judged
to be 700 leagues lie came to what ho
believed was a part of the dominions
of the "Grand Cham." In reality It
was the coast of Labrador. He planted
the banner of England and Venice on
the land and then sailed 300 leagues
along the coast and landed at various
times, but did not see any person, al
though he believed that the counUv
was Inhabited.
Cabot and his son returned to Bristol
In August. Bristol was then, next to
Venice, the most Important commercial
center In Europe, and for years after
ward It enjoyed a practical monopoly
of the commerce with the West Indies
and the southern statts. The discovery
of the Cabots attracted much attention,
and on Feb. .1, 1498, Hemy VII. granted
John Cabot special authority to Impress
six English ships at'no greater charges
than it was the custom to pay for ships
taken for the king's service, enlist com
panies of volunteers and take them to
the countries discoveied by Cabot.
The date of the discovery is generally
fixed at June 24, 1497, because of its be
ing the date on the map of Sebastian
Cabot which Is cited in Hakluyt. But
another copy of Sebastian Cabot's map
exists at Oxford, upon which the date
Is 1494, and another in Germany has
the same date. Antiquarians dispute
as to which Is an error.
John Cabot did not make a second
voyage to the new world, but the work
which he had begun was continued by
his son, Sebastian, who was the dis
coverer of thi North American roast
line as far south as Chesapeake Bay.
There Is notihng in existence to show
the time nnd place of Sebastian's birth,
and whether he was bom in Bristol or
ml
TTTTWT TT
n
RJ
iLdlU
has preferred to have his home In the
more secluded castle so beautifully
situated upon the crest of the subur
ban eminence called Chapultepec. It
Is a mound rising from the plain to a
height of three hundred feet. The
horse car pass near the park gate
and the castle Is reached by a winding
lode up the rocky sides of tho hill. On
one side a cave may be seen which
opens to nn underground passage that
leads to a shaft sunk from the garden
on top of the hill. This Is said to have
been once usedas a secret passageway.
Our party was kindly allowed to go
through the magnificently furnished
apartments of the castle, a privilege
seldom granted1 to the natives, we
were told, and never except upon a
permit Issued by tho government au
thorities. CHAPULTEPEC.
Tho place possesses a special interest
to our countrymen, as it was the scene
of one of tho impottant battles of the
I wnv with Ainmlnn nn Kpnfr 13 1k47.
Attc.r having visited the place, one
finds a new pleasure in reading Gen.
Grant's "Personal Memoirs" and his
story of the battles in this vicinity,
In which he participated, together with
others who afterward bore prominent
parts in our cival war. "My exper
ience In the Mexican war was of great
advantage to me afterwards," wrote
Gen. Grant. "I had been at West
Point at about the liht time to meet
most of tho graduates who weie of a
suitable ago at the breaking out of
the Rebellion to be trustod with large
commands, Graduating In 1843, I was
at the Military Academy from one to
four years with all cadets who grad
uated between 1840 and 1846 seven
classes. These embraced more than
fifty otllcers who afterwards became
generals on one side or the other In
the rebellion, many of them holding
high commands. All the older officers
who became conspicuous in the rebel
lion I had also served with and known
in Mexico Lee, J, E. Johnston, A. S.
Johnston, Holmes, Herbert and a num
ber of others on the Confederate side,
also McCall, Mansfield, Phil. Kearney,
and others on tho National side. The
acquaintance thus formed was of Im
mense sendee to me in tho war of the
Rebellion I mean what I learned of the
characters of those to whom I was af
terwards opposed, The natural dispo
sition of most people Is to clothe a
commander of a large army whom they
do not know with almost superhuman
abilities. .A large part of the National
uimy, for Instance, and most of the
press of the country clothed General
Lee with Just such qualities, but I had
known him personally and kntw that
ho was mortal, and it was JUBt as well
that I felt this,"
NEARBY BATTLEFIELDS.
The neighboring battlefields of Chur
ubusco and Mollno del Rey, the latter
easily reached by a branch horso car
line, are In view from the broad porch
es of Chapultepec castle. Indeed the
prospect from here Is unsurpassed In
he vicinity. On one side may be seen
n tho distance the snow-capped peaks
f Popocatapetl and Ixtacclsuatl, the
'ormer beautifully described in Indian
legends as guarding- his dead sweet
Venice is In dispute. Sebastian accom
panied his father on his first voyage,
and In May, 1498, taking advnntngo of
the charter which had been granted by
Henry VII., he sailed from Bristol.wlth
two ships nnd a largo number of vol
unteers, to discover a northwestern
passage to China nnd Japan. His voy
age was more northerly than that of
the other navigators and ho encoun
tered many Icebergs; so ho turned to
ward the south until finally he reached
Newfoundland. Krorn that iiolnt ho
SEBASTIAN
cruised along th 'coast and made fre
quent landings, and saw Indians who
wore the skins of beasts. His voyage
was as far south as the latitude of
Gibi altar, and finally in despair he
abandoned the attempt to find the
western passage to India.
Upon his return little was thought of
his discoveries, though he had found an
immense continent with a temuurate
climate. But he had not found the
passage to Asia. Ills voyages weie,
therefore dimmed by those of Arasco
da Gama, who sailed around the Cape
of Good Hope and had reached India.
As an instance of the little value
which was attached to the discoveries
of Cabot, It may be mentioned that
the family allowed the- patent to be
lost, which patent had given the fam
ily an exclusive right to trade with
the new world.
But the whole object In life of Se
bastian Cabot was to discover a new
passage to Asia, and at the death of
Henry VII., when he found It impos
sible to obtain funds for the purpose
In England, he went to Spain and
Ferdinand appointed him one of the
councILfor New Spain. In IMG he set
sail and attempted to find a south
western passage. In this voyage he
reached Paraguay, which he discov
ered, but he abandoned the attempt
to pass around the continent by the
south and returned to Spain.
TTU
Tr
N
1M Ji
Jill
2jW
heart, the Woman in White, stretched
snowy upon he lofty bier," while from
the front of the castle Is a grand view
of the city, lakes and suburban towns
and villages, mountain nnd plain, in
the wonderful Valley of Mexico.
The National Military academy Is
also located on the heights of Chapul
tepec, tho buildings being really con
nected with the castle. The place was
bravely defended by the cadets, when
captured by the American nimy In
1847, and a handsome monument In the
park at the foot of the hill was erected
to the memory of the young men who
fell in the fight. General Grant pro
nounced this one of tho unnecessary
battles of the war with Mexico, which
he characteilzed geneially as "one of
the most unjust ever waged by a
stronger against a weaker nation."
Tacubaya, the Monte Carlo of Mexico,
was afterwaid visited by our party.
Upon the tables on which the various
games of chance are played loulette,
faro, monte, etc., were great piles of
silver coins, amounting to thousands of
dollars. There was no gambling while,
we were there, except a few plays made
by visitors to show the party "how the
thing is done." As we left the place we
saw smaller gambling games for the
poor people in progress by the road
side, the "bankers" sheltering them
selves under umbrellas, and In some
cases women and children taking part,
tho little fellows being so small that
they had to tip-toe It to place their
"centavos" upon the tables. Gambling
Is Indulged in to such excess, by the
natives of all classes and conditions,
that It may be properly designated as
a conspicuous national vice. Lotteries
are of course very popular, and these
enterprises are regulated and conduct
ed by the national government. Every
where ono Is confronted by peddlers of
lottery tickets men, women and chil
drenand regular drawings arc held
every Sunday.
FLOATING GARDENS.
The floating gardens, "chlnampas,"
on the Vlga Canal, were visited by
some of the excursionists and the trlu
was greatly enjoyed. The gardens aro
reached by horse cars to Embarcadern
and thence by boats, each fitted with
seats under a bright colored canoDj'.
Tha native gondolier propels his craft
with a pole and this part of the Journey
is a novelty. Longer excursions to tho
lakes and more distant towns may be
made, and are said to be most delight
ful, Within a short distance from tho
centre of the city one may seo exten
sive tracts under cultivation which
were once swamps or lakes, now ap
pearing like patches of land with
ditches instead of walks through the
plots. The floating gardens were fea
tures of great beauty In tho land of the
Aztecs, as the Spanish Invaders found
them nearly four hundred years ngo,
and those who today take a small boat
and make this La Vlga Canal voyage
through acres of (lowers, declaro It to
be one of tho rarest treats afforded tho
visitor to Mexico,
Ono of the attractions most strangers
desire to Bee is the Juarez memorial, on
tho Panteon de Ban Fernando, Tho
recumbent figure of the Indian presi
dent rests beneath a Grecian temple of
whlto marble. Half supporting the
WANTED BY TWO NATIONS.
Meanwhile the navigator was or
dered by Edward VI. to return to Eng
land, nnd In answer to the summons
he returned In 1BI8. He was regarded
as a great navigator, and the king
gave him a ienslon equivalent to $800
"In consideration of good and accept
able service done and to bo done by
him," The Spanish wanted him back,
and on Jan. 19, 1550, the Emperor
Charles V applied for his return, but
without result, for 'his Influence In-
CABOT.
spired much confidence in England,
where he was looked up to by all of
tho maiiners, and on that account ho
was given a special reward of JC200.
Edward VI. also granted Sebastian
a copy of the patent which had been
lost by tho family, and in 1553 Scbas
tlan organized a company of merchants
to go northeast to Norway and then
pall southerly to China. The expedi
tion was, of course, a failure, nnd the
ships were frozen in the Ice, all of tho
persons on board perishing with the
cold. Another ship which was sent on
the same errand discovered Archangel
and opened commerce between Eng
land and Russia.
Some years later Sebastian died, but
tho date of his death Is not known,
nor Is the burial place.
Tho most Important result of the voy
ages of the Cabots was that upon them
was based the claim of England to
North America. Although the date of
landing was uncertain, as well as tho
place of landing, the great fact re
mained that in an official map pub
lished In Spain in 1500 the North At
lantic coast from Cape Hatteras north
nap starred with five English stand
ards at different points and the words
"Discovered by the English" were im
printed upon It. This admission by
Spain, which the Spanish after vard
greatly regretted, had the effect of
FTT
body is a figure representing Mexico
mourning for her honored dead.
BENITO JUAREZ.
Tho history and career of Benito
Juarez are among the most interesting
of Mexican annals. In 1S55, with the
downfall of Santa Ana, who had set
himself up as dictator a few years after
the war with America, Gen. Alvarez
became president. He made Juarez his
chief adviser, and aided by Gen. Com
onfort they instituted radical reforms
in the government. A new constitu
tion was framed which Lincoln's sec
retary of state, William II. Seward,
pronounced "the best Instrument of Its
kind In the world." European inter
vention overthrew this administration,
but Juarez and his government were
soon reinstated and again took up their
reform work. The Maximilian usur
pation once more broke In upon the
programme of the Indian president and
Juaiez was for a second time an exile
In tho United States. Upon tho col
lapse of Maximilian's empire and the
restoration of President Juarez to his
rightful place, he entered vigorously
upon the work commenced In 1757, Gen.
Diaz, the present chief executive, was
nn efficient supporter of Juarez, but It
was not until he himself became presi
dent, In 1877, that the teforms Insti
tuted by Juarez twenty years earlier
and extended In 1873 under his Immedi
ate successor (Juarez having died the
preceding year) became fully In force.
Following Is a synopsis of these laws,
as given In Dr. Butler's "Sketches of
Mexico;"
"The absolute separation of church and
state.
"Congress Inhibited from the passage of
any laws establishing or piohluitlng any
religion.
"Tho free exorcieo of religious services
tho state not to give otllclal recosni
Hon to any religious festivals save the
Sabbath as a day of rebt.
"Religious services to bo held only with
in places of worship, clerical vestments
forbidden In tho streets and religious pro
cessions prohibited.
"Tho uso of church bells reatilcted to
calling tho peoplo to worship, which should
bo public only.
"Pulpit discourses advising disobedience
to tho law, or Injury to anyone, strictly
forbidden.
"Gifts of real estate to religious Instltu.
tlons declared unlawful, except of edi
fices designed exclusively for tha purposes
of tho Institution.
"Tho state would not recognize monastic
orders nor permit their establishment,
"Marriage was made a civil contract to
be duly registered, although religious ser
vices might bo added,"
The new constitution and reform
laws provided for the confiscation of all
church property, Including cathedrals,
churches, chapels, convents, etc., and
secured the expulsion of all secret re
ligious orders from tho country. Thus
It was that church property valued at
between two and three hundred mil
lions, and yielding an annual income of
$20,000,000, became nationalized, The
churches required for public worship
and so designated were leased for a
term of nlnety-nlno years, but tho title
remained vested In tho government.
Much of the confiscated property con
vents, monasteries and houses of re
ligious orders was sold and tho pro
ceeds turned into the national treas
ury. That the originator of this great
conceding1 the northern continent to
England, As a result of the Cabot
voyagea no serious attempt wns made
to dispute Great Britain's right to the
northern continent, and Spain made
no settlements north of Florldn. His
torians are unalmous in admitting that
tho voyages had tho great consequence
of preempting the northern continent
to the English-speaking people.
A meeting of Americans was held at
London on Feb. 17, In the office of B.
F. Stevens, at which It wns decided
that the Americans resident in Eng
land should co-operate in the celebra
tion. As a result a committee was ap
pointed, consisting of Poultney Blge
low, Colonel V. II. Chesobrough, Dr
Dr. Moncure D. Conway, R. Newton
Crane, F. C. Van Duzcr, J. Walter
Earle, Thomas L. Field, Bret Harte.
Colonel A. d. Hawes, Frank Williams
Jones, J. Morgan Richards, Isaac Se
llgman, Colonel J. U Taylor and Henry
S. Wellcome. Ambassador Bayard
was chosen president, Patrick A. Col
lins, consul general to London, was
made vice president; B. F. Stevens,
chairman; Howard Potter, treasurer,
and Lprln A. Lathrop, consul at Bris
tol, secretary.
NATIONAL SWIMMING ASSOCIATION.
Decides to Hold the Championship
Knees nt Chicago.
Tho National Swimming association
held Its annual spring meeting recent
ly at the Colonade hotel, Philadelphia,
with Professor Edwin J. Huston In the
chair. It was decided to hold the na
tional swimming championship races
at the Lagoon, in the Chicago Wash
ington Park, July 4, under the auspices
of the Chicago Athletic club, and to in
vite Dr. A. T. Kinney, the Australian
champion; G. H. Tyers, the English
champion, nnd Daniel Rlneas, of San
Francisco, the American champion, to
compete.
Professor Houston made an address,
asking the association to extend Its
swimming Instruction to the High nnd
Manual Training schools of the city,
and said thnt in event of the plan be
ing carried out he would give prizes
for the most proficient swimmers de
veloped through such instruction.
Eight new members were elected.
The membership now comprises fcfl ac
tive, 9 honorary ancint non-resident
members.
A committeo was appointed to find
and make an estimate of the cost of
procuring and furnishing a club house
at Lafayette.
The following officers were elected:
President, Edwin J. Houston; vice
piesident, James II. M. Hayes; secre
tary and treasurer, James H. Sterrett;
captain, Victor Binder; vice captain,
W. B. Kugler.
IMITATION.
From tho Susquehanna Journal.
A little girl of West Main street was
invited to take tea at the home of a
neighbor where she was always inado very
welcome. She set off laden with much
good advice as to behavior, and when
she returned tired but happy, her mother
Inquired if she had been polite. "Oh,
yes, mamma," she replied. "And, oh,
mamma, wo had Jam for tea! You know
thnt you sjIiI I was not to tako anything
a second time, so when they asked mo
to have some more, I said, 'No, thank
you.' Then they askej mo another time,
and I said, 'I don't wish for any more.'
But when they asked me again, I didn't
know what to say. Then I lemcmbered
Papa, and 1 Just said, 'Damn it, no.' "
Ho Wns Contented to Do So.
"What did she say when you ventured
to kiss her?"
"She said: 'Stop right where you are!' "
Indianapolis Journal. ,
scheme should occupy a conspicuous
place among his country's public men
whatever may be thought of the Jus
tice of tho proceeding is not strange.
He was of pure Indian blood, and at
twelve was a poor en and boy unable
to speak the, Spanish language. At
thirty-six he was a lawyer of note and
chief justice of his native state.
PASEO DE LA REFORMA.
The Paseo de la Reformu, the fash
ionable drive of Mexico, Is about two
and a half miles long, and was laid out
by the unfortunate Catlotta during the
brief reign of her Imperial husband,
Muximiltan. It leads from the city to
the Chapultepec castle. At the entrance
of the Paseo, going out of the citv,
stands a massive statue, of Charles IV.,
said to be the largest solid bronze figure
in tho world. It was made In 1S02 and
weighs over thirty tons. It was first
erected upon a pedestal In the Zocalo,
the plaza in front of the National Pal
ace, but about 1820 the feeling against
Spain became so bitter, growing out of
the revolutionary struggles, that this
statue was covered by a huge wooden
globe for a time and subsequently re
moved from the plaza. Nearly thirty
yeats later, the Mexican feeling against
Spain having softened. It was placed
where It now stands. It is 15 ft. 9 In.
high and Is a real work of art. There
Is also a fine statue of Columbus ono
of the first erected on the continent
that he discovered. Guatemotzln, the
nephew and successor of Montezuma, is
also honored by a beautiful memorial
and statues of many other Mexican
celebrities have been erected all along
this magnificent boulevard.
Guatemotzln (sometimes written Cu
autemoe) was the last of the Aztec
monarchs. He came to the throne In
1520, ut the age of twenty-four, Mon
tezuma died on the day before Cortez
and his followers were driven out of
the capital city by the natives, after
the brief Spanish occupation of tess
than eight months. Tho night of their
evacuation is known in history as la
noche trlste, nnd a tree beneath which
Cortez Is said to have sat down and
wept, on the night of his defeat, still
stands In the subutb of Popotla, sur
rounded by an Iron railing to protect
It from tho vandalism o relic hunters.
When the Spaniards succeeded In re
gaining possession of the capital city,
a little more than a year afterward,
they found that tho treasures of the
Aztecs had been either destroyed or
concealed, and to extort the secret of
their whereabouts fiom Guatemotzln
he. was cruelly tortured by Cortez, who
had the feet of the captive ruler placed
over a fire, but was only able to learn
that tho king's great wealth of gold
and precious stones had been cast Into
the lake during tho siege of tho city.
The erection of the splendid memorial
to Guatemotzln on the Plaseo was or
dered by General Diaz In 1876, when ho
first becamo president. It Is tho work
of a native artist, Jimenez. The relief
designs and Inscriptions tell the story
of the heat Mess torture by the Spanish
conquerors, and bear ancient Aztec
symbols. Surmounting all Is a large
bronze statue of the heroic young ruler.
IV JilLiiili j vy o
It represents a plumed warrior stand- i Several of tho successful collieries lu
Ing erect, In the act of taking an arrow I the upper part of the valley wero or
from his quiver, l ganlzed and established by him, Sev-
The I interests hi
Of Amos York
Short Chapter of
Carries Us Back to
Tho lecent death In Wyaluslng of
Mrs. Phoebe Gaylord Rogers recalls to
the Plttston Gazette Interesting recol
lections cf u family closely associated
with the inrly littery of tin Wyoming
Vnlloy, one of whose members, Amos
York Smith, was one of West Pitts
Ion's ploneerr, one of the town's most
bcautllul lesldcnce avenu's, York, bo
lus named In his honor. Of Mts. Rog
er, tho WyulUBlng ro'rerpondent of
(ho Wilkes-Bar e Record writes ns fol
lows "Mrs. Roger's iraiernal grand
mother was a daughter of Amos York,
oil's of the early txtllors of Wynluslng.
He was taken captive by the Indians,
nnd though exchanged some months
later, died before reaching his family,
who In the meantime having removed
to the valley, were In the massacre.
Wealthy, a daughter of Mr. York, mar
ried John Smith, father of the late Dr.
Smith, of Wilkes-Barre, the Mrs. Rog
ers burled here being her grnnd-
daughter. Mrs .Roger's paternal grand
father. Major Gaylord, was n soldier
In tho Revolutionary war and ulso
served as scout In Gen. Sullivan's
army. It was during the Sullivan ex
pedition that he first saw Wyaluslng
Valley and being favorably Impressed
with the countiy, nt the close of tho
war he came here and purchased the
lands on the north side of tho creek,
they being the grounds on which the
town now principally stands. The Gay
lords have been one of the most prom
inent families In these parts, and the
descendants are among the town s first
people. Mrs. Rogers, who had leached
her seventy-eighth year, was a lady of
rare Christian graces, her life having
been one of good deeds, spent In hard
toll for the peace and comfort of bur
household and for the enjoyment of
those nrond her. She Is survived by
two brothers. John L. Gaylord, of this
place, and Miner M., living In New
Mexico."
Dr. Olin F. Harvey, of Wilkes-Barre,
has placed In tangible form for pos
terity some Interesting and valuable
matter relating to this ancient family.
On Nov. 4th, 1S9G, on the occasion of
the presentation to the Luzerne Coun
ty Medical Society of a portrait of Dr.
John Smith, whose mother was a
daushter of Amos York, of Revolution
ary fame, Dr. Harvey lead a biograph
ical paper fiom which we make a few
extiacts. Dr. John Smith, of Wilkes
Barre, it Is shown, was one of the
early members of the medical society,
having been elected at Its second meet
ing. April 17. 1SG1. Ho was then the
oldest physician both In years and
practice in that community, having
survived all his professional contem
poraries of early days, and eight years
later he died. Dr. Smith was a na
tive of Kingston, where he was born
Nov. 4, 1789, the son of Captain Benja
min and Welthea Ann (York) Smith.
Captain Benjamin was the son of Cap.
tain Timothy, who was the son of
John. The last named was an original
proprietor In the Susquehanna pur
chase and was a Justice of the peace
here In Wyoming In 1772. In August,
1815, Dr. John Smith began the prac
tice of medicine in New Troy (now the
borough of Wyoming), Klngtson town
ship. Where, or under whose direction
and instruction he had pursued his
preparatory studies Dr. Harvey was
unable to learn. For twenty-one years
thereafter he made New Troy his
home, although his practice was not,
by any means, confined to that local
ity. In 1836 he removed to Wilkes
Barre, which then had a population of
only 1,500 and three practicing physi
cians. Dr. Smith worked diligently in his
profession, and for years, even up to
within a few years of his death, his
field of practice extended from Pltts
ton to Nantlcoke. From tho ouset he
had his share of the geneial practice in
the valley, and, owing to his kind
heartedness and easy-going ways, had
more than his share of non-paying pa
tients. Ho was always particularly
kind and attentive to those whom he
knew to be poor nnd in straitened cir
cumstances, and during the civil war
It was his rule to make no charge for
professional services which he rendered
to the families of men who weie enlist
ed and serving In the Union army, un
less they were well able to pay for his
service. In August, 1819, Dr Smith was
appointed, by Governor FIndlay, a jus
tice of the peace In and for Kingston
township, and for several years he per
formed the duties of the otllce. In
middle age, he devoted considerable
time to politics, and was allied with tho
nntl-Masonlo party which flourished
here from 1828 to 1S38. Tho candld?to
of this party for governor In 1835, Jo
seph Rltner, was elected, and In 1830 ne
appointed Dr. Smith prothonotary clerk
of the various couits of Luzerne coun
ty, which offlce he held until 1839. For
several years Dr. Smith was a member
of the borough council of Wilkes-Barre,
and was president of the council from
May, 1850, to May, 1851. He was also,
about tho same period, a member, and
for a time, president of the board of
school dliectors of the borough. Being
exceedingly methodical and regular In
his habits, he was able to devote a
good deal of time to study and general
reading, and during his residenco in
Wilkes-Barre quite a number of essnys
on various subjects were contributed
by him to the local newspapers.
Dr. Smith was married In 1814, to
Mehltablo Jenkins, of Kingston, a
granddaughter of John Jenkins, esq ,
nn early settler In Wyoming, a Justice
of the peace for several years, a repre
sentative from Wyoming, or West
moreland, to the Connecticut assembly
upon several occasions, nnd prominent
In other ways In this locality for sev
eral years. John and Mehltable (Jen
kins) Smith wero the parents of five
sons and five daughters, tho eldest of
whom was Amos York Smith, whom
we have mentioned as having given
tho name for York avenue, West Pltts
ton. Wo have beforo us a copy of the
Gazette of Friday, Dec. 23, 1881. con
taining an obituary notice of Mr.
Smith. Thl3 notice cays that early in
life Mr. Smith engaged In business in
the upper part of the valley, where, by
untiring industry, generosity and in
tegrity, he acquired a competence und
established a high character as a man
of business, a kind neighbor and a good
citizen. A generation ago, few impor
tant enterprises were undertaken in
the vicinity of Plttston. Exeter or Wy
oming with which York Smith by
which name ho was generally known
was not more or less intimately asso
ciated, Tho first bridge which was
erected across the river ut this place
was built under his dliect supervision
tory
mnifltho
Family History Which,
Pioneer Times.
oral years prior to the rebellion, he en
gaged In tho construction of railroads.
In the state of Texas, where ho con
tinued to reside until lSGl, when, la
consequence of hU decided nnd un
swerving devotion to the- national
cause, he was compelled to mako a.
hasty exit from that state, leaving
nenily everything ho possessed to bo
con'lscated by the rebels. In 1867 ha
returned to Texas as an agent of tha
government, and was there until 1870.
After that time he wns engaged in
various enterprises. In 1874-5, ho built
and equipped a rnllroad In the state
of Delaware. For several years prior
to Ills death ills feeble and falling
health did not permit him to engnge la
very active or Important enterprises.
Mr. Smith passed away on Dec. 20th,
18S1, nt the home of his son-in-law, Dr.
Olln F. Harvey, In Wilkes-Barre, and
his remnins were laid to rest letildn
those of his distinguished father In. tho
cemetery at Torty Fort. Among Mr.
Smith's surviving children Is Hettle,
wife of Frank H. Kvte, of West Pitts
ton, whoso second son, York, bears tha
honored name of his grandfather. Mrs.
J. C. Edgar, of West Plttston, and Mrs.
W. P. Trexler, of California, are also,
daughters of Mr. Smith.
KAKLY AMUKICN IKON WORKS
Thcv Ilxistcd in Now Jersey Ovci
Two Hundred Years Ago.
Tho first Iron works in New Jersey
were started on a large tract of land
embracing tho whole of the present
Monmouth county, which was granted
to James Groveis and others in 1665.
Tho Brant was known as the "Mon
mouth Patent," and the iron works
were put In operation as early as 16C7.
Upon taking churge of his pioperty
Gravers soon found that there wero
valuable deposits of what wnas called
bog ore. containing forty per cent, of
metal, In the wet meadows forming
part of his property, nnd he took im
mediate measures to develop an in
dustry which promised excellent re
sults. He sent to New England for two me
chanics skilled In the building of fur
naces und in the preparation of other
appliances for the reduction of Iron
ore. Under tho direction of these men,
forges, smelting furnaces and other
works wero built. These operations
were very expensive for that tlmlo
and were subsequently carried on by,
cowls' Morris. As late as 1714 men
tion Is made of encouraging these Iron
Interest. Not a vestige of them, how
ever, now remains.
HOLD IIKATINH.
How the Vnlunble Substance Called
Hold Leaf Is Made.
The process of preparing gold until
It Is reduced to a thickness of 1-280,000
of nn Inch Is necessarily elaborate, says
the Sun. The gold Is fltst cast Into In
gots 4 Inches In length and 1 inch in
width, which weigh from 10 to 17
ounces, according to thickness. It Is
then passed between polished rollers,
worked by steam, until it forms a rib
bon 28 yards long and 1-800 Inch thick.
These rlbboii3 are then cut into ISO
pieces, 1 Inch square, and placed be
tween vellum, and then the real busi
ness of the gold beater Is begun.
He beats for half an hour with a 20
pound hammer, making the Inch squnra
Into 3 inches squat e; then these nieces
are quartererd, becoming 1 inches
square. He beats again for one and a
quarter hours, until the l-lnch square
becomes 4 inches square. The 4-Inch
pieces are again quartered and beaten
and finally cut to proper size, viz,,
squares of 3 Inches, of a thickness
(or rather "thinness") of 1-280,000 oe
an Inch, and in this shape the leaf 13
lifted Into books of tissue paper.
INNIIR SOLES OP SHOES.
Onco .11 nd c of Tnr 1'iipcr but Now of
nn Asbestos Preparation.
As boots and shoes are now made,
the Intermediate sole Is often composed
of porous leather or substances which
are absolutely worthless as damp ex
cluders. In fact, these materials ab
sorb moisture, and being of a spongy
nature, are very difficult to dry out;
therefore, the Inner sole being some
what thin, the dampness penetrates
It and the feet become chilled. As
bestos as an intermediate sole is ona
of the latest Inventions, and has the
merit of good sense at least. This ma
terial Is pressed Into thin sheets, cut
Into soles and waterproofed on tho
lower side. Asbestos being a non-conductor
of heat, its value In this di
rection Is evident, and It would tend
not only to keep the dampness from
the feet, but to retain tho warmth
generated by the body. Dryness und!
warmth of tho feet are of prime Im
portance In cool climates.
FOR INTERNA ND EXT-RN&L USE.
CUIUS AN!) l'ltl.VU.VTS
Colda, Coughs, Sore Throat, Influenza, bron
chitis, Pneumonia, Swelling of the Joints,
Lumbago, Inflammations.
MUUIIillUlill llUUIIIiUUIilt
FROSTBITES, CHILBLMNS, HEADACHE,
TOOTHACHE, ISTHMA,
DIFFICULT BREATHING.
CURES THE WORST PAINS in from
one to twenty minutes. NOT ONE HOUR
after reading this advertisement need any;
ono SUFFER WITH PAIN.
Kaiinay's Ready Relief U a Sure Cure for
ilery I'aln. Sprains, llrulicj.Paim In the
(Sack. Chest oi l.lmbs. It was the first
ind Is tlu only PAIN KkMliDY
That Instantly utops tho most excruciating
pains, allays Inflammation, and cures Con
gestions, whether of the Lungs, Stomach,
lioweU. or otrr glands or organ,', by ona
nnnlli-atlon.
A half to a teaspoonful in half a tumbler
of water will- in a few minutes cur
Cramps. Spasms, Sour Stomach, HeartJ
burn. .Nervousness, sleeplessness, 5lc
Headache, Diarrhea, Dysentery, CoilJ
Flatulency and all Internal pains. I
There is not a remedial ngent In til
world that win cure fever aiiu Ague nf
all other Malarious, Billions nnd othl
fevers, aided by nADWAY'S PILLS. &
quickly as UADWAY'S HEADY HELIKI1
Fifty cents per bottle. Sold by Druggists.
RADWAY &. CO.,
35 Elm Street, New York,1
torkhi.
Jv r ,.