MICHOACÁN, MORELOS, GUERRERO
Cortés took an excursion through Michoacán after the fall of Mexico
and was delighted with what he saw. It was at this time a powerful and
independent State, inhabited by one of the kindred Nahuatlac races. The
Spaniards advanced across the State and erected a cross on the Pacific
Coast in the name of their Catholic majesties. On their return they
took back samples of gold and California pearls, and the report of the
great Southern Ocean beyond. Cortés wrote: “Most of all do I exult in
these tidings of a great ocean. For, in it, as cosmographers and those
learned men who know most about the Indies inform us, are scattered
rich isles, teeming with gold and spices and precious stones.” Even
then had the Spaniards begun to look on Mexico as a great treasure
house to be drawn upon to support their own extravagant country.
Michoacán lies on the western slope of the great cordillera of Anahuac.
The territory is extremely mountainous and its scenery strikingly
picturesque, characterized by enchanting gorges, beautiful valleys and
vast plains of fertile lands along the banks of glistening streams,
whose course is sometimes impeded by huge rocks, and which occasionally
acquire great rapidity, as can be observed especially at the Falls of
Onendo. Its most noted mountain peak is the volcano of Jorullo. The
State is called Michoacán de Ocampo in honor of one of the great heroes
of Mexican independence.
The story of Ocampo adds another to the many romantic episodes of
Mexican revolutionary days. He was one of the great heroes who
sacrificed life for the sake of the country he was so determined to
free from foreign tyranny. When he was captured by the enemy and
condemned to be shot his last request was that his heart should be
taken from his dead body and carried back to his native State. This
was done and the State was rechristened Michoacán de Ocampo, in loving
memory of one of its greatest heroes.
Morelia, the capital, was founded in 1541 by the Spaniards and received
the name of Valladolid. It stands upon a rocky hill six thousand four
hundred and thirty-eight feet above the sea. The streets are wide and
regularly laid out. On one side of the Plaza de los Martires, the
principal square, stands the noble cathedral and extensive arcades are
along the others: this is the principal business centre. The houses are
very substantially built and the government building is very handsome.
The San Nicolas College, which was built in the sixteenth century
and remodeled in 1868, is one of the finest edifices in the republic
of Mexico. By moonlight Morelia is exceedingly attractive, with its
fine square, beautiful streets and houses. Near by is the hill of
Las Bateas, where by the order of Morelos two hundred Spaniards were
murdered in cold blood to revenge the death of the curate Matamoros,
who had been taken prisoner and shot by Iturbide.
[Illustration: CHURCHYARD GATE, TZINTZUNTZAN.]
Patzcuaro is a pretty little city with sloping roofs situated on
the shores of the lake and in front of the little Indian village
of Janicho, built on a beautiful small island in the midst of the
lake. There are churches bearing the date of 1580. The first Bishop
of Michoacán, Vasco de Quiroga, who died in Uruapan, was buried in
Patzcuaro, and the Indians of this State still venerate his memory.
He was the father and benefactor of the Tarascan Indians, and went to
rescue them from their degraded state. He not only preached morality,
but encouraged industry among them by assigning to each village its
particular branch of commerce. Thus, one was celebrated for its
manufacture of saddles, another for its shoes, a third for its bateas
(painted trays) and so on. Every useful institution of which some
traces still remain among them is due to this excellent prelate, an
example of what one good and zealous and well-judging man may effect.
The old church of Patzcuaro is handsome and rich in gildings. At
the door is printed in large letters, “For the Love of God all good
Christians are requested not to spit in this holy place.” In this old
town, too, one may see specimens of that mosaic work which all ancient
writers upon Mexico have celebrated and which was nowhere brought to
such perfection as in Patzcuaro. It was made with the most beautiful
and delicate feathers, chiefly of the hummingbirds, which they called
huitzitzilin. But it is now many years since the last artist in this
branch lived in Patzcuaro, and, though it is imitated by the nuns,
the art is no longer in the state of perfection to which it had been
brought in the days of Cortés. Several persons were employed in each
painting, and the work required extraordinary patience and nicety in
the blending of colors and the arrangement of the feathers. Many were
sent to Spain and to different museums both in Europe and in Mexico
but the art does not belong to the present utilitarian age. Patzcuaro
is well entitled to its name, which means “a place of delights.” The
station is on the lake shore; a diligence runs to the town, two miles
up the hill, and the drive is a most charming one. There is a little
steamer on the lake which runs from the dock to the northern shores,
making several landings where there are no railroads and perhaps never
will be. The object of the voyage on the lake, and in fact, the trip to
Patzcuaro, is the famous painting in the old church at the village of
Tzintzuntzan on the east shore of the lake--_The Entombment_, by
Titian, presented to the Bishop of Michoacán by Philip II. of Spain.
Such is the veneration of the Indians for this beautiful painting that
the bishop has refused to allow it to be removed. Enormous sums have
been offered by enthusiastic art-lovers, but the church authorities
have declined to entertain them, and the picture still hangs where it
was first placed by the loving hands of its original owners more than
three hundred years ago. The old church is fast crumbling to decay,
and its pristine glory has departed from it. Tzintzuntzan was once the
capital of the powerful empire of Tarasco, which successfully resisted
to the last the incursions of the Montezumas. After the Spanish
conquest this was the seat of the Bishopric of Tarasco and was held in
high esteem by Philip II. The steamer runs irregularly but need not be
depended on for the trip to Tzintzuntzan.
Uruapan, farther west, is the gem of the Indian villages. It has a few
good houses and fine streets; but its boast is of the Indian cottages
all so clean and snug and tasteful, surrounded by fruit trees. In this
region the finest coffee in the world is raised, the “Uruapan” being
everywhere recognized as the finest of brands.
[Illustration: SEÑOR DON PABLO ESCANDON, GOVERNOR OF MORELOS.]
A number of old Indian customs are still kept up here, modified by
the introduction of Christian doctrines, in the marriages, feasts,
burials, and superstitious practices. The citizens also preserve the
same simplicity in their dress, united with the same vanity and love
of show in their ornaments that always distinguished them. The poorest
Indian women still wear necklaces of red coral or a dozen rows of red
beads.
[Illustration: PALACE OF CORTÉS, CUERNAVACA.]
MORELOS
Cuernavaca is situated at the foot of the southern slope of Ajusco,
where the cold storms which sweep the Gulf Coast in winter can hardly
gain access; hence it enjoys the perfection of a winter climate. Its
summer climate is also agreeable, for its elevation of five thousand
feet above sea level precludes oppressive heat. Moreover, the rain is
said to fall here mostly by night. From this point one has a nearer
view than from the city of Mexico of the great snowy summits rising
above forested slopes, and here the interest of the view is greatly
enhanced by the striking contrast afforded by an intermediate range of
bare red rock, disordered masses serrated, castellated, and pinnacled
beyond description. Below the town opens out into a wide valley which
is green throughout the year with plantations of cane. Streams of pure
water course down through every street, and fountains are frequent. To
this quaint and quiet town, verdant and shady under bright, warm skies,
was attracted the ill-fated Maximilian and hither he was wont to ride
by night to hide from assassins in the thick wood of his high-walled
garden.
Cuautla de Morelos has been the theatre of important historical events.
Here it was that the curate Morelos shut himself up with his troops
until the Spaniards under Calleja besieged it and the priest and his
party were compelled to abandon their position.
Among the attractions of Cuernavaca are the ancient palace of Cortés
and the famous garden of La Borda, on which over a million dollars were
lavished. Maximilian, when Emperor, had his winter home here, as had
Cortés long before. The former lived for a time on La Borda estate, and
Carlota and the Emperor breakfasted under its trees and spent long days
in the great walled garden.
[Illustration: FLYING BUTTRESS, CUERNAVACA.]
Cuernavaca, the ancient Cuauhnahuac, was one of the thirty cities which
Charles V. gave to Cortés, and it afterward formed part of the estate
of the Duke of Monteléone, representative of the family of Cortés,
as Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca. It was celebrated by the ancient
writers for its beauty, its delightful climate, and the strength of
its situation. It was the capital of the Tlahuica nation, and after
the conquest Cortés built a splendid palace, a church, and a convent
of Franciscans, believing that he was laying the foundation of a great
city. The conqueror’s palace is now the government house. It is most
picturesque, standing on a hill behind which starts up a great white
volcano. There are some good houses and the remains of the church which
Cortés built, celebrated for its fine arch.
Morelos is a sugar cane State. Governor Pablo Escandon is interested in
developing the agricultural and horticultural resources; he has in view
an agricultural school and model farm where farmers may see the results
of new methods. He has made a complete reform of the public school
system. New schools are built and the best teachers employed. Taking
into consideration that the largest proportion of children of school
age in the State are those of farmers and laboring men and believing
that they should be taught in school matters the things that will be
of assistance to them in later life, he has added to the curriculum a
thorough system of manual training and domestic economy.
[Illustration: LA BORDA GARDEN, CUERNAVACA.]
The late Frederick E. Church, the painter of nature, said of Cuernavaca
“So far as I can judge from inquiry of good authorities, as well as
from personal observation, it possesses in an eminent degree all the
requirements demanded. No other place that I have visited in Mexico
can compare with it in that respect. The climate is wonderful. The
situation commands more grand and lovely views and in greater variety
than any city I have visited in all my travels. Cuernavaca will, in the
very near future, become a very great resort and will be crowded all
the year, for very few northerners have an idea of the climates of the
country and that they are even more attractive in summer than at any
other season.”
GUERRERO
The State of Guerrero was named in honor of Vicente Guerrero, who was
born at Tixtla, 1770, and executed at Cailipa, February 14, 1831.
Guerrero was a mulatto and originally a slave. In the struggle for the
independence of Mexico he exhibited great courage and after the death
of Mina became one of the leaders of the insurgents.
The State is traversed by the Sierra Madre with its many spurs, and is
consequently very mountainous, its climate varying with the elevation
from very hot in the low countries to cold in the higher portions. The
soil is very fertile; vegetation, particularly arboreal, is rich and
varied and there are extensive virgin forests, containing excellent
timber and many species of fine woods. Many of the inhabitants are
miners, and on the coast numbers are engaged in pearl fishing.
The first capital of Guerrero was Tixtla which, on its selection in
1849, was immediately raised to the rank of a city. It is picturesquely
situated in a narrow gorge of the Sierra Madre, and has not yet become
of great importance in any respect. It is five thousand feet above sea
level and its chief occupations are coarse manufactures and agriculture.
The present capital is Chilpancingo, a few miles southwest of Tixtla
and situated on a pleasant tableland on the western side of the
mountain range.
In January, 1902, an earthquake almost destroyed the old palace in
which were all the executive offices and the Senate chamber and a new
palace was built under the direction of Señor Manuel Galindo, the chief
engineer of the war department. It was completed in 1906, and was
opened on the 21st of March, which was the anniversary of the birth
of the great benefactor, Benito Juarez. This palace is a remarkable
structure with splendid reception halls and offices. The windows and
doors, the face of the public clock and many fixtures were brought
from the United States. All the furniture came from the factories of
San Luis Potosí.
One of the first duties of the governor, Señor Don Damian Flores, was
to reconstruct the prison, which presented a very bad aspect, being
in the centre of the city. This prison adjoined the Normal School for
Professors, in which was also the Preparatory School and the School
of Jurisprudence. This building was totally destroyed by the last
earthquake and in view of the fact that it was not an appropriate
situation for a school a beautiful prison was constructed. This is one
of the most magnificent buildings in the capital. Its construction
was undertaken by two young engineers, Carlos Baz and Rafael Najera,
under the direction of the governor himself, whose original plans were
carried out by the contractor, Señor Luis Pozzi. The first stone was
laid on a memorable political anniversary, February 5, 1908, and within
eleven months it was inaugurated. It is of Doric style of architecture
with some changes indicated by necessity. The Portales, of the
Greco-Roman style, are of purest interpretation.
[Illustration: SEÑOR DON DAMIAN FLORES, GOVERNOR OF GUERRERO.]
Continued earthquakes, in 1907, destroyed many public buildings. Among
the most important was the Civil Hospital. A new and modern building
of the most approved style now occupies the site of the old hospital.
The plans were executed with fine detail and it is one of the most
perfect establishments of this kind in the republic. Other annexes
to this hospital are in contemplation, destined to be for general
administration and the maternity asylum. The city of Chilpancingo was
united with Iguala by an imperfect road that was impossible to pass
at times without great danger to man and beast. The government long
appreciated the great necessity of a splendid roadway. Some railroad
companies studied the conditions with the intention of constructing a
road to Acapulco touching this city and other small villages on this
same roadway. It was an impossible and expensive work. In 1905, the
late Governor of the State put in practical construction the road which
led to Mexcala by the way of Xochipala to the point called Milpillas
and which returned to the old road and by this deviation avoided the
passage over the barrancas. This work partially finished reached the
small village of Xochipala when the death of the Governor suspended
all operations. In 1907, when Governor Flores occupied the office of
first Magistrate of the State he began to make a study of the prospect
of this road being completed. In order to have a successful outcome
of this plan he appealed to the State for help--and the federation
subsidized a plan to the extent of one thousand dollars for every
kilometre finished; the respective plans being approved the work
was begun, being divided into three sections, one road from Iguala
to Mexcala, another from Mexcala to Zumpango and the other from
Chilpancingo to Zumpango.
[Illustration: THE PALACE, CHILPANCINGO.]
On the section from the capital to Zumpango, the Governor himself
directed the greater part of the work. When the road was finished
the President of the Republic formally inaugurated it on the 10th
of May, 1910, accompanied by the Vice-President, the Secretary
of Communications and Public Works and other high officials and
personages. He made the trip in an automobile to the capital. It was a
gala day when the nation’s chief executive reached Chilpancingo amid
waving banners and patriotic exclamations. Banquets and distinguished
hospitality were extended to these visitors. Besides the inauguration
of this automobile road the laying of the corner stone of the monument
dedicated in honor of the great hero Guerrero was formally done in
fitting ceremony in the midst of a great assemblage of patriotic
citizens.
[Illustration: TAMARINDO TREES, IGUALA.]
Acapulco is perhaps the most important town in Guerrero, as it has
one of the best harbors on the entire west coast. During the Spanish
dominion Acapulco was the focus of the China and East Indian route, and
was a place of considerable importance. The California trader later
gave it a period of transitory commercial life, as it was a coaling
station for the steamers between Panama and San Francisco; but with the
new railroad now in process of construction, Acapulco is destined to
see greater days than ever. The region around produces the best lemons
in the world, the fruit being large and juicy and far more desirable
than either the Californian or Sicilian product. The way will soon be
opened for marketing this product in New York and other ports, when the
lemon industry is likely to blossom out into the chief soil product of
Guerrero.
“The Mexico, Cuernavaca and Pacific” is a line that is to give Mexico
standard gauge connection with the old and historic port of Acapulco,
whither came once the richly freighted galleons of Spanish commerce
from China and Japan. In this connection it is worthy of note that the
first fair and equitable treaty with Japan in modern times was made in
Mexico.
[Illustration: BALSAS RIVER, GUERRERO.]
[Illustration: ARCADE, SHOWING HOME OF SEÑOR DON AUGUSTO
PEON, MERIDA.]
[Illustration: THE GOVERNOR’S PALACE, GRAND PLAZA.]