Chapter XXXII: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.