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jH V,rg<n!a State
VOL. LXXXVII. RICHM(
Arbor Day
[HE attention of the tourist in MataT
moras was attracted recently by a
large and arresting handbill, ad
dressed to the "Heroic People of
Mataanoroe." If the tourist was a
I student of Spanish he probably
translated the handbill as follows:
""Worthy it ip of peoples, cultivated and free,
to commemorate glorious dates in their history;
honor and glorify rightly their institutions;
maintain alive in the memory and heart of their
citizens the worship of those illustrious forefathers
who, resolved to omit no sacrifice, not
even that of life itself, fought and triumphed for
the sacred, holy principles of Justice and
Liberty.
"The 5th of February is one of the most
glorious dates of our countrv, for from that day
we entered into the covenant of the most civilized
nations; for then were realized the
dreams and hopes which animated the
armies of the Independence to make
us free and sovereign in the exercise of
our rights; for on that day was promulgated
the Fundamental Letter of
the Republic, which proclaimed and
guaranteed our prerogatives of men
and citizens.
pAmmiHrtit nf bit ic
A ?IV A UbA IWiU WUIMUbVV^ V/i
eity, both heroic and invincible, in- I
terpreting the just sentinlents which
animated her citizens with the general
consent of the latter and in accordance
with the Municipal Authorities
and the Officials of the Army,
nas disposed for the celebration of
this glorious anniversary the following
Program."
The tourist probably read the pro
gram, but the translation will now be
suspended itself (as the Spanish puts it), and
the translator will proceed to record events.
At five o'clock the morning of the 5th the
"heroic people of Matamoros" were awakened
i>y a cannon salute and musdc by the regimental
band. The ever-ready bell of the Catholic
church kept up a rat-a-tat-tat till every other
noise stopped. It mattered not to the bell that
the Reform Laws celebrated took away the
power from the Chunchand gave it to the Government.,
"padrccitos" consider it better pdliey
to celebrate even their own loss.
By nine o'clock the tramp of small, excited
feet" was heard as the boys from the public
school passed on their way to the Plaza. Soon
1'rom every direction came tiles of school girls,
arrayed in white muslin dresses (for the day
was warm and pleasant), and each -with her red,
white and green ribbon. Among these "were two
bards of young ladies who attracted special attention.
Each group was chaperoned by two
American ladies. "Those are the Protestants,"
said a bystander and so they were the Quaker
School wnd the PresAxytedrian College. They
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DNO. NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, M/
in Matamo
crossed to the a'dewalk in front of the Municipal
Palace and were given seats with the other girls'
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acnwia vi ixie uii/j. iuu iriuza in irunt was uecorated
with many trioolored tiags and garlands
of green. The street between tilled up with tlr>
boys of the town with their teachers. In front
of the place where the girls were seated stood the
band ready for business.
At 9:30 the door of the Municipal PaiLace
opened and out came the President of Matamoros
and his corps of officers, the Army officials in
Iheir gorgeous uniforms and the American
Consul. Phe President, by the way, has beon
recently elected. Before his installation he
served the heroic people of Matamoros in the
capacity of butcher. During the campaign,
which veas his first political venture, he and his
partizans were called "Cracklings." He was
i he '4 Big Crackling:' and the rest were the small
A STREET SCENE TN MEXICO.
cues. Doe.s pretty well for people who have
never been allowed to have elections, don't yon
think? The President and his company marched
in stately procession to the chairs arranged for
them in the street. A table was set in front of
the President and on the table a call-bell was
placed. When the official body was well seated,
the President leaned forward, tapped the bell
and the program began.
The first number was a long overture by the
baud. After this there came a small piping
voice seemingly from the clouds. But looking
up. there appeared on the balcony of the Palace,
a small boy who was declaiming in the set style
in which discourses are performed in Spanish?
a high excited monotone. A short band piece
followed and then another small boy shouted
patriotic words from the balcony. Then came
the National Hymn? Have you heard it? Pray
that you may before you drie. The children in
street and on thessidewalk sang the chorus and,
f?*om the balcony, a group of young ladies selected
from the different schools (there were two
from the Presbyterian College), sang the verses.
al Presbyter/an <c
WEEN PRESBYTEjRJAN
VRCH 26, 1913. NO.-Hr-/3
miss McClelland,
Director* of the Probyterian College
1 V/3 for Girl* at MATAMOROS. MEXICO
The band played the accompaniment and all the
men took off their hats.
The hymn is splendid. It makes the "Star
Spangled Banner" sound like "Granny Will
Your Dog Bite? No, Child, No." They do not
allow it to be made common. It is never played
in public except by permission of the authorities.
A man had it played in front of his house once
and was fined for it.
When the hymn was over the master of ceremonies
distributed little orange trees to about
iwo hundred little girls and they marched two
and two over to the Plaza and planted a row
clear round it, just inside the side walk. A number
of palms and oleanders were planted, also.
After the planting the children again sang the
hymn and then the big procession was formed,
it was headed by the band, the city officers and
tiie Federal Cavalry. Then came the school chil
dren. The public school girls were
first, next the Convent and then the
Mission Schools. The boys' schools
followed. Back of these were the
jb internal Societies and last of all the
M l ii *
.Umlcro Oavalry. The whole proces
sion was about five blocks long and
the cavalry were the only people who
were not afoot. The parade walked
L.?- through the streets of the city, walk
ing about twenty blocks and retumII
ing to the l'laza. Here the Master of
la Ceremonies made a Mexicanly gracious
speech of thanks to each individual
school principal, and the
PJBMjU liesta was over till afternoon. It was
then nearly one oclook.
In the afternoon, from 4:30 to 0,
' there was music in the Plaza. At six
there was another cannon salute. At
eight in the evening the last celebration
began. It was a concert in the Plaza by the
band. The place itself looked like fairy-land.
Hosridttt JL brilliant iMiiminatinm
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there was a string of Japanese lanterns entirely
around the square. In front of the Municipal
Palace hung many more. The houses near the
Plaza were illuminated and adorned. The Presbyterian
Coll lege had great red, white and green
rosettes on the parlor curtains and many flags
on the balcony. A throng of lovely, happy ladies
and girls and smiling gentlemen filled the walks.
The music continued till eleven, and the fiesta
ended with a cannon salute and many skyrockets.
During the whole day we saw not a drunken
man on the streets. Haven't we Matamorensians
a right to be proud of ourselves?
Let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.?Matt 5:16.
The conventioned fault-finder is one who
thinks that right always lies in the opposite direction.
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