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Show I LOCAL HISTORY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 ,1010. Birthday of the Mexican Conqueror. On September 21, 1485. Hernando Cor-tez Cor-tez wjjs born at jMedaliln, Spain. l's character of this oxplorer. whom adven-rureu adven-rureu in Mexico are still related as a vital parL of its history, whh rather complex. com-plex. He seems to have been not oni granping and avaricious, but also singularly singu-larly liberal. Like so many persons or hlsh-class families, whose fortunes dwindled, dwin-dled, Hernando was destined for tno, I study of law, but disliked the profession and turned adventurer. .i,i Hla lirst Journey Into the great v or took him to Santo Domingo, when lie was 13 years of age, and here be remained re-mained for seven yoars. When aies-quez aies-quez was sent to conquer Cube. "-ortc. went with him and did such Kood service that he was rewarded with a largo estate and was mado the ulcalde of Santiago. One of Velasquez's lieutenants had discovered dis-covered Mexico, but had made net at-tompt at-tompt to occupy it. This r;nSed V'-; governor of Cuba and he placed under Cortez a fleet of ton vessels, with i00 men and a supply of cannon and horses for the conquest of the newly discovered torrltory. It was on the stte of Vera Cruz tlia... Cortez landed, and that city was founded found-ed by him He found that he had penetrated pene-trated into an empire where wealth anoi honor awaited those men who could grasp the situation of conquest. So he determined deter-mined to win all this for Spain. Marching to the capital, which is the city of Mexico of today, Cortez was received re-ceived with hospitality by Montezuma. But suddenly the head of one of his soldiers he bad left at Vera Cruz was brought to tho capital, with tho news of a successful attack upon that place. The people had found that these were not gods, but men. , , . , Cortez loaded Montezuma with chains In his own palace, burned alive before the palace gates thoso men who had attacked at-tacked Vera Cruz and only spared Montezuma Mon-tezuma when he swore to be only a subject sub-ject and a faithful one. to Charles V of Spain, and after paying Cortez an enormous sum In gold and precious stones. Time as It passes has shown that, with nil his cruelty and oppression, Cortez was mild In his methods when they are compared with what the Aztec tribes Inflicted In-flicted on each other. Thore Is one standing monument to Cortez In the City of Mexico, and that Is the Hospital of Jesus, which ho founded In 1527. It stands on the street that was the road over which he inarched when he first entered the capital of Montezuma. Ho endowed the hospital with a hacienda haci-enda "In Cucrnavaca, and the descendants of Cortez still have a voice in its control. con-trol. It Is well to remember that the first schools, colleges, museums and hospitals on the American continent were founded by the Spaniards. The first printing office on this continent was In Mexico, in 1536. The first unlvorslty was founded found-ed by the Spanish crown In 3551. in The City of Mexico, and Is now the national conservatory of music. On the site of the Hrst school on this continent, founded by Spain In 1524 for the Indians, stands today the National Academy of Arts, The national preparatory pre-paratory school, with perhaps 1000 pupils, was the college of San Eldefonso, creeled by Spaniards In 17-19. The national library occupies the splendid old church and convent of St. Augustln. Thero are more than 200,000 books in this Institution. Institu-tion. In 1S24 the great Humboldt said that no city of the now continent, not excepting ex-cepting those of the United States, had such scientific institutions as Iho.so ol the City of Melco. After years of service for Spain Cortez Cor-tez suffered from the ingratitude that princes invariably show. One day, after a long period of neglect and refusals of audience with Charles V., Cprtoz jmnped on the step of the emperor's carriage to demand a word with him. "Who is this audacious man?" ex. claimed he. "I am the man who has given you more provinces than your ancestors left you cities," said Cortez. After that Incident Inci-dent he never tried to claim recognition from Spain, but spent the rest of hla life in almost entire seclusion. On September 21. 163S. was signed the treaty of peace with the Narragansott Indians: Wcslcyan University was opened at MIddletown, Conn.. In 1S31. The battle bat-tle of Monterey, Mexico, was begun In U4( Today is the birthday of Francis Hopklnson. the lawyer and author (1737)-James (1737)-James Jackson. Georgia statesman fl757 i-ouis Bonaparte, king of Holland (17781 Douglass Houghton, physician and natur-allst natur-allst aS00V. Abraham H. Cassel th antiquarian (1S20). and Brigadier General Gen-eral Michael Corcoran (1827), and Dr Edward B. Dalton. originator of the ambulance am-bulance system flSSO. It Is the date of Mo-??tHi1 of Edward IL. of Enclnnd fJ32f): Emperor Charles v.. of Spain (1S3;0 S'r Walter ScoU- novelist |