The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-11-17
JASPER"
Ne Visits san Antonio a Quaint old
TOW0 She O1cander Rnd MimOsas-
WRgsI Traiu~ Rem a.nbcr the Al.
nmo-Eot Perkins, shc Yankee
.,oree.pon,I.nce of ,b. RulI,,,n

\ - NAN ANTONIO. TENS. NoN. l3. 80.
The sensations of one visiting this
queer old town for III. first time are
somewhat peculiar: you seem to have
stepped backward about n hundred years.
or imagine yourself in soune rnc,limv,,l
European city. How the site ever came
to be chosen tor a city Is u mystery. situ-
atcd As 1t Is in u low sandy valley rur.
rounded on all stiles BY mountains. 1t j.
intolerably hot and dusty durin. the long
dry summer incident to thi. climate. The
street, are very narrow. some OF them
being not over ten feet in width, wli,c
the pavemeat> do not admit Of more than
two people walking abreast. Were ii not
for the irrigating streams whlcli are led
all through the town from the san An-
tonic river, vegetation would be an i'm
possibility. but stimulated and kept alive
by this pure stream, the source of which
Il few miles from san Antonio,
all kinl> Of plants grow luXurian,ly.
Oleanlrrs and mimo.as. which are grown
with - much trouble NORTH, here at ,in
varieties OF lowering cactus abound, aud
people make garden twice ycar-sprlug
and fall
Out of a population OF some 10000
there arc not over 1900 Americans, the
rest of the residents Icing Spaniard-.
Germans, and Grcascrs (Mcxicans,. with
a sprlnhling Of Italians, ami you will
hear spanish spoken oitcncr than Eli
glisll. .s...
The sights Of the town are the
wagon trains whicl, leave here loaded
| with provisions, and ,rader.' good, for
the mines IN Mexico, and return with
lead bullion which i. shipped to 1t.
| Louis, and which il rich enough In silver |
to pay for transportation 23O miles by |
wagon and 40 by rail, aud leave
profit for the smclter. They hitch from
twelve to twenty mules. each as big as
a Newfoundland dog, to Il huge two
wheeled Mexican cart, aud the yells OF
the drivers are something startling, being
cross between u steamboat whistle and
a COmanche Indians yell. The costumes
affected by the drivers and oaqueros are
picturesque In the extreme and are apt to
make nervous person shudder. Their
high topped boots, each with Il bright gilt
star In front at the top. and an immense
pair of spurs on the heels. with rOwcls the
size Of n silver dollar: small bells are
attached to the spurs and jingle music
ally at every step; a pair of jeans pant, :
invariably stuffed into the boot legs and
confined ut the waist by belt, in which
Is conspicuously displayed brace of
smith a Wes-ohs navy size, and gcncr-
ally large knife many of them wear in
lieu OF a coat a Enthusiastically embroidered
blue hunting shirt, the head surmounted
with the traditional broad. brimmed white
sombrcro, around which runs black and
gilt cord, with tasscls, or snakes head,
on the end. completes the costume; but
the railroad Is fast approaching San An
tonic, and with It will come the usual
influx Of damned Yankee Studcbaker
as they call them, when the
caquero With his two-wheelcd cart will
follow "IO," the poor Indian. toward
the setting sun.
Here Is situated the famous Alamo mis-
sion, around which clings more of his
tOrical interest and romance than anv
building In Texas. 1t is an old Spanish
mission, built over hundred years ago
entirely OF stone and very massive.
Here 1t was that little band of devoted
men, numbering only one hundred and h
thirty, commanded by Travis, and de- I
Tended 10y such dauntless spirits as Dayy
Crockett, Bowie, etc, IN 1886. during the
war Tor Texan Independence, held at bay,
tor eight days, the whole Mexican army,
numbering some 5000. under Santa Anna,
until finally starved out they made dash
Tor liberty and persisted to the last man
III indeavoring TO escape. 1t is said that
crockett single handed slew eight of the
foe, when he was pierced by musket
ball which let out his brave lite. Other
tales are told of the bravery displayed by
members OF the band, not one
OF whom proved recrcant. Fear
fully were they avenged by the inluri-
ated Texans who used us their railying
cry at the subsequent battle of
San jacnt0 Remember the Alamo.-
and where 1t !. related they gave
no quarter to the beaten McNicans, who
plead in vain for their lives In broken
English me No Alamo." The people
are proud OF This old building, and they
have right to be but the modes they
take to perpetuate the memory of dceds
done here sometimes border on the ludi.
cro''s, for instance, they have AN Alamo
rlhe company, which Is well enough,
but when they 20 to naming hotels,
gin mills and dance houses, 1.-The Al.
smo,' ipdlscrlminately, it Is a wonder