Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-04


an awakening, and so this. Tn
second day of our stay in thi
Z charming OLD historic place, nov
becoming commercially new an'
Americanized, we drove out tire.
miles to the head of San Antonio
river, which rises from thirt,
/ springs within a small circle, over
Z looked BY white cliffs aud ancien.
: trees, oyerhmg with long swing
ing n6sss1 and approached onll
.lby a road dug out in the side o.
the little mountain. The MOSES
are longer and winter, the ferns q
deeper green, the birds sing in d
lower, sweeter cadence than else
where, aud the very winds seem te
pause at the threshold of these
impenetTable shades, On an emf
nenee nearby is a handsome man
sion, built in modern style. This,
as wen as the springs and several
bundled acres of land, is the prop
erty of Colonel Breckenridge, Pres
ident of the First National Bank
Of San Antonio, who has made q
fortune in Texas He was absent
in New York, but through the
courtesy Of Colonel Withers, a
brother of General Withers of Ala
bama, and cashier of the bank, our
party was introduced at the house,
and entertained by Miss Bmckin-
ridge in the parlor, conservatory and
library most charmingly Tor an hour,
which seemed too short at leaving.
On our return We passed by the
new government buildings being
erected for military purposes, on a
hill a mile from and overlooking
the city. The buildings viii cost
over 100000, are inclosed by a
high stone wall, and in the center
there is an observatory or tower
some 200 feet high, from the top Of
which is afforded a panoramic view
Of the city, river, Missions, and the
undulating, half-timbered country
around for a vast distance. Among
all the charming "reminiscences Of
1000 miles travel in this State of
magnificent distances, none can be
compared to those Of San Antonio,
the most unique, cosmopolitan city
on the continent.
After spending q day at Galveston
very pleasantly riding about this
really elegant city Of the sea, surf
bathing, etc, and attending the
State fairat Houston, as previously
described, we next stopped at Au-
.stin, the capital and best built city
|of the State. Here we were most
cordially welcomed aud entertained.
by Colonel L. ]. DuPre, editor Of
the Statesman, and well known as
one Of the most brilliant and YER
satile writer's of the South. He
seems to have struck oil" here
and settled down for life in a com.
Portable position, with everything
pleasant and desirable about him.
The Raymond House, where we
stepped, Is owned by the proprie-
tor Of the Hutchins House at Hous-
ton, Major HorBach. The manager.
Mr.. John j. Wheadon, came over
from Houston with US and contrib
uted much to the enjoyment of
the party by his polite
aud assiduous attentions. A
visit to Austin is not considered
complete without including Mount
Bonnet, a peak Of limestone and
scraggy trees, which oyerlooks the
city and Colorado river, aud pierces
the skies three miles from town.
We drove out there in a roasting
hot sun, looked through a field
glass at the ridge of jagged noun
talns on one side, the vast expanse
of cultivated country and ripe, wa,-
ing grain on the other, then down
at the human ants moving slowly
far beneath US in the valley. and
came back. Later in the day we
called on Governor Hubbard at the
capitol, and were not only warmly
received, but highly entertained BY
his ready and instructive flow Of
conversation. He is a Georgian by
birth-there are no natives here
a large, fine looking as well as able
man, of the Howell Cobb figure and
type. He sDeaks vert fraelv of tLo