Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-01-25
BETTER FRON TEXAS.
Description Of San Antonio - Its In.
habitnnts, Markets. Character
OF Sell, Climate, &c.
DoNAtpsoNs RArcu, 10 mile, NORTH. ,


| -
DoNALpsoNs RANCH, 10 miles north I
west Of San AntoniO, Jan. 7, 1871.
DEAR JouRNAL;-A According 10 promise
| send my mite for your disposal
San Antonio may we'll be called unique.
II Presents the extremes Of architecture
which may be seen from the same stand.
point. The Mexican "hsckal" is a habita.
ton but little removed from the caves oi
the earth. It's sides are ooIn posed Of poles
brush, rock, mud, or any other material
that the untutOred being can use to place
between himself aud the wind The rsoi
IL Of long grass aAd blanket for a door
In this, some Mexican families live ami
enjoy life, content il they have food to eat
aud red pepper to give il fiery favor.
For the other extreme, San Antonio pre-
sents the magnificent mansion, replste with
the convenieness Of life and filled with
nearly all that can please the eye. The
language is similar to the architecture, the
extremes Of Spanish, German, French and
English, and all the dialect and brognes
you can imagine. The streets are very
narrow, and frequently angle a square or
| half square, said TO have been 40 laid out
~ means OF defense Ngainst the Indians.
The sidewalks, like the streets, are narrow
to an extreme and paved with Aat stone.
] visited the Alamo plaza (Syea more
marksD and found II we'll supplied with
beef, pork, mutton, goats flesl, venis0n,
fish Of several varieties buffalo (ihe red
horse Of the north), perch, shad, aud some
g.fl,n al.
River also, turkeys, wild aud tame, geese,
ducks, chickens, quails, squirrels, and some
birds, tho names Of whivh are not familiar
to your readers; potatoes irish and sweet,
green corn, cabbage, cucumbers, salads Of
different kinds, pickles, peppers, pumpkins,
yellow and sweet, squaShes Of various
kinds; in short, al or nearly all, that any
market would afford. There wnn alao hay,
wood, mesquit (meskeet), fodder (corn-
blades), hides. and Various ether articles.
These were SfereJ by SpaniardS, Mexican
Texans, Statesmen, Northerners, Rebels,
Yankees, and foreigners OF rearly every
nationality and all the mixed races you
can imagine. All appeared TO be busy
vending their goods to the best advantage,
and 10 hostility or Ilfceling was manifest.
ed or apparently felt.
The business OF the city IL difficult to
get at. A newly erected depot, 800 feet in
length and Of convenient width, is scarcely
large enough 70 accommodate the business
There are II transfer wagonr,"4 Of which
have a bed AKA feet and the other 10,
4xl6 feet. and all have stakes 4 feet high,
80 you will see they have capacity Of
near tive cords each. These are required
to make seven trips per day. The result is,
that ID multiplied by equals 81 multi
piled by equals 81 cords Of freight daily
taken from the depot. This does not in
clude that taken by drays, private convey
ances and Government wagons, nor the
amount OF lumber. The business of the
city must necessarily be large, us the
country for 200 miles or more west and
part OF Mexico receive their supplies
through it. The population iS claimed to
be about 10000.
The churches are as follows:' Catholic,
4 Episcopal, /; Baptist, l (; Presbyterian,
|; Methodist, l German Lutheran,
Jewish Synagogue, l African, 8.
Number Of schools: German English,
! Catholic College, l /; Convent, / Free
Schools, 4 Orphan School, Il; miscslla-
means. s. Total, 16.
Beneficiary and other Institutions Free
Masons, 2; Royal Arch, Colnmandsry,
!; Odd Fellows, !; Literary Society, l
Laborers' Associ tion, l /; Fire Companies,
9 white and 2 colored Hook & Ladder
Company, |; Newspapers, daily, 2-Er-
press and Herald
The San Antonio River rise, 4 miles
above the city, and in this distance has a |
river-cOurse of 10 miles and a fall Of 60 |
leet. The water is about 60o, clear and
pleasant to the taste. Various kinds of |
hsh inhabit its water, and daily contribute |
A large portion toward supplying the city |
with food. Its banks are bold, bed grav-
slly, water abundant, and its course so |
crooked Rs to be easily untitled, and why |
il is not improved aud thu water power |
put to use is q wonder to me.
The entire country here is evidently of |
volcanic formation, shells and water
marks being found to the very tops Of the
The surface is gently rolling
md quite porous. The altitude is about
! 900 feet above tide-wnter at Galveston.
The rolling surface and porousness "i the
land render the drainage perfect, hence
Itagnant water is impossible. These facts,
ogether with tho latitude about 29o and
/ sea breeze the greater portion Of the year,
IRE, 1t seems TO me, perpetual guaranty
of healthy climate. Many Eickly per-
ions have come here for their health, and
n many cases have been benefited.
The soil right here ia OF the black "waxy"
'r "hog wallow" variety, and refy adhesive.
IN other localities different soils are found.
Timber in this vicinity is not plenty. Live
Oak, blackberry and MeIquit arc the pr;n-
,ipal varieties.
Corn, oats, millst, sorghum, wheat, cot
on, irish and sweet potatoes, and all gar
len vegetables are said to do we'll here, if
'arly planted. see but one reason why
ruit would not do we'll here, and that ia,
he seasons may not be sufficiently marked
o furnish them annual sleep; but on this
ubject Of fruit-raising testimony differs.
Yours, truly, ]. S. PARKHURsr.