New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-15
THE LONE STAR STATE.

TIE ALAMO DE BEXAR-sCENES IN SAN ANTONIO
ON THE Observation-Disclosures OF THE
MESQUITE PIAISs-NDUsTRIAL CONDITION OF
THE CoUNTRY-THR NEGRO NOT IN FAVOR
PROGRESS OF RAILROAD BUILDING.
fFRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNEI
SAN ANTONIO, March 10-When one looks at the
Alamo and the old Cathedral in San Antonio. and
reads again the story of the siege and the massacre
1886 it easy to reproduce IN IMAGINATION these
scenes and the wild surroundings of that time. But
looking at the city It is now, one is inclined TO
push the date of these savage occurrences further
back into the past. Forty-iye years seems scarcely
long enough for the changes that have taken place
here in the building up of 50 large town. Much OF
the Alamo still stands intact 1t is "A long, narrow
building, two stories highpart of il at least-and
is built of stone, with walls four feet thick. The
rude carvings on the front are battered and broken
by cannon shot. 1t is used store or ware
house. part of the old Cathedral. of similarly
heavy and durable construction. stands a short dis
tance from the Alamo. In the upper story of
building adjoining the Alamo an elderly Frcnchman
has very interesting museum of stuffed animals
and birds, all of them inhabitants of this region
There are enormous specimens of the puma, or
Mexican lion" wild cats. wolves and other beasts
of prey The serpents are some of them. of n size
to shake the nerves of timid immigrants. Some of
the rattlesnakes are five feet long, and thick as
Frcnchman politely informed me that he had some
still larger but told him these would do very well
for me. and that if should settle here should not
care to have any larger snakes than these. VIII
monsieur have also one museum of &c animals' he
inquired with much interest.
ON THE MESQUITE PLAINS
have been all day riding over the country west
and southwest of this place. The passenger service
of the Sunset Route" end, here, hut the road Is
being rapidly extended westward toward the Elo
Grande went out upon a construction trans carry
this morning and had look at the army "i WORK
men AT the end of the road then. obtaining mule
from yonng Nirginian who i" IN sheep III small
wav." AS the word is here looked about among the
shcep.ranchcs and The farms unit, nearly Dark com
ing into town again hy the same conveyance which
too me ont in the morning. Many of the sheep
raisc?s are bnying land and the outside range Is
Incoming limited IN tins rt giou. My virginia FRI nj
saws there is money in thc business but that there
is about the same chance fol failure ami I"'N a. IN
other occupations He docs not think that ANY ll'-
ness in thi, country offer, certainty oi succr>> hut
saws if man sticks to a thing here, ho can do as
we'll as anywhere II seems 10 mo that III THIS nf'
suit as in most things which men do here. there is
the least possible expenditure o.! human cl"ri. ann
that business or industry here has been chiefly
an endeayor to obtain profit from the mere opera
tiOn of the forces Oi nature Nl' ntl ~ I"'t NV
phrase of an old Texan with whom tallscd to-day.
| sets around TO see things grow. Most oi Tie
country here i. what Is called mesquite praTlc.
II looks almost exactly hike neglected pcach-orch
ard. the ground covered with grass and the trees
for want Of pruning and care grown INTO great clus-
tiers by "sproutIng from the stump. In" Tc@cm-
blance of the mesquite bush I" The peach tree Is
striking 1t attains here about the same SIZE ~ the
peach tree and II does not cover the Whole of tho
ground or form thickctS Int grows III scattered cu'-
tcrs It's fi7lit the people call beam and the old
Texan Just mentioned says u VIII begin I" bean rs
| soon as the wcathers warm an VIII 20 heanin on
till frost" The bean Is valuable food for horses ana
cattle. The prickly pear is prominent feature IN
| the landscape 1t grows 10 an cnorfnous size. ia
e leaves" the branches or joints Of the plant are
| said TO be excellent food for cattle. They are
thro,gl into fire for a few moments Ia burn OIL
| the thorns and are then. am told eagerly eaten.
Several kinds Of cactus are abundant here. Every
body SAYS that all this vegetation the mesquite thr
prckly pear and all the species of cactus which grow
here are really Mexican plants. and that when tns
country was first settled none of these things grew
here They are advancing further and further
northward and stward each year. Ny old IrNln
friend saws "they'rc bound To take the country.
They're mighty hard to kill an don YOU iorni 1t.
| They II be IN your country yit" Another change.
which everybody assure, me = still gong Oh here.
is great increase in the amount OF the annual RAIN
fall From the appearance oi the shrubs and trees
and the flora generally judge that much greater
increase is still desirable.
PRIDE ASp POVERTY.
had considerable talk with NY friend from VIZ
pinia | told him that had recently been looking
about in hi, native Stat" and thai II seemed to me-
that all energetic Young NrsituAus are needed at
home. and that there L. ahuntIa Opportunity and
reward for labor thrr.: and asked If Ar hhcd tl-
better than work ~ Nrciuia. He said 100: hu that
il is not vet the fashion for y"unc NUsnlan "i
good family 10 engage IN herd. rough vnl.. in ln,
own ncighborhood IN Virginia " II would not do
for me TO work by the month there for such wages
a, are paid here 1t would be- too much of AN aniic-
| ton for NY family and should lo.e cast" with my
| lady friends. II man has 100 money De- cannot
begin in Virginia because be- would Zee ca~scd with
| the poor whites and the ncgl"'- with whom Ia,
| work and circumstances would bring him into COM
petition But he can come out here and rough %.
and if he has no money hc can VoI. 10y thc month
al hcrding or driving team. till be- get, start
suppose this is true. FOR ] hear the same thing
often i'm various place, IN this state and ln Virginia.
tennessee and Alabama the parents OF many of
these young men gave me The same reason for the
emigration of their sons To Texas. Perhaps these
reasons would be equally potent with everybody,
but at any rate can see that many young men here
work much harder, and live III far ruughrr and
harder ways than WON! be necessary in the older
States, and that they do not make 80 much money
here as they might there There j. ~ much cmigra
ton from this region too. ~ from any other that
"A. H. .,fat i..sf