San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-10


ing relies OF departed generations are to
found, some of them rs old m the city
Philadelphia, and one or two OF them PEI
haps older To representatives of th
French people, and of the Roman Catholi
Church, were We mainly indebted for thes
advance posts Of civilization. One canno
look on their remains at the present da.
without very respectful admiration TO
the spirit Of adventure and Christian
zeal and self sacrifice, which prompted TIT
rearing of these massive walls and tower
thousands of mile in the wilderness, amidst
prowling savages, and beasts of prey, O
century and n hnlf ago.
A few weeks since we made mention OF
having visited some of these old missions
near San Antonio, and promised soon to de-
vote an article to the subject. Having post
ed ourself to some extent, we now proceed
hastily to fulfil our promise.
These and similar enterprises were stimu-
lated OH the part of the Spaniards by the
explorations of the French, just alluded to,
and were carried out by the Franciscan
monks.
The Cathedral of San Fernando, in the
city, part of whice still remains, dates
back to 1722 The Alamo was also original
y n mission building, and was founded in
.744. Aside from these there remain
he ruins of no less than five others, which |
re now known as the Old Missions proper,
nd lie on the river below the city.
The first two only of these it was our
rivilege to visit. The first, called Concep-
;one, is about two miles from the city.
he architecture is of the Christianized
[oorish style. The front is square, Hanked
n either side bya dome covered belfry.
he entrance to the church is between the
'wers and through vestibule. The au-
torium is not large, but it is lighted by a
'me which is singularly beautiful. The
ghtest sound made therein reverberates
it'll wonderful effect. This is the best pre-
rived of all the missions. Other buildings
tached show more signs of decay. Once
'itors We're permitted to ascend the towers,
lich command landscape of surprising 4.
auty, and the broad leagues once attached
the mission, where thousands of Chris
n Indians industriously titled the fields,
W wild waste. Their aqueducts and
d irrigating canals still remain.
Some of the most bloody fights of the
kan revolution were fought at the mission
la Concepcione.
We found this mission in charge of wo-
n who spoke English well, and was in
igent. She cherished the hope of hav-
the mission restored to its pristine state,
m contributions made by visitors, q
lister of whose names she keeps.
The other mission we visited was that of
y Jose, four miles below the city. It is
Oh the largest, and was originally by
the finest of them all, but is now
inly ruin. The sculptured
work could not readily be sur
sed at the present day. 1t was founded
720, but not completed till about fifty
RS later. Something of Mexican vii
} surrounds San Jose. The old Mexican
7 who is its custodian was not at home
ur visit, SO, much to our regret, we did
get to see the inside of the chapel, etc.
an Juan is the name of another mission,
imposing and nearly all in ruins, about
miles from the city. There is still an
Dr. nine miles down the river, also one -
ioliad. There was also one on the San
q river, where rich silver mines are re-
ed to have been worked by the occu-
is. They were all murdered by the
ans, and the secret of the mines is lost.
seems the San Marcos came near get G
the location of some of these missions.
} were ordered built on it, bat for some
on, the location was ordered changed, Ii
account says on account of "a scarcity ! I
'ater," which leads us to remark, that n
venerable chronicler must have been
ng, or mayhap, overcome with some
g stronger than water.
o copy the following effort of writer p,
cribner's Monthly to call up its primeva
as he stood before C0ncepct"ne Mission
little about the venerable VII
5ture, 1 stool looking at the gray walls
ley were bathed in the golden light of
ervid Southern sunset noted the num-
ass doves lowering in and out of the
d towers - the lizards at the walls base
stone cross between the twin towers.
ling up black against the sunset; the
holes i'll them for muskets; stood, and
to call up tho mission fort as it was a -
injury ago, surrounded with smiling
$, cultivated by patient Indians the
ers at their posts, diligently guarding =
n n.la H.. IL