The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-10-24
San Antnnin.

"To see ourselves as others see us" some
times is productive Of much good, and to
that end we copy the following from a letter
from this city to the Houston Post:
SAN ANTONIO, October 10 This city was
founded in 1873 and, somewhere about 1888,
received grant Of six leagues Of land from
the King Of Spain, in conformity to the Gus.
tom Of endowing towns. 1t must be con-
fessed the location, or site, was most admir-
ably chosen, in point Of healthfuness and an
uniailing and unbundant supply Of water, GER
tainly most important considerations as re-
CARDS the growth Of any city.
San Antonio has been upon "boom" ever
since the railroads reached her, and this boom
is just as active as ever. At the present mo-
ment the houses in process Of erection will
cost, in the aggregate, at least S75o, 900, but
building is the order Of the day here and is
constantly going forward.
The municipal authorities appear TO be
DOUBLE REcTlFIED OLD FoGiEs
and fossils as regards the improvement Of
the streets and plazas. They could easily
have all the sidewalks graded and paved,
If they would but pass an ordinance re-
curing lot owners to cause the payements
to be graded and paved within a specified
time, in front Of their lots. But instead Of
pursuing this course they are requiring the
sidewalks to be graded and paved by piece
meals and about in spots. Many streets are
without the least pavement, and get so muddy
in winter as to be well nigh impossible by
pedestrians. To grade and pave the side
walks in spots is but Of small benefit, as
pedestrians pass from reasonably good side
walk to a strip of ponds and mud holes,
where wading becomes necessary. Where
those who own lots abuting on a street are
eomPellable to grade and pave the sidewalks
in front Of their property, there is really no
excuse for streets being uneven and full of
mud holes and ponds of water half the winter.
The streets are unprovided with bitches,
cutters or drains for carrying off the rainfall,
and are put in a pretty pickle" by every
rain. On many Of them wading is a neces-
sity. Where water is unable to run off and
to pond and dry up, il affects the adjacent land
by making it spongy and muddy. 1t is unac-
countable to me that the Street Commissioners
should take such especial pains to counteract
nature and impede the flow of the surface
water; and some time ago a writer in the Times
accused the Street Commissioners of EN-
deavoring to cause the water to run up hill |
an accusation containing "more truth than
poetry"
II is very great drawback on San Anto-
tonic that many OF her principal streets are
extremely narrow and crooked, but the mis- |
chief is now beyond remedy.
ALAMO PLAzA,
after a moderate rain, resembles an inland |
lake, and is impossible by pedestrians, but |
the city authorities seem oblivious Of its I'M |
slightly and impossible condition. Probably |
they are OF the same opinion with the man in |
Arkansas, the roof of whose house had A
laTge-sized hole in Il, through which one
might study astronomy at night, as he lay in
bed, and through which the rain poured down
quite unceremoniously. When a traveller in
CURED OF him as TO why he did not stop this
hole, the proprietor replied swell, you
see, mister, when it amt raining the hole in
the roof does no harm, and when it rains, | |
can't get up there to stop it,"
Alamo plaza is a spot dear to every Texans |
heart, for 1t was the scene Of as noble strue-
gle as is to be found in the pages of history, |
and was baptized with the heroic blood Of |
Crockett and his compatriots. Consequently |
Il is notifying to witness its neglected state.
small outlay Of money would suffice to |
grade, adorn and beauty this historic plaza,
making il an ornament to San Antonio, and |
the pride OF the whole State. An under |
ground drain Of 200 yards to the San Anto- |
MO river would effectually drain the water
falling upon it, and it could thus be filed in |
and raised with dirt and rock, and planted on
its edges with shade trees.