San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-10-11
OUR COUNTY TOWNS
SAN MARCOS,

The town is beautifully situated
Immediately on the San Marcos river
about half o mile below its source
It is located on the international
& Great Northern Railroad, about
midway between Austin, the capital
of the State, and San Antonio, thirty
miles from the former, and fifty from
the latter. II is only eighteen miles
from Kingsbury, on the Galveston,
Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad
It is a thrifty growing town, with al.
most every branch of trade and in
dustry represented It also contains
six organized churches, viz: Metho-
dist, Christian, Baptist, Presbyterian,
Episcopalian and Catholic, besides
two or three colored churches, and
one principal Institution of learning
ing lodges of Masons Odd Fellows,
etc. The situation of the town is
Institue-besides other
private schools. There are flourish
unlike that of any other we have
seen. About one half of the corpor,
ate limits lie in the mountains and
this is the favorite portion for private
residences, being cooler, more slightly
and healthy, as well as exempt from
mud and dust. From any point Of
the view of the town is very
fine, resembling the Swiss villages Of
the Alpine region, only lacking the
mountains. AS long agoas
1875 resident celebrated her charms
and anticipated her future as follows:
She holds, by Natures partial grace,
10 Texas broad, 9 pserless place
Here glorious river-springs 80 bright,
As pure - heaven, - clear 10 hght'
Her smiling plains and woodland bowers,
Vocal with birds aud gemmed with flowers,
Her mountains standing guard around
All point Is her as chosen ground,
But not for NATURES charms alone
She stands confessed from zone TO zone,
Bat for the worth and trnth as wei!
OF those who III her precints dwell
Her valiant sons and daughters fair
In loneliness beyond compare
Their various gifts of heart and mind,
OfmanDers simple. yet refined,
These give her yet higher claim
70 noble and enduring fame.
San Marcosl with prophetic eye
Thy fu ture progress descry,
When kindred souls shall throngng come
TO make thy lovely haunts their home;
When all the wide spread prairies round
Shall smile al cultivated ground
Whom mansions fair shall line thy Streets
And grace thy heights country seats
When ready art and skill shall bring
The waters Of thy matchless spring.
And forth the sparkling tribute pour
Asfree as light, at every door,
Till streets and grounds are bright aErayea
In graceful garb Of grateful shade
Recalling Eden's fruits and flowers
To charm the lingering summer hours;
When Learnngs temples shall! aTise,.
And cloudy columns pierce the skies
From mills and factories tar and near
All this shall swiftly follow here
The advent Of tho Iron Horse
All this, and more, attends his course--
More than the bard may write or dream
Waits on the wondrous power Of steam
God grant that ere another year
His,vakepipz scream cur wales may hear
We need scarcely say that much OF
the above anticipation has already
been realized, and the remainder ap-
pears to be in a rapid state OF fuint
nent. "The advent of the Iron Horse
has revolutionized the place. A new
era began with the fall OF OF lo0o'
Since then old things have been
passing away. The inhH 81 81
kindred souls" the subiugatiOn Of
The widespread prairies ronnd a.
cultivated ground" the mansions l ISa
lining the streets, and graclng lne
heights as country seats, the prIns
ng of the waters of ''her mateneo'
spring" to every door; all these a.
.icipations for San Marcos ana VT IT,
ty are actually being realized: Ia Ia
-Learning's temples, % the nils an LnI
.actories.S ali this and more shlh
swiftly follow here"-no further 9'''
ion of it whatever. ,..re
But we are getting just e ~. -
ahead of our story. We me1It
,av a word as to our public senOo-,
Onr school fund at present Is, -
wisely as we think, dividedup ~. L--s
he various private schools, w.
ABILITIES for teaching the addi..- . =
,umber Of free school scholars -