Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-04-10
Letter from Texas.

The following letter, received by a
prominent gentleman of this city from q
son, who is now in Texas, having been
read by friend who, thinking 1t would
be interesting to the readers of this pa
per, has copied it for publication -
SAN ANTONIO, TEX March 2e, ,S3.
My dear father :-Thinking that you
all might be uneasy about me, send
you hurried note.
I'm having most delightful and sue
cessfu trip through Texas. Would have
gone as far South as Montery, Mexico,
but my house thought that had better
put that part of my trip off unit! later
in the season, when business was on the
wane. I've determined to visit the
place, and will go in July or August
This, San Antonio, Is indeed q quaint
and quiet place, and besides one of the
loveliest cities on the continent. A
beautiful river, WHOSE waters are as clear
as crystal, meandering its way, serpent
like through every portion of the town,
and whose banks are lined with trees
all thick in foliage, beautiful grapes,
and shrubs of every variety. The
houses are principally made of adobe.
that is clay and straw, built fiat on the
ground The population is three fourths
Mexican, and, in fact, every nationality
on the glObe is represented here. Yes
terday Sunday spent in sight seeing.
and collecting curiosities. Well, the first
point OF interest I visited, was the "Old
Missions" three and five miles out of
the city, on the banks of the beautiful
river. You know they were
built in 1908, by the Catholic missiona-
ries, to civilize the Indians. The walls
are from one to six feet thick, all of
stone and adobe, and some of the most
beautiful carving to be found in the
whole world suppose. Their cellars.
courts. galleries, &C., are ofimmense pro.
portions, and more beautifully designed
than any thing ever conceived or read
of. could have spent hours within
these old ruins, and something new and
beautiful in artistic design would be at
tracing the eye all the while. The
pigeons have taken possession of them,
and few old Mexicans keep watch over
them, not allowing strangers to enter
without their permission. 1 have ster-
eoscopic views of these old places, which
L will send shortly, and wish YOU to ex,
anime closely, especially the carving
around the doors and windows. We
then returned to our hotel to dinner,
and the next place was the Spanish
COCK pit, where hundreds of Mexicans
were engaged fighting chickens, and
hundreds of dollars changed hands, and
about 2 NJ. we visited the Alamo, al
so David Croekett's room, and that oc.
cupied by Bowie, and in which he was
Killed, TIVE have relics from both) in
thai terrible siege of Santa Annals, The
pext place OF interest was the San Pedro
SnrIDDS and 6ty an pif RI
miles above town, the source of the riy-
er, and the most picturesque place on
earth. The old Spanish Cathedral, over
two hundred years old, and whose walls,
ike those of the Alamo, are SCARED and
battered just as badly by the myriads of
bullets, during that terrible siege, we
also visited, and were shown through
by the old priest, and after we had our
supper, Wa strolled up one of the prin-
cipai thoroughfares, (scarcely wide
enough for two vehicles to pass), to the
military plaza. Here the Mexicans were
selling all kinds of edibles, such as ''to-
malloes," made of mashed corn, pepper,
and meat boiled in sbuck, and / tell
you it is elegant, "chilaconcoony," meat
chopped fine, pepper, &C., something
Ike cur hash, and beyond doubt the
finest dish l ever ate. "Juchelotha,n
cheese, pepper, and onions, made into a
cake; "Maleocha," molasses candy
"Colacuetha," sort of a pie, made OF
meat, &c. baked in flour paste. The
little "Mechacha" Mexican girl who
waited on US, was very pretty, and our
Ignorance OF the Mexican language,
amused her very much.
There are a thousand other things
that should like to relate, but my time
is up. Don.